ReCHInnecting in the most beautiful city in the world
In all modesty, the residents of Hamburg consider their city as “The most beautiful city in the world”. These winged words are spread popularly in numerous media in Hamburg. Songs across all music genres and centuries emotionally praise Hamburg for its beauty via Seemann’s choir to hip-hop. This naturally develops a very special pride for the residents resulting in a feeling that connects and unites generations, cultures, ethnicities, and societies.
Due to its role as the biggest commercial port in the country (and the second largest in Europe) Hamburg is referred to as the “Gateway to the World”. Hamburg was also the gateway for about five million European emigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. They left their homes at the port of Hamburg to head off to the New World in the hopes of a better life. But Hamburg offers much more than the port, river Elbe and the Alster (which is also a river and not a lake), even if these highlights lead to a really unique maritime atmosphere. Hamburg has over 2,500 bridges (more bridges than Venice, Amsterdam and Stockholm combined) which build connections between famous landmarks and destinations for residents and visitors including the city center, the Binnenalster, the Port of Hamburg, the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, HafenCity, Elbphilharmonie, St. Pauli, the Reeperbahn, the town hall, the Michel, and many, many more.
What a great place to reCHInnect!
© mediaserver.hamburg.de
Venue
The ACM CHI 2023 will take place in the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH), which has been completely renovated and reopened in 2022. The building is located near Dammtor Train Station and the Radisson Blu Hotel. The postal address is Congressplatz 1, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.
© Hamburg Messe und Congress
General Planning Information
Getting to Hamburg
Arriving by plane
Hamburg has an international airport HAM Hamburg Airport. From the airport it takes about 30-45 minutes to the conference venue CCH via public transport (e.g., with a single ride S-Bahn trip for ca. 3,50 Euros) or taxis (approximately 30-40 Euros).
Further information can be found here: https://www.cch.de/en/visit/arrival/plane
Arriving by public transit
Hamburg has some major train stations such as Hamburg Central Station, Altona Station, Harburg Station, and Dammtor Station. The closest train station is Dammtor Station, which is literally directly next to the conference venue CCH.
Further information can be found here: https://www.cch.de/en/visit/arrival/rail-travel
If you plan to arrive by train, we offer the Deutsche Bahn’s Event Ticket, which is a cheaper way of travelling with sustainable long-distance trains powered by 100% renewable energy.
The Deutsche Bahn’s Event Ticket will be available around mid October here:
Please note that every accessibility support and every ticket for wheelchair users have to be booked via +49 30 65212888 or [email protected], for further information please contact [email protected].
We noticed that some browsers have issues showing available train connections (e.g., due to adblockers). Please try a different browser or contact the Deutsche Bahn Service Center via phone: +49 30 586020901 (8:00 am – 8:00 pm every day, CET).
Further information can be found here: https://www.cch.de/fileadmin/cch/pdf/db_event_ticket_faqs-1.pdf
Arriving by car
While it is possible to arrive by car, we strongly advise against it, since there will be a lot of traffic, as well as only a few and expensive parking options.
Further information can be found here: https://www.cch.de/en/visit/arrival/travel-by-car
Getting around in Hamburg
Hamburg boasts an extensive public transport system including underground trains, a light-rail network, buses and ferries. With the registration, we provide a specific ticket for all ACM CHI attendees. With your badge, you can use all public transport options in Hamburg from April 23rd to 28th, 2023 for free. The ticket will be printed on your badge, which can be picked up at the registration desk only. Please note that the ticket cannot be sent to you before the conference.
Additional tickets can be purchased via HVV app (https://apps.apple.com/de/app/hvv/id501995569 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.eos.uptrade.android.fahrinfo.hamburg&hl=en) online or directly here: https://www.hvv.de/en
Hamburg also provides City Bikes, which allows you to explore Hamburg on two wheels, but you need to sign up for the city’s public bike system. The first 30 minutes are free of charge and after that your trip will cost €0.08 per minute or €12 per day. Details can be found here: https://www.hamburg.com/getting-around/11874904/stadtrad/
You can also use non-stationary car sharing providers like Share Now, Miles, and Sixt, which are parked all over the city. You need to sign up. Details can be found here: https://www.hamburg.com/getting-around/11874754/car-sharing/
Another option is MOIA, which offers emission-free local travel in comfortable small busses. Further information are available here: https://www.moia.io/en/cities
From January 2023, severely disabled people will be traveling with MOIA for free and can register for this here: https://help.moia.io/hc/en-us/articles/6106241810461-Free-transportation-with-MOIA-requirements-
Further general information can be found here: https://www.hamburg.com/getting-around/11874814/public-transport/
Hotels
All CHI Conference Hotels are Now SOLD OUT of rooms at the discounted group rate, please contact the hotels directly to try and book at the best available rate.
Hotel Baseler Hof – SOLD OUT!
Address: Esplanade 11, Hamburg
Distance from Convention Center: 800 m/ 11 minute walk
Radisson Blu Hotel – SOLD OUT!
Address: Marseiller Strasse 2, 20355, Hamburg
Distance from Convention Center: 220 m/ 3 minute walk
Grand Elysée Hamburg – SOLD OUT!
Address: Rothenbaumchaussee 10, Hamburg
Distance from Convention Center: 500 m/ 7 minute walk
Intercity Hotel Hamburg Dammtor-Messe – SOLD OUT!
Address: St. Petersburger Strasse 1, 20355 Hamburg
Distance from Convention Center: 750 m/ 9 minute walk
If you need accessible rooms, we recommend the Radisson Blu Hotel (including 15 accessible rooms) and Grand Elysee Hamburg (including 2 accessible rooms).
You may find other options on the map below:
Hotels and other Points of Interest in Hamburg
What to do in Hamburg
Hamburg has numerous wonderful and interesting landmarks, places, people to visit, explore and meet. Here is a collection of recommendations, which can be visited throughout the week.
Planten un Blomen
https://www.hamburg.com/explore/outdoors/11872624/planten-un-blomen/
Magnificent plant species and flower beds during the day and water features and water light concerts at night. The colored water light concerts will be played every evening at 10 p.m. from Mai, 1st, 2023, in case you stay a bit longer in Hamburg. Just take a blanket with you and end the evening.
Elbphilharmonie
https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/
The Elbphilharmonie, popularly nicknamed Elphi, is a concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. The new glassy construction resembles a hoisted sail, water wave, iceberg or quartz crystal resting on top of an old brick warehouse (Kaispeicher A, built in 1963) near the historical Speicherstadt.
clouds – Heaven’s Bar & Kitchen
https://www.clouds-hamburg.de/en/
Perfect location for a sundowner with a great view of the Reeperbahn and the harbor.
Miniatur Wunderland
https://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/
It is the largest model railway system in the world located at the Kehrwieder 2-4/Block D. In the historic warehouse district, dreams come true in H0 size.
Elbstrand & Strandperle
https://www.strandperle-hamburg.de/
Enjoy a perfect matjes roll with your feet in the sand with a view of the passing container giants. It is best to take the ferry (public transport) to the museum harbor in Neumühlen and walk from there.
Binnen- and Außenalster
Time to relax or go jogging – the 7.5 km long circuit around the Outer Alster is Hamburg’s most famous running route. The Outer Alster Lake is a 5-minute walk from the conference venue.
Speicherstadt
Hamburg’s Speicherstadt is the world’s largest historic warehouse complex, located in the Port of Hamburg. It has been a listed monument since 1991 and, together with the neighboring Kontorhausviertel district, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name Speicherstadt und Kontorhausviertel mit Chilehaus.
Schanzenviertel
Young nightlife area with many cafés, bars, restaurants, boutiques, arthouse cinema and late night snack bars. This area gets very crowded on the weekends and even though it is safe thanks to the high police presence, you should still be cautious and beware of potential risks.
Reeperbahn
https://reeperbahn.de/
The Reeperbahn is the central street in the entertainment and red light district of Hamburg. The 930 meters long boulevard is Hamburg’s infamous center of nightlife and lies at the heart of St. Pauli. This area gets very crowded on the weekends and even though it is safe thanks to the high police presence, you should still be cautious and beware of potential risks.
Rickmer Rickmers
https://www.rickmer-rickmers.de/
The 1896-built large, fully rigged sailing ship is always worth a visit. Below deck, interesting special exhibitions on maritime topics attract visitors; large display boards, old photos and nautical exhibits document the exciting history of the Rickmer Rickmers ship open as a heritage tourist attraction & art museum.
Cap San Diego
https://www.capsandiego.de/
The 1896-built large, fully rigged sailing ship is always worth a visit. Below deck, interesting special exhibitions on maritime topics attract visitors; large display boards, old photos and nautical exhibits document the exciting history of the Rickmer Rickmers ship open as a heritage tourist attraction & art museum.
St Michaelis
https://www.st-michaelis.de/en/
The ‘Michel’ is Hamburg’s largest church and one of the city’s must-see sights. Its bell tower offers a stunning view over the city. St. Michael’s is the most important baroque church in northern Germany. The multifaceted church is well worth a visit.
Rathaus
https://www.hamburg.de/rathaus/
Hamburg City Hall is the seat of the Hamburg Parliament and the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The architecturally magnificent building on the Kleine Alster was built from 1886 to 1897 in the historicist style of the North German Neo-Renaissance. The tower is 112 meters high and, along with the towers of Hamburg’s main churches, is an important landmark in the cityscape of Hamburg.
Musicals
Musicals are a popular form of live entertainment in Germany. Hamburg in particular is known as a musical stronghold. No other city in Germany offers that many musical events.
Musical lovers can spend a perfect evening at one of the city’s many shows.
Alter Elbtunnel
Opened in 1911, the St. Pauli Elbtunnel – also known as the Alter Elbtunnel – passes under the Elbe River over a length of 426.5 meters and connects the northern edge of the harbor at the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken with the Elbe island of Steinwerder with two tunnel tubes. It is used as a public transport route by pedestrians and cyclists as well as by motor vehicles to a limited extent. It was considered a technical sensation when it was opened, has been a listed building since 2003 and was awarded the title of Historic Landmark of Civil Engineering in Germany by the Federal Chamber of Engineers and the Hamburg Chamber of Civil Engineers on September 7, 2011.
Explore Hamburg (Tuesday, April 25, from 6pm)
The German HCI community has created a collection of things to do in Hamburg. Please have a look at the web page of the German HCI community – germanhci.de – this is not part of the official CHI2023 program.
Overall Trip Planning
The official Hamburg Tourism site (https://www.hamburg-travel.com) provides a lot of further information about several city areas, culture, events, musicals, gastronomy, shops and nightlife.