| 1. The Bismarck Denkmal monument in Elbe Park |  |
21. Department of Justice building |  |
| 2. The monument is 111-feet, erected 1903 to 1906. It is a statue of Otto von Bismarck, the "Iron Chancellor" of Prussia, who was the force behind the unification of Germany in the 1800's. |  |
22. The most common picture of Hamburg is this view across the Binnenalster, which is a lake |  |
| 3. Description of the monument in German. |  |
23. The western side of the Binnenalster including a fountain in the foreground |  |
| 4. Landungsbrucken, where ferries depart for short trips |  |
24. Day 3: The Rathaus. Multiple-week wine festival shown out front. Here begins a tour of the Rathaus. |  |
| 5. Urban art near the Reeperbahn. The Reeperbahn has quite a reputation around Europe for the red light aspect as well as dozens of nightspots. |  |
25. A close-up of a portion of the Rathaus exterior |  |
| 6. The Hamburg train station (hauptbahnhof) once again, this time on the inside |  |
26. Primary hall (Rathausdiele) you see when entering the Rathaus. Rathaus means "Town Hall." It contains 647 rooms (6 more than Buckingham Palace in the U.K.) It has astonishing opulence. It is the headquarters of both the city and the State government (one of 16 German states) |  |
| 7. Day 2: The Alterwall area close to the Rathaus and best shopping districts |  |
27. Staircase at the Rathaus. The building was begun in 1866 and completed in 1892. |  |
| 8. Colonnaden is one of the best streets of restored architecture. There are many offices and shops, including one of the best chocolate shops you will find. |  |
28. Another view of the staircase |  |
| 9. Another view of Colonnaden |  |
29. Decorative indoor arches at the Rathaus |  |
| 10. Ornate building near the university district and not far from the botanical park areas |  |
30. Parliament has been held in this room |  |
| 11. Close-up view of the same building |  |
31. Opulent room at the Rathaus |  |
| 12. I began a tour of the Planten un Blomen (plants and flowers park) and the botanical garden (Alter Botanischer Garten) |  |
32. Another room used for important engagements. Notice the detailed ceiling. |  |
| 13. Stepping stones across a creek |  |
33. Golden chandelier in the same room |  |
| 14. A colorful insignia in a cobbled portion of the park area |  |
34. Beautiful doors at the Rathaus |  |
| 15. Fountains at the park area |  |
35. Golden metallic door at the Rathaus |  |
| 16. More water features in the park |  |
36. Intricately carved doors at the Rathaus |  |
| 17. More water features in the park |  |
37. More opulence |  |
| 18. Several colors of flowers caught in the same patch |  |
38. Mayor's office containing the famous Golden Book |  |
| 19. Gardens |  |
39. Close-up of the golden book, which has been signed by all the famous dignitaries who would visit the Rathaus |  |
| 20. Bird's nest in an unlikely spot |  |
40. One more ornate door at the Rathaus |  |
