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The Main Gate to Germany
The port of Hamburg has not only brought prosperity to the city. Hamburg is nowadays an important media center. 15 of the 20 most prestigious magazines in the country are published here, and the ARD produces here the most influential TV show in Germany, "Tagesschau". Likewise, Hamburg is a city with a very specialized industry where medicine meets biotechnology. On the other hand, it is one of the aeronautic construction centers of the world; for example, it is here that the Airbus A380 is built.
Hamburg is, along with Berlim and Bremen, one of the three city-states of the country. This means that it has its own Federal Government, like any of the other 16 states that make up the country and, at the same time, it has a Mayor who governs the city.
Hamburg is a cosmopolitan city where the cold elegance of mansions and luxurious hotels intermingle with international musical productions and magnificent shopping centers. But there is also the “Reeperbahn”, the main street in St. Paul Quarter, the city's red light district. Here the party starts at 1:30 in the morning and nobody sleeps. Usually, this area is visited by younger crowds looking for entertainment in clubs and discotheques. Early in the morning, you can go to the fish market in the Altona Quarter, where every Sunday, merchants call the prices of their products loudly.
When visiting Hamburg you cannot miss a trip to the Duty-Free Area and the historic zone known as Speicherstadt, a dock and warehouse complex where coffee aroma and exotic spices awaken the senses.
The Hamburg soccer club that plays in the Bundesliga is the HSV, the Hamburger Sportvereins, Hamburg Sports Club. The six times German Champion plays in the AOL Arena, which during the World Cup will be called “FIFA World Cup Stadium of Hamburg”. The construction of the modern stadium started in 1998 on the lot of the old Volksparkstadion, and opened in 2000. One of the most important players of HSV has been Uwe Seeler, an idol in the city known as "our Uwe". Born in Hamburg, he played with his club in the Bundesliga for 9 years and was captain of the German Team since 1961 to 1970.
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