Hamburg · With kids

The world's largest model railway, at Kehrwieder 2–4 in the Speicherstadt. 22 € adults, 13 € under 16, free for children under a metre tall with a parent. Book online: the place is almost always busy and on the worst days it stays open until 01:00 to clear the queue.

19 hectares at Lokstedter Grenzstraße 2, with more than 1,400 animals and one of Europe's largest elephant herds, on its own U2 station. 29 € adults and 19 € for children 4–16 for the zoo; the Tropen-Aquarium is a separate ticket at 25 € and 17 €. Last admission is 17:00.

Free park between the Congress Center and the Millerntor, with one of Europe's largest Japanese landscape gardens, a tea house and weekend music in the pavilion. The coloured water-light concerts run every evening through the summer months and cost nothing to watch.

A 1961/62 general cargo ship moored at the Überseebrücke, the last of six sisters built for Hamburg-Süd, and open from the bridge down to the engine room. She still sails occasional harbour trips, and the restored original cabins can be booked as a hotel.

The city funfair on the Heiligengeistfeld, held three times a year — spring, summer and winter — for about four weeks each time, with roughly 250 rides and stalls. Walking in is the cheap part; the rides are not. Check the dates before you plan a trip around it.