Speicherstadt - Hamburg
Best Time: Typical sunset spot
Remarks: The spot is located at a bridge. One line of the street is closed so there is plenty of space. Make sure to come a bit earlier as this place isn't that secret anymore. There are some challenges to get this kind of image. It took me also a bit until I had this one, and I'm still not 100% happy. First of all, this place can be quite windy. So you don't get a nice reflection. Next, tourist ships are coming in during sunset. This is ruining the reflections as well. Another reason to come early. The last one is buildings themself. They are quite old, so quite often there is construction going on. Sometimes, not all lights are working. If all this works out fine, I wish you look for the weather and your shot is a piece of cake ;).
GPS Location: 53°32'45.7"N 10°00'07.7"E
Hafencity Station - Hamburg
Best Time: All day long
Remarks: In Germany, Hamburg is not really known for good weather. So if you visit there might be the chance of a bit of rain. Luckily, Hamburg has some beautiful subway stations. Hafencity University Station is definitely my favorite. The beautiful light installation changes colors constantly. On the one hand, this gives you a lot of options to create different moods. On the other hand, this makes it a bit tricky if you want to compose e.g. moving subways into your final picture. If you plan to do so, make sure that you stay long enough to shoot every scene in every possible light. The best time is a Sunday morning or evening, as there are only very view people.
GPS Location: 53°32'26.5"N 10°00'25.1"E
Kölner Dom - Cologne
Best Time: Sunset or night shot
Remarks: One of the most known buildings in Germany is the "Kölner Dom" - the Cologne cathedral. The best perspective you find on the other side of the river Rhein. Straight after the bridge is a small skyscraper called KölnSky. The rooftop is an observation deck. Tripods are allowed, the only problem is that there is glass all the way around. So make sure you bring something to cover your lense to avoid reflections. The time you wait to cover the whole sunset period can be used to take pictures from couples that get attracted by your professional setup ;).
GPS Location: 50°56'26.0"N 6°58'19.2"E