Hamburg Dungeon

Down in the Speicherstadt, the Hamburg Dungeon spends about ninety minutes walking you through six hundred years of the Hanseatic city at its least respectable. Live actors perform a run of interactive shows through themed sets thick with sound, smell and sudden dark. The Chamber of Torments does what the name promises. The Great Fire of Hamburg takes the city apart around you. The Plague Hospital is grim in ways you won't have anticipated, the Inquisition wants a confession, and Santa Fu — the city's notorious prison — has a place set aside for you. There are two rides, including Hamburg's only indoor free-fall tower. Shows run primarily in German; English-language performances are scheduled on a more limited basis, so pick the language option when you book. It's frightening and funny at once, and the performers never chase or touch you. Entry is by online ticket only — there's no box office on the door. Seasonal shows run at points through the year; check the ticket link for what's on when you visit.