Just like a lot of people, I have seen less of my own country than of other places in the world. When I had a work-event in Hamburg this year, I decided to extend my stay over the weekend to do some sightseeing since I had never been. As the event only finished on Friday evening and my flight back to London was on Sunday, I really only had one day in Hamburg, and I think I managed to make the most of it.
From the work event held in the swanky Grand Elysee Hotel in Hamburg, I moved to a 6-bed dorm in the large Generator hostel right next to the main station. My teammates found it rather amusing since the area behind the main station isn’t the nicest place to stay. It was admittedly a bit of a weird sensation to check into the dorm after having enjoyed a lovely spa session in the nice hotel. However, with that little time in the city, I very much doubted that I’d spend a lot of time there anyway and I hoped to meet some fun people in the hostel to have a few beers with.
Choosing the right hostel can be hit and miss. In this case, it was a bit of a miss for me, at least when it comes to meeting people. Whilst the hostel is good value-for-money and it’s clean and safe, there isn’t a lot of communal space and people in my dorm weren’t very social. The fact that the guy sleeping in the bunk bed just above me kept sighing in his sleep really loudly (!!!) didn’t make me want to hang out with him either – so I set off to explore Hamburg on my own the next day. With Germany, as well as the rest of Europe, in the tight grip of a cold splash called the “Beast from the East”, you could only do so much walking around without having to retreat into the warmth again. So I think overall, it’s fair to say that I was in a bit of a foul mood to begin with – but I decided to not let this ruin Hamburg for me, since so many people had said that the city is amazing.
The old town and the Speicherstadt
I started exploring the city at about 10 am after having a Mettbrötchen (a bread roll with raw meat and onions – yummy!) at the station for breakfast. Since I had checked out the beautiful waters of the Binnenalster surrounded by lit-up houses the night before, I am heading to the Rathaus (the town hall) and onwards to the St. Nikolai Mahnmal. Only the tower remains of the church which was destroyed in 1943, and it once was the highest church tower in the world. Through the beautiful cobbled Deichstrasse with little cafes and restaurants, my walk takes me to the Speicherstadt. The Speicherstadt, built from 1883 to 1927, is the largest warehouse district in the world. The buildings stand on timber-pile foundations located in the port of Hamburg, called HafenCity. The Speicherstadt is also home to the Minature Wonderland, the world’s largest model railway exhibition. I contemplate going in but there are no tickets left until the afternoon and the sun is shining now so I opt for walking. To warm up prior to continuing my walk, I enter the Kaffeerösterei (coffee roastery) where the strongest and most lovely coffee fragrance welcomes me.
I enjoy a delicious coffee and cake surrounded by old, metallic coffee utensils and continue refreshed and warmed up to the Elbphilharmonie, the new concert hall which only opened in 2017. It’s impressive both from an architectural point of view as well as because it’s one of the largest and acoustically most advanced concert halls in the world. A fancy glass roof in the shape of a sail, or waves, creates a stark contrast to the bricks from an old warehouse on the bottom of the building. There is a walkway between the glass and the bricks, which is accessible to visitors for free that day. From it, visitors are able to enjoy lovely views of the river Elbe and the Speicherstadt.
The Landungsbrücken, Neustadt and Karolinenviertel
By the time I reach the Landungsbrücken (landing bridges) while wandering along the river, I’m freezing again. But before I take the train towards the Karolinenviertel, I explore a bit of the Neustadt (newer part of the city) with the Portuguese quarters and the beautiful Krameramtswohnungen. The latter were built between 1620 and 1700 and they used to be homes for widows of members of the Grocers’ Institute. Small shops, galleries, restaurants and a museum now occupy the tiny houses.
It’s only 3 pm by now but I well and truly can’t walk around in the freezing cold anymore, so I’m thrilled when I accidentally stumble across the Flohschanze upon existing the subway. This is a flea market in front of the old butchery of the quirky Karolinenviertel in Hamburg. After checking out some of the goods on offer, I retreat to the little pub / café right next to the market and find it to be the cosiest and best location as of yet. Sitting in an old armchair, I am contentedly sipping a mug of coffee while reading some old “Clever and Smart” comics that I have found in the bookshelf of the comfortable Feldstern, while the guy next to me is having a hearty and yummy looking potato soup. I’m finding it hard to leave. In the Karolinenviertel, hippie clothing and accessories shops and packed, cosy-looking cafes alternate along the street.
Night life: The Sternenschanze in Hamburg Altona and the Reeperbahn in St. Pauli
At around 5 pm, I decide it’s now a good time for a pint. I head over to the popular craft brewery that has been recommended to me by one of my teammates, called Altes Mädchen (old girl) to have a taster of six different small beers. The Zwickel, the unfiltered Lager as well as the red beer are my favourites. Whilst having a tapas platter for dinner in the Café Sul in Hamburg’s second-most reputable entertainment district after the Reeperbahn, the Sternenschanze, I am watching the Nordderby – a critical football match between two most successful and therefore feuding Northern-German football teams, the Hamburger SV and Werder Bremen, together with some locals.
It’s relatively quiet in the café so I leave during match break and meander down the Sternenschanze to find a place that is a little more buzzing – such as the Presse Restaurant & Café on Susannenstrasse, where people are even flocking outside, in front of the large window, to watch the match. After the game, it’s late enough to check out Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s popular red light district. Starting in proper style at the Titty Twister with a nice bunch of people I met in the Sternenschanze, the night ends with some live music and good vibes in the Cowboy und Indianer as well as more than one night cab in a tiny little pub just off the Reeperbahn called Windjammer. It’s now already nearing 3 am and I ask the bar man how long they’re open. The answer is “As long as there’s people”. Hooray! When I leave, the party is still in full swing but I think I’ve done all I possibly could on one day in Hamburg.
