Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany. It’s history is intertwined with the water and the port that has helped make the city what it is today. This blog is an supplementary entry for the video above. Any updates, changes and additions will appear here. Feel free to add any more ideas with a comment!
Rathaus (City Hall)
We’ll start our tour with the City Hall. You can feel the building is from another age as you wonder through the building. There are also daily tours which you can book directly with them.
Riverboat ride
A great way to experience the city is on the water. You have lots of options from commercial tour companies A cheaper option is public transport ferry number 62 and you can catch it from platform 3.
Elbe Tunnel
The Elbe tunnel is both an historical gem of Hamburg and a technical marvel for it’s day. It works as a public tunnel and it’s free to go into to the tunnel to have a wander. Be careful walking on the road as people ride bikes through it!
Speicherstadt
The Speicherstadt or “Wareshouse district” is the world’s largest wareshouse district. The buildings are from another time and get’s reconised as such, it was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. It is especially great during sunset and if you add to the collections of love locks on the bridges and side handles.
U-Bootmuseum
To finish off our water theme, we end with a visit to a submarine…yes, a submarine! Though not in operation I might add… The U-Boat Musuem is actually a Russian submarine which was built in the 1970s. If you love your historical war machines then this is a MUST! It is rather cool to play and touch the dials which were once used for real!
Local Hamburg Food
With such a rich cutlure influenced by the sea, I recommend visit to a few restaurants specialising in fish. You have lots of great options around Hamburg! I recommend Das Kontor, a great little restarant (links in the description). I tried a local faveroute Aalsuppe (eel soup) then Labskaus (corned beef, mashed potatoes and onions, with pickled beetroot, pickled gherkin, herring and to top it off a fried egg). So very yummy! Perfect comfort food!
Drinks (Beer)
One of the unique things of German beer is the Purity law which says that only 4 ingrediets can be used barley, hops, water, and yeast. Which in my mind gives you a better chance of surviving the impending hang over, why will you get one? Because you have many choices for great beer with lots of micro breweries! Try the local brew Astra…they even have a few bars around Hamburg!
Beatles-Platz and tour.
Swing by to the Beatles square to see a dedication to the 4 boys from Liverpool. Follow the steps of the Beatles through the many Beatles tours, I particularly recommend Hempel music tour for a truly fun experience.
Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg Concert Hall)
Still on the theme of music, why not the see one of the worlds most acoustically advanced concert halls? The Elbphilharmonie or Elphi for short. The wave inspired shape of the building seems striking from outside and continues to delight visitors inside. I recommend buying a ticket for the tour of the Elphi or the second option is to enjoy a virtual tour on one of the machines in the lobby! Make sure you subscribe as I’ll be releasing a video with a more deeper look at the Elph.
Reeperbahn
Walk along the party road of Hamburg, the Reeperbahn! Once the first call of the sailors when they land, the Reeperbahn still maintains its status as a party area and offers an assortment of fun, vices and distractions 😉 🙂 . You’ll find many bars for a very merry party. Note that the party doesn’t start until about 8pm. Plenty of time to nurse that hangover from the previous night! In the daytime there are plenty of little streets with great Street art to admire! You won’t have trouble finding them, they are literally everywhere.
Miniature Wunderland
We end with some perspective! More precisely, a miniature model exhibition. Imagine some of the most popular places in Hamburg and around the world …miniaturised! It’s actually a railway model with over 15km ofrail trackk and 1,000 trains with very accurate models of the landscape! It truly needs to be seen to be believed. Keep an eye out for some amazing detail in the music festivals, the Elph and flower garden! The changing from day to night even changes the lights! For more information, I’m releasing a in depth tour of the Miniature Wunderland and tips for those visiting soon!
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