Arriving in Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station, was somewhat of an assault on the senses. The high glass windows and 70 meter wide roof shed light on the many restaurants, cafés and travelers within. It was a very different vibe than stepping off the ferry in Hiddensee with a handful of other passengers!
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
Out on the street there were lots of homeless people and beggars, one of the first groups to pass us was led by a guy in a full cricket uniform, his stag party following along behind, there was a high police presence and rainbow flags hung everywhere, a nod toward the Pride weekend celebrations taking place.
Once we got away from the station area and went to explore the warehouse district and harbour front areas the city took on a much different vibe. It’s a port city, Germany’s largest, and a city with a strong maritime history. It’s sometimes called the Venice of the North due to the River Elbe and several canals which flow through the harbour town. There are many waterways with bridges to cross.
After a few days exploring this Baltic city we were struck by how similar it was to Toronto. Both based on the water, here the Baltic and North seas while in Canada it’s Lake Ontario that provides Toronto’s waterfront. Both cities are home to many diverse cultures and embrace multiculturalism. The warehouse district in Hamburg is similar to the Distillery District in TO. And to a lesser degree, The Reeperbahn is reminiscent of the seedier side of Yonge Street. While both cities have many apartment blocks, those of Toronto rise higher on the city skyline, both cities have lots of green areas and parks. Hamburg is an architecturally varied and interesting city. There are numerous sculptures placed around the city. The architecture is varied from old to new. The horizon is dotted with church spires and cranes. Hafen City, the derelict port area has now become an area of major urban renewal and speicherstadt, the old warehouse district is a pleasant historical place to explore.
One of the highlights of Hamburg was the tour of the Chocoversum. The tour included an informed talk on chocolate from the cocoa bean to production. It included many tasting opportunities and also a chance to make our own chocolate bar with toppings. It was a very hands on experience and the English tour was enjoyed by all ages.
The Chocoversum factory was in the Speicherstadt, Hamburg’s UNESCO world heritage warehouse district. We took a walk between the high rise red brick buildings, crossed a few bridges over the canals below and stopped for coffee to enjoy the view. One of the memorable buildings was Chilihaus, used as an office building it’s an example of 1920s Brick Expressionism. A style of architecture where bricks are the prominent feature and used in an almost playful manner.
Then we drank a toast to the twins Kenneth and Mairéad who turned one today!
Next stop before dinner was the imposing Rathaus or Town Hall in the Main Square. This 19th century building with its tall clock tower dominates the square and faces the main shopping street while to the side the the Inner Alster Lake
Then we found an authentic Italian place nearby for dinner. Next day we moved from the lovely Reichhof Hotel to Citadines apartment on the other side of town.
It was Sunday, a quiet day in Hamburg. Shops closed and families hung out in the park. We went to a museum near the park -Museum of Hamburg history. The boys enjoyed the miniature train set but the rest of the museum was a bit boring, not very interactive. We went over to the park and enjoyed some of the free circus activities there that had been set up by a visiting troupe. The boys had some treats and we sat and relaxed while they tried walking on stilts and turning hoolahoops!
We found a great Irish bar for tea called The Irish Rover. We watched the end of the Dublin -Tyrone game, had dinner, visited the Giants Causeway and listened to some tunes. Oh and the boys had a Hamburger, in Hamburg!
Shea making a quick trip to the Giant’s causeway!
We were staying next door to Michaelkirche. It was a beautiful church inside with a white and gold interior. One of the major Lutheran churches in the city, there is a large statue outside of Martin Luther who initiated the Lutheran movement. This church was purposely built Protestant unlike many other Hamburg churches which were originally built by Roman Catholics and converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. It is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. A large bronze statue, standing above the portal of the church shows the archangel conquering the devil. The copper covered spire is a feature of the Hamburg skyline, we used it as a landmark on our travels around the city and boats also use it as they sail into the city up the river Elbe.
After the morning’s culture lesson at the church it was time to move on to pop culture on the Reeperbahn. A seedy street which is a major entertainment district and Hamburgs red light district. It was here that the Beatles were added to a long list of bands and musicians whose careers started in the local music venues. John Lennon once quoted ‘I was born in Liverpool but I grew up in Hamburg. At Beatles Platz there’s a sculpture of the band on a black circle that looks like a vinyl record. We visited their nearby clubs where they played and stayed.
A walk to the Harbour was a pleasant surprise from the madness of the station area and the Reeperbahn. The Harbour front was developed with a wide walking path with great views. The Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s dramatic looking concert hall, being the most prominent landmark. Standing on the waterside the building looks like the bow of a ship with waves tumbling past.
We went from the viewing platform of the Elbphilharmonie to a different type of skyline view at Miniatur Wonderland. The worlds largest model railway which has a model version of Hamburg, lots of European countries and the USA. The place was too busy so it was hard to properly enjoy but the highlights were the airport where we watched planes taking off and landing and the small details in places like Venice.
Our last two days in Hamburg were spent wandering around. Our days started with coffee and croissants on our balcony and in the evenings we found some nice restaurants. We got good fish in Little Portugal near the harbour and the Thai in ‘Thai Food’, Indian in ‘Curry House’ and Vietnamese in ‘The 21’ were all excellent too. When the rain started we went to the cinema which was a pleasant surprise. The reclining leather seats were a big contrast and a nice escape from the raw street outside. Then it time to say Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland and head to the airport …….
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