Who would head to Hamburg in a heatwave? Well Fused did, and we can’t say a city break was too arduous at all.
For those who don’t know, Hamburg has canals and waterways, and quite a lot of them. Not to be confused with its Italian cousin Venice, Hamburg’s waterways are filled with speedy speed boats and oversized cruise ships who flock to this German city for a slice of culture. Whilst port life is further enhanced by the two Alster lakes at the heart of the city. The Inner Alster is the smaller body of the two and is facing Hamburg’s city centre and showcases the magnificent buildings along the Jungfernstieg; after dark the city lights are mirrored by the water and give a unique perspective to the cityscape, which is linked by the Kibbelsteg Bridge- which is one of the longest, and connects the Old Town with HafenCity. Frequented by sailing clubs and paddle boarders throughout the summer, the area also hosts a colourful ice festival when the Alster freezes over in winter. Whereas the Outer Alster is surrounded by ancient trees, green parks and beautiful mansions of the Winterhude, St. Georg and Rotherbaum districts, and are a popular place for joggers or just to relax.
I visited Germany’s second city during the Cruise Ship Festival, which brought a whole armada of impressive ships to berth in Hamburg’s port, which culminated in artist Michael Batz creating blue light illuminations all over the port, and an spectacular light show.
It’s no wonder the locals love messing about on the water, with a maze of rivers, canals, lakes and more than 2,000 bridge crossings (more than London, Amsterdam and Venice combined) it is a thriving city with a sense of fun and modernity. Central Hamburg boasts a network of 22 canals, and the surrounding areas are being regenerated to create housing and opportunities for progressive companies and individuals.
When you’re not sampling the water sports, you will probably be zipping about on a bicycle- with plenty of rentals available, and the flat terrain makes it very easy to get around. With distinct areas to tickle your fancy for drinking, dining, shopping and culture, it’s easy to while away a long weekend.
Immerse yourself in the footsteps of the Beatles (take a self-guided tour around the venues that the Fab Four played at in the early 60s- you can even visit the Gretel & Alfons bar which Paul McCartney ran up a huge tab at, and never paid off!). Enjoy late night drinking in the buzzy Reeperbahn district, which houses buzzy bars, clubs and live music. Popular with locals and stag dos, the quarter is gaudy and lively and daubed in graffiti and regarded as the most famous street in Hamburg. Cool kids flock to the hipster bars and indie shops, and it is famous for its porn shops, prostitutes and strip clubs. However, everyone is welcome to soak up the liberal atmosphere.
Those who have energy left when the clubs shut, head from the Reeperbahn to the fish market on the harbour to continue the party into Sunday morning. From March to November the market opens at 5am and the 19th-century Fischauktionhalle has live bands and djs. Not just a market for fish, there is an 00eclectic mix of visitors ranging from early-risers and people who haven’t even been to bed, and the stalls sell everything from flowers to fruit and locals can be spotted tucking into their hangover cure- not a bacon sandwich, but a Fischbrötchen, which is a mackerel, herring, pollock, salmon or shrimp stuffed roll. I didn’t try it, so I can’t comment, but this popular delicacy has been fodder for the morning after for decades!
When you’re ready to face the world, the impressive Deichtorhallen exhibition centre is within stomping distance. This giant industrial style construction of glass, brick and steel fuses Bauhaus and Art Deco architecture and makes up one of the largest exhibition spaces in Europe. Focusing on contemporary exhibitions, the shows change regularly.
Elsewhere, the miniature museum (that’s a museum filled with miniatures, not for miniature people!) is home to the largest model train installation in the world. Check out the Miniatur Wunderland which has transformed a waterside warehouse into replicated landscapes of Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and, although geographically implausible even the United States! Each creation has thousands of automated moving parts, and you will be mesmerised by the tiny working people, traffic jams, fairground rides, cable cars that climb snowy mountains – even the Las Vegas strip. Make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy the display, and then emerge to the buzzy terraces that pepper the waterways and soak up the skyline.
There is plenty to explore in the area and the new neighbourhood on the Elbe and HafenCity is developing a reputation as the new cultural heart, with planning in the pipeline to regenerate the whole waterfront with modern apartment blocks over the next 15 years – creating homes for 12,000 people and jobs for up to 40,000. Already a large chunk of the free port has been regenerated with cutting-edge buildings, swanky office blocks, apartment complexes and leisure amenities, which offer lots of exciting opportunities.
The icing on the cake is the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall. Officially unveiled in 2017, Hamburg’s tallest building, with over 10000 mirrored windows, stands proudly overlooking the water. Inside, visitors can enjoy music in several venues, dine out in the restaurants, or just head to the observation deck to enjoy a romantic view of the skyline. With a unique curved escalator, which is more than 80 metres long, even the journey is an experience!
However, no visit to Hamburg would be complete without a boat ride. Whether you want to rent a wooden canoe, kayak or pedal boats or charter a catamaran or dragon boats you will find it here. You can even take a ride in a genuine Venetian polished gondola, led by a Venice trained gondoliera.
I actually hired a bike to get to the Treppenviertel Blankenese fishing village, as I wanted to soak up the beachy scenery in all its glory. The tranquil gem in the west of Hamburg is a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city and is one of the city’s most expensive neighbourhoods. Untouched by the war, the Treppenviertel consists of twisting alleys, walled by beautiful whitewashed houses and interlinked by stairways; its name literally means “Stairs Quarter” so park your bike up to go exploring. On a sunny day, sunbathers, families and tourists flock to the sandy banks at Elbstrand beach where you can dip your toes in the water or stop for lunch; it is also home to shipwreck Uwe, which is when the boat collided with two other ships in 1975 and was brought to the Falkensteiner Ufer.
With so much to do, you could easily spend a long weekend in Hamburg, and not see everything. I’m hoping to get back to the young, hip Schanzel and hang out more in the cool Karoviertel area, and, of course, soak up the atmosphere in the Christmas markets. I’ll see you at the Fishmarket at 6am with a Fischbrötchen!
Sara Darling
