Scenes From Hamburg
While it’s impossible to see all a city has to offer in just three short days, Andy and I did see quite a bit. Hamburg seemed like a really fun city, and we noticed it has a more distinct German vibe than Berlin does. The weather was cold, windy and overcast the weekend we were there, but we pretty much expected that for November and we dealt with it as best we could. Here’s a summary of our weekend in Germany’s second largest city, of course with lots of photos.
Hamburg’s Isemarkt
Outdoor markets are a fun way to spend an hour, and often they’re a good way to learn a little about the local culture. The food and goods sold are almost all locally grown and produced and fit the desires of the people shopping there. Hamburg’s Isemarkt has a unique location underneath the elevated U-bahn train tracks and runs between the Hoheluft and Eppendorfer Baum stops of the U3 line. It’s open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30am to 2pm.
Hamburg city hall
After lunch we wandered through the center of town and saw the elaborate Rathaus, or city hall. It sits on the city’s main square where they were already starting to set up a Christmas market in mid November.
Speicherstadt
Speicherstadt is Hamburg’s warehouse district. It was built in the late 1800s and is still the world’s largest single warehouse complex. Goods are still stored in many of the buildings, though some buildings now house museums. We walked through this area twice to see it in different light, and I imagine it would be fun to take a boat tour of the canals during the summer.
Miniatur Wunderland
I never thought I’d enjoy a museum of model trains as much as I enjoyed Miniatur Wunderland. There is so much more to it than just trains, and all the little details that went into the cities, villages and the airport were fascinating. Even if this had been the only thing we did in Hamburg, I would’ve been happy.
Spicy’s Spice Museum
The other museum we went to in Speicherstadt was the Spicy’s Spice Museum. There were descriptions of the many variety of chili peppers as well as a map showing their origin and how they spread throughout the world. There were also many displays about where different spices came from, routes of the spice trade, and samples of spices we could smell and touch. Not exactly the most exciting museum, but it was interesting to wander through for a half hour or so.
St. Michael’s Cathedral
The perfect place to go for views of Hamburg is St. Michael’s Cathedral. I wish the weather had been better when we were there, but it was still nice to look out at the city and the harbor from the top of the bell tower.
Landungsbrücken
The harbor is a major part of Hamburg’s history and culture. It’s been an important port for centuries and today is the second largest port in Europe. Landungsbrücken are the piers. This is where the ships come into the Port of Hamburg and also where you can take a boat tour of the harbor. If you just want to be out on the water and don’t need a tour, taking a local ferry is a cheaper option. The day we went was the foggiest day of our Hamburg weekend, so we didn’t bother with getting on a boat but we did walk around a little and admire some of the ships.
Hamburg has a lot to offer, and we certainly didn’t get to everything during our short visit. We didn’t explore the Reeperbahn/St. Pauli area, we didn’t go to the Sunday morning fish market, and we didn’t seek out any of the Beatles history in the city. But we had a great time, and I think we would’ve felt rushed if we had squeezed in anything else. I’m glad I got the chance to see another piece of the country I now call home.
You might also enjoy:
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Hamburg
- Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg – More Than Just Model Trains
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Leipzig and Dresden
- Berlin Christmas Market Round-Up
January 6, 2014 @ 5:18 PM
i don’t know how i feel about that fish sandwich
January 7, 2014 @ 4:14 PM
Yeah, I’m not a fan of fish either, so I didn’t actually get one. But Hamburg is famous for fish sandwiches!
January 7, 2014 @ 10:53 AM
Looks like a cute city! I wish I could see these famous Christmas markets.
January 7, 2014 @ 4:17 PM
I hope you can make it over to Europe (especially Germany) for Christmas markets one of these days, it’s really fun!
January 8, 2014 @ 12:57 PM
I’d just cut Hamburg out of my Central Europe trip in April due to time contrainsts and now you have me reconsidering my choice. Looks like a really nice city in addition to the Beatles reasons why I want to visit.
January 8, 2014 @ 12:58 PM
Obviously that should be constraints…
January 8, 2014 @ 3:27 PM
What else is on your list? If it’s Hamburg vs Berlin, I’d pick Berlin. But Hamburg is a pretty cool city. Enjoy your trip no matter where you end up!
January 13, 2014 @ 11:32 AM
Hamburg was quite fascinating. They have an enormous Stadtpark which was quite interesting. The harbor area is also really nice.
I need to go back some time- there’s a bunch of stuff there I haven’t gotten to see yet. I haven’t been to Miniatur Wonderland. Also, there’s supposedly a Beatles statue somewhere on the Reeperbahn, but I couldn’t find it.
January 14, 2014 @ 11:12 AM
I’d like to go back someday too, but next time in spring or summer. Mid November was cold, windy and rainy. Miniatur Wunderland is totally worth a few hours if you make it back!
January 15, 2014 @ 8:55 PM
Really nice pictures. Thanks for the information about the Miniature Wonderland, I missed it, when I was there in September (with about the same weather as you had :-))
January 19, 2014 @ 6:05 AM
Thanks Anita! Maybe you’ll make it to Miniature Wonderland on a future visit to Hamburg!
January 18, 2014 @ 8:45 AM
Absolutely breathtaking views. Thank you so much for sharing! Hamburg looks so beautiful, and those ariel views you caught…mindblowing!
January 19, 2014 @ 6:06 AM
Thanks Ryan! Hamburg is a beautiful city!
January 19, 2014 @ 4:49 AM
I agree that 3 days are not enough to see all the sights that any city can offer but still you have come up with lots of memories. I would love to visit that spice market as also the Michaels Cathedral.
January 19, 2014 @ 6:11 AM
The spice museum was interesting, and the cathedral really does offer some amazing views of the city. Hamburg is a great city, the little bit we were able to see anyway. I hope you make it there someday!