The people of Hamburg have every reason to be proud of their city. Hamburg is beautiful, original, surprising, fun and no matter where you go, you end up at the Elbphilharmonie. Just one look at Hamburg’s silhouette reveals the charming contrasts of the Hanseatic city. Not without good reason Hamburg is called the pearl of the north. Depending on the angle from which it is viewed, it does not change colour, but its appearance. The Composers Quarter or the Nicolaifleet transports visitors to times long past. A few streets away is the Hafen City – a modern architectural complex that is still under construction. When I visited Hamburg for the first time, we were proudly presented with a huge construction site where the wonderful Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall would soon be located. Many years and 866 million euros later, it is actually finished, contrary to expectations. It remains to be seen whether it is worth the money, but it is a real tourist magnet. Although I took a different route every day, at some point I stood in front of the Elphi. (It’s best seen from the water, by the way.)
During my first stay in Hamburg I lived in a hotel directly at the Reeperbahn. Even then I noticed that there wasn’t much going on there. In the meantime, families with children walk along the sinful mile. It is much more fun to visit the Hamburg DOM. The fair takes place three times a year and offers an unusually varied range of meals, too. Even outside the DOM, Hamburg tempts visitors to a culinary world tour thanks to its enormous range of restaurants. You cannot go hungry in this town, even if you want to.
So the famous zoo Hagenbeck proved to be a big disappointment. It is beautifully laid out with ponds, pagodas and bridges, but the enclosures do not meet the requirements of a modern zoo.
My favourite place in Hamburg is the Speichestadt. I can’t get enough of the seemingly never-ending rows of clinker brick buildings (This construction method is hardly represented in my home.). In addition, the Speicherstadt is home to the Miniatur Wunderland, the world largest model railway.This attraction is the best proof of how wonderful it can be to get older but not to grow up. As if a visit to this dream come true of every model and diorama maker was not exciting enough, they also offer a backstage tour. It is one of the funniest and most informative tours I have ever done and is absolutely worth every cent. One day later it was officially announced that the facility will be extended by several parts. At least by now I have a reason to go back to Hamburg in the near future.
