Autumn Day Out in Hamburg

Since moving to Germany, Hamburg was at least once the year on my travel radar. Therefore, after every trip, I keep adding this Hansa city on my next travel agenda, because I can't simply live without being there as often as possible. For me, it has the flair and charm and so many temptations that call me back over and over again. Also, only 3 hours away from Berlin, with the IRE - 29,90 EUR two ways - it makes it an easy and affordable destination for those days when I really want to get out of my hood. 

Due to a stupid mistake/misunderstading, as we took the wrong train - instead of the IRE (the regional train) the IC (inter-city) we had to stop twice, once in the empty statio of Wittenberge, and took another train suited for our train ticket level (unless we wanted to pay at least 75 Euro one way), we arrived a bit later as expected. However, the advantage of the traveller was to ride through the autumn countryside landscape of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with its large fields with quiet cows having their breakfast. As my friend was visiting Hamburg for the first time, we made a first stop to the colourful St. Georg, with its multi-kulti restaurants and massive street art.

Autumn is having his last breath those days and we went for a walk in Alt Alster, where the rotten greens and yellow got a wake up call from the colourful yachts crossing the water.

At this time of the morning, it was the most quiet area, with only a couple of families and dog walkers hurrying around.

The gold leaves beds on the pavement were moving slowly in the pace of the mild wind, announcing the usual Hamburg rain later in the day.

After the hustle and bustle of the last weeks and especially hours when we were thinking at least once to change our travel plans and maybe to visit Schwerin instead, which is also a beautiful autumn travel choice, the quiet nature corners around Alt Alster brought back the peace of mind.

As my friend was curious to discover more of Hamburg, we break our Zen meditation, going back to the concrete world. The 5-star Hotel Atlantic Kempinski, since 1909 a luxury destination in the city, is welcoming us to the everyday Hamburg realities. So bad we don't have time for more than a picture this time. 

We don't have time for Hamburger Kunsthalle either, but at least we stop, again for an improptu of the interesting modern architecture in the area.

We may be in a hurry, but not insensitive enough to notice how autumn shades are outlining completely differently the architecture, by giving a completely different autumn feeling to the surrounding.

The boat restaurants offering typical Hamburg fish dishes are still full of people having a meal with a view of the peaceful seafront.

When the rain makes its entrance, we are rather exploring various indoor locations, discovering Art Nouveau ceilings in passages I've been dozen of times before without noticing anything. 

The shopping avenues are crowded, despite the weather, and when not jealous of the luxury options people have here, compared to my proletarian Berlin, I keep looking up searching for architectural details.

The typical brown-reddish architecture disposed geometrically perfect in a square, allowing the natural light right in the middle of it to reflect the perfect shapes of the opposite walls.

Symmetry is not always boring, and playing with shapes and sizes might create interesting architectural works. This building is an example and it is one of my favorites in Hamburg so far.

Rain and so much walking requires for some serious fuel. We stop for a vegetarian burger at BetterBurgerCompany where you can also charge your phone - in exchange of some coins - followed by a tasty coffee and cake stop at Espresso House. I couldn't leave Hamburg without having a bit of the famous puff pastry star Franzbrötchen. A local speciality inspired by the French croissant, it has a sweet, cinnamon-induced taste, but it is also available in variants which include cream or marzipan. 

Do we need to do anything else than just strolling the wet cobblestone-streets and enjoy the moment, no hurry, no rush to check a long list? At least not this time, but I know some serious travel writing assignments will call me back to reveal some best hidden gems in this Hanseatic City.

My friend kindly introduced to one of my favorite German cities was definitely charmed by it and wants to come back. Me too, at least twice in the next months, and I am happily looking forward to it. Bis bald, Hamburg!

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A fast-forward visit to Hamburg. And the promise to return

After more than a year of absence, I returned to Hamburg in the last week of December last year. I didn't need any special reason but to see this beautiful city once again, even only for a couple of hours this time. On the way from the train station, the impressive building of the Opera reminded me that I am in a city with a very active cultural life.

Maybe I wasn't fully honest when I said that I did not have a special reason to come back. As a long-time lover of surrealist art, I wanted for a long time to see the exhibition at Hamburger Kunsthalle, featuring the main representatives of this art movement such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, Victor Brauner, Yves Tanguy, but also artists relatively less known outside the connoiseurs circle, such as Leonora Carrington, depicting beautiful imaginary worlds. In a world already upside down, we still need the wake-up call of the surrealists.

One of the most impressive part of any trip to Hamburg is walking the streets and just admiring the architecture lacking any usual inhibition of keeping up with a 'golden measure' or a classical style. 

The diversity of styles is an accepted reality, offering equal foot to any work of creative architecture, from the massive game of stone blocks near the port, to the meticulously decorations of the city hall building. 

When I visited, it was the winter season, with markets and people hurrying up to buy the last presents. However, regardless of the time of the year Nikolaiquartier is always a vibrant destination for high-end luxury shopping or food. Unfortunately, this time I didn't have time to visit one of my favourite restaurants in this city, Saliba, where I always stop for a taste of the Middle Eastern cuisine. But, there will be a next time, no worries. If you want to grab a snack on the way to the port, I recommend Amber cafe, on Schaarsteinswegsbrücke street, with delicious pastry and an elegant ambiance.

Hamburg is also called the 'Venice of the North', for its many bridges over the Elbe, connecting especially old industrial warehouses and buildings that nowadays often host hubs of creativity and family businesses. Out of the many city bridges, the best for a great view over the city architecture are Mahatma Gandhi Bridge and Wilhelminer Bridge. 

All the ports look sad in the winter, but the small white boats floating on the water bring more dynamism to the grey landscape. As it wasn't cold enough, the area was full of people especially children, running back and forth around.

There was another secret reason why I wanted so much to visit Hamburg: to have a look at the Elbphilharmonie, recently inaugurated, which changed completely the area around Hafencity. The much delayed construction project involved couple of controversies, but now it is time to enjoy the high performance of the concert hall and to admire the architectural achievements.

The concert hall can be visited for free, at specific time intervals. The entrance is free, but if you plan to visit during the week-end, you may be surprised to discover that all the tickets are booked hence the recommendation to get your ticket online - reservation that can be done for an additional 2 EUR. fee. At least, I have one more reason to return to Hamburg for a full coverage of the beautiful philharmonic. 

My last - and the most delicious stop of my trip - involved an hour long afternoon tea experience, at The George Hotel. Not before a slow tour of St.Georg area, with its many alternative stops and the mosaic of international food counters. Apparently, I just found out another reason to return here. Maybe I need to spend a full weekend for getting my friendship with Hamburg back on the track.

In other words, see you soon, Hamburg!

For more inspiration about what to see and do in Hamburg, check the dedicated Pinterest board: https://de.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/hamburg/