The previous time I was in Hamburg , it was in December , the days were short and it rained throughout my stay. In other words I spent most of my time inside the shopping malls.  This time I came prepared with my trusty raincoat. So unless there is a storm outside with flood and the likes, I’m going to see Hamburg!

Getting there:

From Hamburg Airport to the city , it is still in the AB Travel Zone . Therefore you can purchase options for Single Ticket, Day Ticket or the Hamburg Card.  Cost savings Tip: There is a normal Day Ticket and then there is another option for 9-Uhr Ticket which is cheaper but is valid from 09:00am on weekdays (after the rush hour) – 06:00am the next morning. Getting the 9-Uhr-Group Ticket is even more cost -effective if you have 2 – 5 persons in the group. Note: that these tickets are not valid on schnellbus (express buses)

The HVV tickets are valid for Bus, Sbahn, U-Bahn and also ferries. Here is the link to the HVV website.

 

Setting up Base

The last time I was in Hamburg I stayed near to the Central Station and was very impressed with the Apartment-Hotel. It’s clean and spacious and most conveniently smack in the center. This time I decided to stay there again. It was a very wise decision as it is near to everything – the train station with its wonderful Food and shopping areas. The access to the public transportation , trains, trams, undergrounds, buses. And also a big plus, very close to big shopping malls for when it rains in Hamburg as it always is when I am there 🙁

Anyway another big plus is it is apartment style with also a working kitchen and utensils. I will then buy food back from the food court and eat leisurely then at the dining table. Check the Boardinghouse-Rosenstrasse out.

 

Seeing Hamburg

There are plenty of sights to see around Hamburg. A lot of it can be seen for free.

The place we stayed at is pretty close to the Rathaus – I spent a lot of time around here on my last trip because the setup for the Christmas market is also around here.

From the Rathaus, we walked to the Ferry terminals , passing by shopping areas and St. Michael’s Church. This is a baroque-style Protestant church. Paying a few Euros allows access to the church tower which provides a beautiful panorama on a clear day.

At the Landungsbrücken, are the ferry terminals as well as the Alter Elbetunnel. There is a lift that brings people 28m underground and there pedestrians and cyclists could still make the way across to the other side of the harbour.

*Money saving Tip: Instead of paying 14 Euros for a Harbour Tour, there is a cheaper alternative. With the day ticket from HVV, it is possible to use the ferry as well. *Tip:Ferry 62 in particular goes from Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder and goes around to some interesting stops. Look out for the Ferry Stops – Ferry 62 stops and leaves from Bridge 3  – there at the stop you can check out the schedule – In March 2018, it is every 15 minutes.We stayed on the ferry all the way to Finkenwerder and dropped off on the way back at Docklands.

Docklands has a building which has views of the Elbe and the Harbour.  140 Steps are located at the side of the building.

Docklands – This Office building has steps leading up from the side

The other special thing about Docklands is that it has wholesale fish market and some seafood bistros have opened up along the stretch of road. *Money saving Tip: Don’t go to the sea facing restaurants if you don’t want to splurge and if you don’t need a view. The back side has a whole street full of bistros that you can eat for cheap.  This is what I had : Lobster bisque for 7,90 Euros and a very decent size plate of Mussels for 8,80 Euros. And they taste really good! It’s nothing fancy… sort of like long picnic tables with benches – but the place fills up really fast when it is lunch time. Very popular with the locals – look out also for the “Mittagstisch.. where they have special lunch offers” written on the black boards. Mahlzeit!

After lunch, take a leisurely stroll towards the FischMarkt – which is open up till 4pm. Big market place to check out. There should be a bus stop nearby at Fischauktionshalle where you can take the tourist favourite bus no. 111 (Direction: Baakenhöft) – This bus goes to most hot spots , passing by Reeper Bahn and headed to Hafen City.  You can download the “111-Stadtplan” as PDF file – there is only a German version, but it shows  the bus route and illustrations of the main attractions on one page.

That is the next stop at “Am Kaiserkai” – to see the Speicherstadt area that is unique to Hamburg. It is made up of  an integrated complex of warehouses at least a century old.

In this area is the impressive Elbphilharmonie.  Inside are two concert halls that are built with advanced acoustic technologies. I did not have the opportunity or time to catch a concert though I tried but a lot of things were booked or sold out months ahead. You could try to check in 1.5 or 2 hours before a concert to see if people did not pick up their tickets. Otherwise  *Money saving Tip: you can go up to the plaza where there is a walkaround public viewing area for free! You just have to go to the ticket counter and get the cost-free tickets. Here is the link for checking out what is playing and general information.

Miniature Wonderland

Is worth a mention being close in proximity to the Elbphilharmonie. This is a very popular attraction – and showing up to buy tickets does not automatically mean you get to enter straight away. It is based on limited amount of places because of having guides that explain the workings of the miniatures. They have models of places in different countries although the origin and base is on the miniature train models. Check the details here for ticket availabilities and opening hours – miniatur-wunderland.com It is also a great place to visit if it rains.

 

Reeperbahn

The famous red-light strip in Hamburg comes to life naturally after 8pm. There are plenty of bars , dance clubs besides the other sinful clubs and places that gives the place its name.  Some of the areas remind me of the red-light areas of Pattaya.

There is a Beatles-platz at the Grossefreiheitstrasse, apparently where the Beatles played at the start of their career.

 

Gängeviertel

After a short visit to the Reeperbahn , we headed in search of the Gängeviertel – it is a special quarter surrounded by rather modern buildings. If not for Google – it would not be easy to find it – it requires turning into an alleyway which then leads to this quarter. It looks like a hippy area – this place was saved from demolition by a big group of artists and activists. I don’t feel right posting photos of it – as there is a sign that requested for asking permission before doing so. In my opinion this is worth a visit.

Guided City Tours

Another *Money saving Tip: There are free tours conducted – the guides rely on the tips that are quite expected at the end but still cheaper than the normal tours charged. Check out the link here to check the times and meeting points.

The places below I have not visited but probably will if I am back this way again..

 

 

 

Schanzenviertel

Worth a visit on Saturday mornings where the alleys convert into a flea market with hundreds of stalls selling everything imaginable – only thing not allowed is selling of new stuff. On normal days there are quaint shops and boutiques, as well as a lot of restaurants and cafes.

 

Planten un Blomen

Within walking distance of the Schanzenviertel is the park which is landscaped with flowers and is a nice relaxing place for families. In the late evenings there is a water display. In general these are available in May – August. It pays to check the opening times here.

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-The End-