Visit Hamburg: A Practical Guide

By George Manadis

Destination Hamburg

Many people, when visiting Hamburg, make the following mistake: they land at Jungfernstieg, visit the Rathaus, the Philharmonic, and perhaps the port, and then leave. Hamburg and its surrounding area have, though, a lot more to offer.

As an individual who has travelled and lived in Hamburg for many years, I have many secret tips and tricks for you to make the most of Hamburg, a city as big and colorful as Berlin, with many options to offer and many individual neighborhoods to visit.

Schanzenviertel

Get off the Metro at Schanzenviertel and walk in the streets and alleys of the counter-cultural center of the city. Browse many independent record stores and boutiques and enjoy the cozy cafes located pretty much everywhere. I can definitely recommend a quick brunch at Oma’s Apotheke or a night out at Altes Mädchen Ratsherrn, a Hamburg-based brewery with many food options.

If you love beer, then the only destination for you is Beyond Beer offering a huge variety of craft beers from all over the world. If the weather is nice, buy your beer supplies from there and visit one of the coziest parks in Hamburg, Planten und Blomen boasting live shows and performances, especially during the summer.

St. Georg

Many people tend to disregard the area around the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, Hamburg’s central and main train station. Many use it as a stepping stone to visit other German cities or villages (Lubeck, Luneburg, Bremen, etc.) or use the area for the many accommodation options such as hostels and hotels (Generator, Meininger, etc.).

The area has, though, many more things to offer. The entire area of St. Georg, and roads such as the Lange Reihe, have many shops, pubs and cafes. I would definitely recommend a Sunday brunch at Peter Pane or a burger at Frau Möller. If the weather is nice, you can always sit outside and watch the funky people of Hamburg pass by. Once you have eaten your food, you can always walk around the Außenalster lake, around the water and get a panoramic view and feel of Hamburg itself.

Blankenese

A cozy trip to the outskirts of Hamburg. Once an area where sailors used to live, now a rich area well-known for the wooden sailor houses, prewar villas and lighthouses, this area has a lot to offer. You can walk by the water, watch ships sail down the Elbe towards the North Sea or the Airbus Airfield. A bit further down the water, close to the city, you can always visit Strandperle, a café/restaurant where you can sit by the water, sip on your beer and relax. Just make sure that the tide is not in and does not cover the beach and the restaurant.

Overall, the above options are but a fraction of the things someone can do in Hamburg while visiting or staying there. This is a bustling city that has a lot to offer.