Mellissa and her husband visited Hamburg and they have some good reasons why Hamburg is such an attractive destination for a city break. This is a copy of their blogpost on The Diary of a Jewellery Lover:
Hamburg is a city that may not be at the top of most people’s places to see but it’s a city that really deserves a visit and here I will tell you why. When we visited recently we were pleasantly surprised at what a vibrant and intriguing city Hamburg is, and we would love to go back.
Here are my 8 reasons why you should visit Hamburg.
1. It’s a short flight from the UK
Having only a short flight time from the UK you can get to Hamburg in little over an hour flight, making it a perfect destination for a weekend break.
2. Most people speak English
Although German is the main language widely spoken, most people speak English too so if you don’t know German you shouldn’t have a problem making yourself understood.
3. It has amazing architecture
Being a big fan of architecture I was smitten with this city. The Rathaus is beautiful, the warehouse district, Speicherstadt has lovely red brick buildings and there are some gorgeous churches.
4. It has a large but fabulous port area
Join a boat trip to get a real flavour of Hamburg, the second busiest port in Europe. A real working port you can see everything from large cargo being transported to luxury yachts being refurbished.
5. It has an eclectic mix of museums
Hamburg has an eclectic mix of museums. The Maritime Museum is really worth a visit if you want to find out about the history of boats, whilst the Chocoversum guided tour lets you discover the history of chocolate, and you can make your own chocolate bar. The real stand out museum though is the Minatur Wunderland, the largest model railway in the world having over 6 miles of track!
6. Music is at its heart
With over 100 music venues and clubs and the newly built Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Hamburg is a city with music at its heart. In the Summer there are many live concerts in the beautiful parks.
7. The shopping is fabulous
From high street shops to independent quirky stores Hamburg will satisfy even the ardent shopaholic. The Neuer Wall Boulevard has designer stores like Gucci whilst the Sunday morning Fishmarket is interesting to browse and has great bargains to be had with flowers, fruit and locally caught fish – but get up early! On Saturday night St Pauli has a flea market so pop along for a vintage bargain.
8. It has interesting nightlife
From the dubious delights of the Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s answer to the Red Light District in Amsterdam, to great cocktail bars at 20 Up and Clouds, to a wide mix of nightclubs and pubs, Hamburg has something for everyone.
My husband and I were guests of the Come To Hamburg scheme, read more about our long weekend in Hamburg and what we thought of the Heikhotel Hamburg here. We also covered Hamburg on our travel blog Fly Drive Explore where we wrote about 48 hours in Hamburg Germany and a tour of Hamburg harbour #ComeToHamburg.
