Author Topic: What to do and see in Hamburg?  (Read 2068 times)

lemanfan

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
What to do and see in Hamburg?
« on: June 09, 2018, 01:51:34 AM »
Trying to go a year without flying, I've just booked a vacation in Hamburg (arriving by train by way of Denmark).

I love culture, decent dining and live music of all kinds from classical to smokey jazz clubs and loud rock music and electronica) - but I'm not really the partying or nightclub type.  Travelling alone.  Sometimes i just like to drive around the country side, but to do that I'll need to rent a car this time.

What tips and hints do you have for Hamburg and surrounding areas?  Any hidden gems?  Special events in the first week of July?

Financial.Velociraptor

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2148
  • Age: 51
  • Location: Houston TX
  • Devour your prey raptors!
    • Living Universe Foundation
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2018, 07:32:03 AM »
I haven't been to Hamburg since 1989.  Memory is sketchy but if that is where the "Virgin's Leap" is, that is a very old landmark.  I seem to remember a free orchestral concert there in an outdoor pavilion with perfect acoustics.  Not much else comes to mind.  Only had one day in Hamburg.  Do remember it being rather touristy compared to most of Germany.

Luke Warm

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 799
  • Location: Ain't no time to wonder why
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2018, 07:37:45 AM »
i'd be tempted to rent a bicycle if possible. google maps shows miles of bike routes.

chrisgermany

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 267
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2018, 11:46:05 PM »
It is not a hidden gem but we have loved the www.miniatur-wunderland.de
Expensive but well worth it, we found.
Biking is good. Where do you stay? We loved Henry Hotel.

lemanfan

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2018, 12:53:52 AM »
I'm staying at an Airbnb near the Hagenbeck Zoo.

Stash Engineer

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 527
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2018, 08:50:59 AM »
I'll second the miniature wonderland.  It is expensive, but worth it.  Also, Hamburg has a good app for buying public transportation tickets and tracking routes.  It's called HVV (red and white logo).  Makes it easy to get around and way cheaper than using cars/taxis. 

Rosy

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2742
  • Location: Florida
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2018, 09:36:42 AM »
It is not a hidden gem but we have loved the www.miniatur-wunderland.de
Expensive but well worth it, we found.
Biking is good. Where do you stay? We loved Henry Hotel.

@chrisgermany thanks for the hotel tip. Is it a good location to walk about to see a bit of the city?

I've never been to Hamburg but will be there for 3 days in the next couple of months. My itinerary:
1. Hoping to get tickets to see one of the broadway shows on tour - usually at the OPERA HOUSE in Hamburg.
2. Take a harbor tour by boat
3. Hang out in their new entertainment and shopping districts - give me coffee shops and promenades - in spades. I recently saw a travel show and I was impressed with how well everything is laid out - think riverwalk and promenade.

4. Hard pressed to decide which Museum and which special Exhibit we'll decide on - so many cool choices. Here is a link to a good list:
https://www.hamburg.com/museums/

Panoptikum-Wax Museum and U-434 Submarine a Soviet Warship you can explore at the harbor - but I think we'll skip both.
Instead, we might do the International Maritime Museum it is quite famous and rightfully so, and the one my girlfriend will drag me to for sure, the Kunsthalle - the not to be missed art museum. I'd prefer the Archeaology Museum so we might just split up that day, but we'll both enjoy the Voelkerkunde - Museum of Ethnology - the world in a nutshell.

I like unique museums and special exhibits - My top picks so far are:
HAMBURG DUNGEON - torture-floods-fire -  presented tongue in cheek - https://www.hamburg.com/museums/hamburg-dungeon/
CHOCOVERSUM - 90-min tour - Hachez chocolate factory
SPICE MUSEUM - global spice trade over the past five centuries -
SPICY’S
Am Sandtorkai 32
20457 Hamburg

ART DECO IN PARIS a temporary exhibit until Sep 28 - https://www.mkg-hamburg.de/en/exhibitions/current/art-deco.html

TRIENNIAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY - exhibits spread out all over the city, but I'd like to see SHIRANA SHABAZI at the Kunsthaus, Hamburg until Aug 26 and ANTON CORBIJN at Bucerius Art Forum until Jan 29, 2019.

5. I love visiting Botanical Gardens so I definitely want to see - Planten un Blomen at Marseiller Str. 7 in Hamburg
Parkland with themed gardens, a lake & Japanese tea house, plus concerts & fountain shows in summer.

I wanted to take the train from Frankfurt to Hamburg or possibly those new city bus connections I heard about, but I'm having trouble finding the right websites and apps to book online and see all connections (Fahrplan) and deals.

Isn't there a train pass or a euro rail pass that might be a good deal to have for two people for two months? I am confused about which tickets are a good deal - there seem to be so many exclusions.

Rosy

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2742
  • Location: Florida
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2018, 09:56:43 AM »
Oh and I just found this fabulous morsel of information
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/a-locals-guide-to-the-best-street-food-markets-in-hamburg/

Love me some street and food markets - I knew about the Fischmarkt in Hamburg but stinky fish is not my idea of entertainment:) But these street markets are right up my alley. It will be fun to wander about at their Night Market - very cool.

Anyway - thanks OP for asking about Hamburg, I had meant to look up a bit about the city before I leave the states, so now I have the perfect itinerary.
Oh and if you care for Zoos - the Hagenbeck Zoo is one of the best in the world.

Hirondelle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1598
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2018, 10:59:11 AM »
Hi Rosy, that's a fab list! I'm excited to look into those.

Regarding transportation in Germany: I'm a big fan of the GoEuro.com website. They list trains and busses (and flights) for you if you enter both cities. Flixbus is my fav for busses and Deutsche Bahn is rather affordable as well and often faster - it totally depends on your itinary. For trains check out interrail.eu. Whether it's a good deal depends on your itinary and travel speed though. E.g. a global pass (multiple countries) where you can travel 10 days within 1 month is €381 (unless you're under 27 or over 60 yo). They also have country-specific passes. If you only do short trips and not too frequent it's usually not worth it, but if you do some long haul trains (e.g. Berlin - Prague) you can save quite a bunch!

lemanfan

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2018, 10:59:45 AM »
Thanks all. :)

chrisgermany

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 267
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2018, 03:32:01 PM »
@ Rosy: Henri Hotel is right in the city center. Excellent for walking and public transport close by.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 03:36:05 PM by chrisgermany »

lemanfan

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2018, 10:55:15 AM »
Now I'm here.  Walked around a bit. Saw the Prototype Car Museum. Nice. The next few days Will be more walking and more museums.

And food. Now.

Moonwaves

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1943
  • Location: Germany
Re: What to do and see in Hamburg?
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2018, 03:29:07 PM »
I met a friend in Hamburg for my birthday last year. Just a weekend but we had a lovely time. Did the Kunsthalle on our last day and it was fabulous. Could have spent hours more there.

Just wandering around was good, too. Lots of nice buildings and a real mix of old and new all over.

I made a note of three places we ate which were good.
Eier Carl (near Altona Fischmarkt and U-Boot museum)
Fischerbörse (Kirchenallee, near HBF, we had to wait about ten minutes to be seated but that ws on a very busy Saturday evening)
Guan Do (near HBF and Kunsthalle)

I've heard about miniature world before. One part of it is a park and if you look closely there's a copulating couple in the bushes. :)