When visiting this region, many people combine Hamburg with Amsterdam and Copenhagen (or Cologne), but I like to balance city sightseeing with some more-relaxing time in the countryside. Hamburg provides a perfect opportunity to do so, with its easy access to Germany’s splendid Baltic coast.
It’s entirely understandable if you’ve never considered visiting either destination, considering the overshadowing fame of Bavaria and Berlin. I like that Hamburg, which feels as much Scandinavian as German, still retains its authenticity, since it doesn’t rely heavily on tourism for its income. And, now that the Elbphilharmonie has finally opened, the city has claimed a place as a cultural capital of Europe.
The coast does revolve more around tourism, but there, the visitors tend to be German or perhaps Danish, which means that even the touristy areas along the Baltic have a sense of integrity. Beaches, dotted with charming Strandkörbe (beach basket chairs), look like something out of the 19th century, and the countryside is a perfect patchwork of well-tended pastures, often overlooked by thatch-roofed farmhouses.
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Check into a lake-view accommodation at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, a suite at The Westin Hamburg or a room with club-floor access at the Park Hyatt Hamburg, depending on your preference for neighborhood and style of hotel. (First-time visitors should choose either the lavish Fairmont, which has fine views and excellent service, or The Westin, which has more-panoramic views, service that’s just a notch down and a minimalist décor. The contemporary Park Hyatt has service equal to the Fairmont’s, but the Fairmont and Westin offer more of a sense of place.)
Request early check-in and refresh yourself in your room, or take advantage of the hotel’s spa. All three properties have spas, though the Fairmont lacks a swimming pool.
After a walk around either the Binnenalster or the canal-laced Speicherstadt neighborhood, have dinner somewhere lively nearby, perhaps at Tschebull.
Illustrious and fashionably revitalized hotel dating from 1897 along the western shore of Inner Alster Lake near the Opera House and chic shops.
Minimalist, rather futuristic hotel in the new landmark Elbphilharmonie building.
Contemporary 283-room hotel situated on the upper floors of a historic shopping arcade in the heart of the city, a short walk from top museums, the historic warehouse district and lakeside Jungfernstieg promenade.
Begin exploring Hamburg in earnest. Start with a visit to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, with major works by Rembrandt, Caspar David Friedrich, Arnold Böcklin and Edvard Munch.
Stroll along the Jungfernstieg, the promenade around the Binnenalster, to lunch at Casse-Croûte, making a detour en route to see Hamburg’s flamboyant neo-Renaissance Rathaus (city hall). Continue northwest, if the weather is good, to Hamburg’s loveliest park, Planten un Blomen. After seeing the Japanese landscape garden, rose garden and waterfalls, stop for an ice cream break at Eis Livotto.
Return to your hotel via taxi (the Mytaxi app makes finding a cab easy wherever you are), and have an aperitif before dinner at Se7en Oceans, a Michelin-starred seafood-focused restaurant overlooking the Binnenalster.
It rains a lot in Hamburg, especially in the summer, so it's good to have a plan for a rainy day.
Take a taxi to the Hamburg Museum, which has fascinating exhibits about the development (and occasional destruction) of the city. For a cozy, traditional lunch, reserve a table at Krameramtsstuben, down a half-timbered alley near the baroque St. Michael’s Church, but avoid the sweet-sour Aalsuppe (eel soup).
For a little shopping, explore covered shopping arcades around Grosse Bleichen, including the Kaufmannshaus, Hanseviertel, Galleria and Kaisergalerie passages, all of which have upscale boutiques and various restaurants and cafés. The arcades are enclosed, and to move from one to the other, you rarely have to do more than cross the street.
After some time to relax, take a taxi to Fischereihafen Restaurant, Hamburg’s best traditional seafood restaurant (request a table by the window overlooking the Elbe).
After dinner, assuming it’s not raining any longer, head down to the ferry stop on the river and take #62 to St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, where you will find the Kapitän Prüsse. Take a Lichterfahrt, a night cruise around Hamburg, viewing the beautifully illuminated rows of brick warehouses along the canals of Speicherstadt as well as the vast container port, the machinery of which looks otherworldly at night.
Take today to explore Speicherstadt, Hamburg’s old port, where the brick warehouses have been converted into stylish shops, restaurants and offices. Car enthusiasts should make a point of stopping at the Prototyp museum, which houses numerous unique and beautiful racing cars. Nearby is the Internationales Maritimes Museum, which has broader appeal. Its 10 floors of exhibitions in a beautiful old brick warehouse focus on the history of Hamburg’s port, but they cover all things nautical. We saw everything from a Ming Dynasty compass to a re-creation of a cabin on the Sea Cloud, not unlike one in which we once stayed. The model ships are a particular joy.
We had a fine lunch on the canal-side patio of Strauchs Falco nearby. If you don’t have tickets during your stay to see a concert at the magnificent new Elbphilharmonie concert hall, take an English-speaking guided tour of the interior. Afterward, have Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) at The Bridge Bar in The Westin Hamburg, overlooking the harbor.
If you do have tickets, return to your hotel to relax and change clothes, perhaps taking time for Kaffee und Kuchen in the Fairmont’s ornate Wohnhalle.
Head back to The Westin’s Bridge Bar for an aperitif before your show at the Elbphilharmonie.
Whether you see a concert or not, consider Restaurant Heldenplatz for dinner. It stays open late and has a small but excellent menu emphasizing local products. The by-the-glass wine list was my favorite in Hamburg.
I recommend taking another day in Hamburg to check out the special exhibitions at the Bucerius Kunst Forum, in a grand former bank building near the Rathaus, and/or at the Deichtorhallen, two large former warehouses on the southern edge of the Old Town. In between is the St. Nikolai memorial, the ruins of a Gothic church preserved as a warning against the horrors of war. In the crypt is a fascinating exhibition about the destruction of Hamburg, as well as cities like Coventry and Warsaw. The views from the former bell tower are panoramic. (At the time of this writing, the complex was under major renovation; however, a visit is still worthwhile.)
Alternatively, skip the above, pick up a rental car and head north to the Baltic coast, driving an hour northeast to Lübeck, a beautiful medieval city of gabled brick Gothic houses. See the new Europäisches Hansemuseum, with engrossing exhibits about the Hanseatic League, of which Lübeck was the center.
Lunch at Ristorante Roberto Rossi im Schabbelhaus, an Italian spot with an elegant interior and a pretty back patio, or Schiffergesellschaft, a touristy but fun and traditional option with a dark-wood interior decorated with stained glass and ship models.
For Kaffee und Kuchen, Lübeck has two superb options. Café Niederegger has an astonishing array of tortes, relatively quiet indoor tables and outdoor seating excellent for people-watching. Marzipan-Speicher Café has a smaller torte selection but a more atmospheric location in a 12th-century warehouse on the Trave river, with an inviting rear patio. I recommend purchasing a souvenir of marzipan at the store adjacent to the latter, since Niederegger exports marzipan all over the world.
Finally, fans of Thomas Mann or anyone who has read his charming novel “Buddenbrooks” should stop at the Buddenbrookhaus, where Mann grew up. This house, only the façade of which remains intact, inspired the home where much of the action of the novel takes place. Inside is a museum dedicated to the book and the history of the Mann family, with descriptions in English.
Continue another hour north to Weissenhaus Grand Village Resort, a wonderful hideaway occupying a former aristocratic estate on the shore of the Baltic.
Finally, fans of Thomas Mann or anyone who has read his charming novel “Buddenbrooks” should stop at the Buddenbrookhaus, where Mann grew up. This house, only the façade of which remains intact, inspired the home where much of the action of the novel takes place. Inside is a museum dedicated to the book and the history of the Mann family, with descriptions in English.
Continue another hour north to Weissenhaus Grand Village Resort, a wonderful hideaway occupying a former aristocratic estate on the shore of the Baltic.
Enjoy the expansive spa with its indoor-outdoor pool, the garden paths and the beach (your room comes with a dedicated Strandkorb, a comfy hooded beach chair for two). Have dinner tonight in the resort’s Michelin-starred Courtier restaurant.
Make a day trip from Weissenhaus, either to Schleswig (90 minutes away) or Hohwacht and Ole Liese (20 minutes away).
If you choose to visit Schleswig, start with the immense Schloss Gottorf complex. The main palace has an extensive and high-quality art collection, and outbuildings have temporary exhibitions as well as a huge Viking longboat found nearby.
Lunch at Restaurant Olearius in the Waldschlösschen hotel overlooking the pretty gardens, and then either have a stroll in central Schleswig, its tidy narrow streets and squares lined with little flower-bedecked houses, or visit Hedeby, a major Viking port on the opposite site of the Schlei inlet from Schleswig. Only its impressive earthen ramparts give a clue to the former size of the city, now mostly pastures. Several buildings have been re-created at its center.
Alternatively, drive to Hohwacht and park near the beach. Take in the scene from the Hohwachter Flunder viewing platform, and then begin walking along the paved path northwest from Hohwacht toward Lippe. The path, which follows rose thicket-clad dunes along the coast, eventually becomes more of a nature trail, passing along salt marshes. If you walk far enough, you’ll reach a boardwalk topping a dune ridge, with panoramic views of the Baltic and the countryside. Bring water and wear a hat, as the path is mostly shade-free.
Back at Lippe, have lunch at Restaurant Klabautermann, a cozy, thatch-roofed, cash-only restaurant with communal picnic tables overlooking the sea. Opt for the fresh, locally caught turbot.
In the afternoon, drive 15 minutes to Ole Liese, another aristocratic estate-turned-hotel. Here several of the outbuildings house upscale boutiques, and the patio of the main restaurant is a wonderful place to relax over some coffee and cake or a cocktail. It’s less than half an hour back to Weissenhaus.
Have dinner tonight at Weissenhaus’s Bootshaus restaurant overlooking the beach and the Baltic.
After a late breakfast, head back to Hamburg and check into your hotel. Do any last-minute shopping or sightseeing, or simply relax, perhaps taking a cruise around the Alster lake.
Have dinner tonight at Restaurant VLET, which serves upscale traditional Hamburg cuisine in a converted warehouse.
Drive back to the Hamburg airport, return your rental car and depart on your flight home.
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