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From the chic shopping area, cross several canals via small pedestrian bridges to visit to the Rathaus, the local city hall, and some beautiful arcades – called the Alsterarkaden – with small restaurants and cafes looking out on the canal’s fountains and bevies of swans. Although it is a notable tourist hub (impressively, most of the tourists seem to be from Germany), this area is a great place for people watching. I was drawn by a beautiful voice that I heard from afar. I followed it and found a young woman singing Schubert’s Ave Maria on the bridge, a capella. Other days, you might find mimes or a string quartet. In Hamburg, you are always surrounded by culture. Take, for instance, the Hamburg Kunsthalle, a museum containing works by everyone from the old masters to the most avant-garde contemporary artists. I was particularly impressed by the WWII-era paintings – testaments to the suffering of millions of human beings. If you prefer more modern art or photography, visit the Deichtorhalle Museum. Music, however, is the star of the show. Every day, there are concerts, both jazz and classical. Musicals like The Lion King and Mamma Mia attract thousands of tourists from around the country, while the Hamburgische Staatsoper stages traditional operas, modern musical works and ballet. If you still have the urge to shop, the neighborhood of Eppendorf is the place to go for chic, unique clothing and design items. Walk the cutting edge on the streets of Schanzenviertel, where the younger crowd buys their clothes and hangs out at night. It’s full of cafes, bars, small Asian restaurants and funky clothing stores. Definitely a must for those seeking out the latest trends. I even found a shoe store/wine shop. That’s right, a place that sells boots and the finest wines, all under the same roof. To get a feel for the city, take a 90-minute, panoramic, double-decker bus tour – you can get off wherever you like and continue on the next one that comes along (every thirty minutes, with German precision). This is how I first discovered the port. Which brings me to another essential: a tour navigating the port for a better understanding of the power of Hamburg. Try to squeeze in a visit to the Speicherstadt, an historic area dominated by red brick buildings, where the spice and cereal storehouses were located. Nearby, Hafen City is being built at an impressive speed. This urban mega-project, which began in 1998 and will take 25 years to complete, will include 380 acres of the most modern hotels, office buildings, commercial locales, apartments and cultural centers in Europe. Hafen City also will feature a large center for receiving cruise ships, located near the area hotels. With museums, art galleries, parks and restaurants, it promises to be Hamburg’s hippest residential district. As opposed to other big cities, where neighborhoods are pushed to the periphery, Hamburg brings culture and everyday life closer together. And the result really comes as no surprise. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a great quality of life, right in the middle of everything and by the water’s edge?• >> Where to Stay, Where to Eat, Where to Shop LAN flights: To Frankfurt every day from Santiago. From there, a connecting flight to Hamburg is available. |
