It's difficult to pinpoint the charm of Hamburg. The harbour district is huge and shows plenty of traces of active trade and the historical status of Hamburg as one of the prominent cities in the Hanseatic League period. You might want to take a walk along the piers that line the water to understand the historical background of this important harbour city, especially to see the importance of the harbour as a trading post in medieval and contemporary Europe.
A boat tour will aid you to understand just that. Hamburg is one of the harbour cities where a boat tour is really pleasant, not necessarily because the city is remarkable beautiful but the architecture around the harbour is definitely eyecatching.
The mix of cruise liners as well as industrial ships tell a tale of Hamburg as a shipping and cruise hub. Therefore take your time to explore the HafenCity with boat and then go ashore and visit a few of the many restaurants and cafes in the area.
Hamburg is not far from the sea so I decided to check out Travemünde which by car is less than an hour away. It is best to dedicate a full day to a day-trip to Travemünde. This small fishing village also has ferries departing to Scandinavia, a hint for those who want to continue their exploration to the north.
There you can enjoy the fishing catch from the same morning. The pier is lined with fish restaurants and has the air of an old fishing village. You will find shops and restaurants along the pier and all in all you can spend an afternoon there checking out the cuisine which is fish in various forms.
More days in Hamburg?
If you are keen on checking out the nightlife in Hamburg you will certainly need an additional one or two days. Remember that this is the city where Beatles had its breakthrough and the live music scene here is formidable!
I found the chillaxed experience of the harbour and a visit to the coast an amiable one. So after two days I rounded off the visit with an entrecote in a 4 star hotel's restaurant. Served with a glass of apple juice and the ping pong of cordial German phrases with the waiter, I bid adieu to Hamburg with a handsome tip to the waiter and a “Tschüss” to the waitress as I left the restaurant to catch the next train. Springtime in Hamburg is definitely well worth experiencing!
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