Anyone familiar with Northern Germany?

[jambot]

We are going to a wedding in Hamburg in August and want to do some travelling afterwards - somewhere within a few hours of Hamburg in any direction would be ideal. It will just be two adults (kids at home), so for a change we don't want anything that's too family orientated. We like architecture and interesting old towns etc. Prepared to spend up to 100 euros per night.

If you could get to Berlin, its an AMAZING city, especially the area round the Brandenberg gate

Hamlin or Hameln as it is on the maps, is a nice place to visit, where they re-enact the pied piper. Not sure if thats too far for you?

Bremen is a lovely city - interesting old buildings and architecture - not too far from Hamburg.
Not sure about how much it costs to stay but have you thought of Youth Hostels? They tend to have family rooms and are rather posher than our decrepit old pits.

Sorry - just re-read and seen no kids. Maybe not YH then!

We will be in Berlin for all of August so if you decide to go there (it's a couple of hours away fronm Hamburg) we can show you around! (lived there for years, now live in S Germany but go back regularly)

There are several interesting little market towns further north towards the Danish border. Luebeck is lovely ( north-east of Hamburg ), and well worth a visit.
South of Hamburg you get into fairy tale country and there are some lovely walks and town squares in which to while a way an afternoon.
Let me know if this is your kind of thing, and I'll rack my brain for more memories ( I lived just north of Hamburg as a student, so some of them are a bit fuzzy! ).

Botternsnike - the area you mention is one I had considered. Had a look at the Schleswig Holstein website, but it's still confusing when you've never been to any of these places and you can't make up your mind as to the best possible route. We will have about 5 nights available to us. We love the countryside and unspoilt areas. Also, which coast do you think is the best? Wouldn't mind spending a day and night at the sea. Want to hire one of those German wicker beach seat thingies that you always see in photos. Seems like a very civilised way to be at the beach. Could you suggest some place names so that I can look them up on the map?
Thanks Foundintranslation. Not sure if we'll get to Berlin, but will keep your kind offer in mind.

I'm from Schleswig-Holstein (Kiel, to be precise).
Luebeck is indeed beautiful and very much recommended. The western isles are also lovely - the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein is stunning and unspoilt (it's a national park). Take the time to visit some of the islands - you can go to Sylt by train, but it's a bit posh and overpriced. the island Amrum is gorgeous - all dunes and huge beaches, with thatched houses and few cars. You can get a ferry, I think it takes an hour or so.

oh, and the Baltic coast is nice too, more geared towards tourists and doesn't have tides to the same extent as the west coast (where you might end up with miles of sand but no sea). There are nice small beach resorts all along the Baltic coast, and the beaches are clean and sandy.
The Baltic is also good for swimming, it tends to be calm.

ok, just read that you'll be without children - in that case I'd go for Luebeck and then travel to the west coast and stay on Amrum, maybe do a day trip from Amrum to one of the 'Halligen' - these are small islands that flood during very high tides, Hallig Hooge is within easy reach of Amrum and has a very nice little museum on life on a Hallig throughout the centuries.
The train network is very good.
Another place to go to if you go to Luebeck but don't want to head west afterwards is Stralsund, which is in the east. It's a Unesco world heritage city and very beautiful, all grand architecture etc.
Kiel is the biggest city in Schleswig-Holstein but you can give it a miss, it was almost completely destroyed in the war so nothing of major interest is still standing.