Hamburg

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Has anybody been to Hamburg and, if so, would you recommend it as a city break? It would be for dp and I. I like maritime cities and we both like people watching, eating, drinking in 'old man pubs' or vaguely indie places, walking, history, museums.

Many thanks in advance!

Yes. My DH is from Hamburg and we spent at least a week per year there for DD to meet the family.

Lots to do and see, beautiful Christmas markets as well if you fancy going in December.

The main harbor area is nice to walk along, you can take boat trips, nice museums (but not sure how much is in English), Miniature Wunderland, a huge miniature train set, even for a non-train fan it is absolutely great to see.

Depending how much time you have you can take a train to Lubeck, an old trading city or to Travemuende which is a seaside resort.

Depending on the time you often see cruise liners in Hamburg. The zoo is also great if you like things like this but it is a full day.

Thank you. If we do go, it will be Summer or October. Don't think the zoo or model train thing are necessarily our sort of thing, not without children, but harbour, boats and days out by train all sound good.

Hagenbecks Tierpark is great, even without children. As is Miniature Wonderland. The harbour is lovely, do one of the boat trips, really informative, maybe only in German though. Still really worth it. The Reeperbahn is shocking, but worth a look. I love hanging out in the ice cream parlours of st Pauli, round Wohlwillstrasse. Great city. Also Lueneburg is worth a visit, the salt museum is fabulous, if you have an interest in it.

Thank you.

If you had a choice between Hamburg and Munich, which would you choose?

Hamburg is my favourite city in Germany!

You must walk around the Außenalster, it is beautiful.
You can take a trip around the harbour by boat and there are several cool beach bars as well.
Trendy shopping, cafés and bars in Schanzenviertel.
Deichtorhallen can have good exhibitions.
Jungfernstieg for more conventional shopping.
Fischmarkt is a popular tourist thing, but you need to get up very early.

In the summer Hamburg had an almost Scandinavian cool vibe. In October it could be lovely or bitterly cold and damp - you'll need a wolly hat.

Munich is more picture postcard cliché German, Lederhosen and all.

Hamburg is much cooler

Thank you.

Hamburg does look/sound good. Is the Fischmarkt literally a fish market???

Hamburg

Yes.

Yes, with bars to drink at and eat fish at. Munich is somewhat trad, Hamburg is more liberated!

And what about if you had to choose Hamburg or Berlin?

Munich is gorgeous - there is so much to do. OK, not remotely on the coast, but 4 world class art galleries, one with amazing collection of German Expressionist art, wandering around the city centre and the Viktualenmarkt, lots of Bavarian food and brauhaus and biergartens.

Masses of history as the home of the Bavarian state - you have the Residenz, Nymphenburg palace plus going around Konigsplatz, base of Nazi rallies - Roman and Greek museums are also excellent on either side of the square.

Plus a day trip into the alps to somewhere like Kochel or Murnau for beautiful scenery and more Expressionism.

There will be people in Munich wearing lederhosen/dirndls but essentially they will be waiters or young people being ironic/on the piss.

Hamburg is small compared to Berlin. BErlin is amazing, but large and ugly. Hamburg has more breathing space. Depends what you are after.

depending on how old the dc are you can hang around the bars on reeperbahn and then walk to the fishmarket for a brown shrimp roll at 5am

there is the 'michel' church with a viewing playform in the tower.
you can hire boats on the lake or the various canals.

the zoo is very nice.

miniature wunderland is astonishing.

the chocolate museum.

luebeck is only an hour away by train - home of niederegger marzipan!

I enjoyed Hamburg. We did a tour of the Rathaus, which was in English at the time we went.

As the weather was lovely, we did a boat trip, which was a mix of English and German as I remember - actually two, lake and harbour. Loads of galleries and museums. The emigration museum is very interesting, and there was one down by the harbour about spices and the warehouses. Lots of shops, lots of places to eat.

Berlin is also great, but far bigger - I have been three times so far, and every trip has been totally different, because I did totally different things each time. I think if you go to Berlin, you need to decide what to focus on, because you really can't do it all.

Have been to Berlin several times and love (LOVE!) it. Trying to decide if anywhere else is worth it, or if I should just go back to Berlin!

I would pick Hamburg over Berlin any day!
Hamburg is a fabulous city. I have been there a few times but many years ago on my first trip we got a ferry to an island Helgoland which was a great day out.

I am hoping to go back soon and we will bring dd

Thanks. Might try to do both!

Went to Hamburg at the end of October last year, really nice place, the harbour is great ,even saw a tanker and cruise ship sailing close up, food very nice too. The underground/overground is easy to get around for shopping, plenty to see and do, and easy to walk around, The portugese area (not far from the harbour) has lovely bars and restaurants, River Alster boat ride good , even the Reeperbahn was good, found some good live music bars, people friendly, obviously it is the red light district but we felt safe, ironically the only place I didn't feel safe was outside a cafe in the city centre having a coffee when a guy was really verbally aggressive to me because i wouldn't buy him a coffee, but I felt this was a stand alone incident. Would definitely return