Hamburg

Aussenalster

I expected Hamburg to be different from other German cities, but what a surprise to land in this sort-of modern, nautical city. Where are the cute timbered houses? Where are the cavernous beer halls with oompah bands? I don’t mean to say that every city in Germany is the same; I do mean to say that every city in Germany I’ve visited has a distinct feel that is consistent with, well, timbered houses and beer halls.

Hamburg’s non-ancient look is because most of the original city was destroyed. The Great Fire of 1842 devastated one-third of the city and WWII got the rest. Since Hamburg lay right along the England-Central Germany flightpath via the North Sea, most of it was turned to rubble. This is not to say everything was destroyed; there are some older buildings around, but most of Hamburg’s structures are from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Another unique feature: Hamburg is shaped by water. The Elbe, Alster and Bille rivers, the Binnenalster (inner lake) and Aussenalster (outer lake) and the Alsterfleet canal all run through the city. Hamburg’s port is one of the busiest in Europe and the world. It’s the second largest in terms of cargo in Europe (Rotterdam is #1) and the ninth or so largest worldwide. The port covers 12% of Hamburg’s surface area. That’s one big industry!

Understandably, Hamburg is very proud of its maritime background. After all, it’s what built the city into Germany’s wealthiest, beginning in 1189 when the city was granted free trading rights and exemption from customs duties. Imagine what that did for the port’s popularity!

Balconies at Le Meridien

We stayed in Le Meridien on the east side of the lake, which was about a ten minute walk to the city center but just around the corner from a busy area with tons of restaurants and shops. The hotel was very comfortable and the location was ideal for morning runs around the lake’s perimeter. I was impressed that any time we looked out our hotel window, there were people jogging and cycling around the lake.

Hamburg offers every type of cuisine and is, of course, heavy on the fresh seafood. In addition to German-fare restaurants, we enjoyed Portugese and Greek meals. Those, combined with the great hotel breakfast, fueled us for our full days of exploring.

Hamburg, Germany, Le Meridien, Aussenalster