St. Katharinen’s claim to fame: Bach played here! The first concert was in 1701 and the second was in 1720 when he was in town auditioning for nearby Jacobikirche’s organist job. The organ he played was destroyed during WWII bombings. St. Katharinen is one of the five main Lutheran churches in Hamburg. Although St. Katharinen […]
Archive | Destinations RSS feed for this section
Hamburger Kunsthalle
This is considered one of the best art museums in Germany. I think it’s one of the best in Europe! Why? Well, it’s really big (certainly no Louvre, but much larger than many other cities’ museums) and heavy on what I most enjoy: 17th-19th century European paintings, sculptures and modern art. It also gives a […]
Hamburg Fischmarkt
You can’t beat Hamburg’s legendary fish market for early morning entertainment. It takes place on Sundays from 5 a.m. (I know, I know, but beer and food is served) to 10 a.m. Local vendors pull up to the market in their trucks and sell whatever wares they have – fruit, fish, flowers, spices, household goods […]
St. Petri
St. Petri is Hamburg’s oldest parish church. The original was built in the 11th century, and the bigger and better Gothic version was constructed in the 13th century. Although St. Petri has one tower today, it enjoyed a second tower from the 16th through 19th centuries that was torn down due to damage from Napoleonic […]
St. Nikolai
It’s easy to believe that this pile of ruins was once one of the most impressive neo-Gothic churches in Germany. You can get a sense of its scope and grandeur while standing in the ruined structure’s footprint and looking up, up, up at the amazingly high spire. The current St. Nikolai only stood for about […]
Alte Post Scene
When we heard yells and cheers from blocks away, we wondered who had been spotted: an athlete? An actress? We headed toward the commotion, fully prepared to gawk, only to come face-to-chest with half-naked teenage boys hanging off a historic tower. Suddenly Germany didn’t seem so staid. Well, it turns out the tourist line at […]
Hamburg Rauthaus
One of Hamburg’s centerpieces is its 19th-century neo-Renaissance Rauthaus, which houses the city-state’s parliament. The city’s patron saints adorn the exterior alongside maritime images. Inside are 647 rooms, some of which are viewable during the daily tours. The Rauthaus sits on (guess!) Rauthausmarkt, the main cobbled square. Although it was cold and rainy when we […]
Hamburg
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 […]
Chelsea Window
I always get a kick out of this West 22nd Street window. The images amuse me and I also can’t help but wonder who would give up this unobstructed source of light? I understand not wanting to open the window, but the midday sun must hit these north-facing panes pretty nicely. street art, Manhattan, New […]
Street Art
Maybe Cindy Sherman’s clowns were still infiltrating my brain, but on my way back from a morning run, this West 18th-ish Street series caught my eye. street art, graffiti, Manhattan, New York City, New York
