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Germany : Hamburg - December 2007

Country Code: Dial for Germany

Hamburg’s Christmas markets may be the city’s convivial heart during December, but there’s much more to this maritime metropolis than glühwein and wurst – namely world-class art, upmarket shopping and a brand new waterside development. Farhad Heydari reports

Getting around

Hamburg Airport is 9km north-west of the city.

Bus: Coaches to the centre depart every 15 minutes from 6am to 7pm, then at 20-minute intervals until 11pm. Single tickets cost €5
Train: The airport doesn’t have a direct rail connection to the city centre. The nearest station is at Ohlsdorf, served by the S1 and S11 trains and U1 underground line. A single ticket is €2,60 and the journey takes 20 minutes.
Taxi: The journey to the city centre takes 20 minutes and costs about €16.
Tourist information: The main office is at Sankt Pauli Landungsbrücken, between bridges 4 and 5 (tel. , hamburgtourism. de).

NEUSTADT

The heart of the city stretches from the ritzy Jungfernstieg on the shores of Alster Lake to Johannisbollwerk, which borders the harbour.

Sleep soundly – A paean to all things monochromatic, Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall (40 Alter Wall, 9500, sofitel.com, rooms from €119) was designed by Martin Mlecko and has a striking basement spa. Equally modern is SIDE (49 Drehbahn, 9990, side-hamburg.de, rooms from €160), which has a stunning eight-storey atrium.

Culture vultures – Browse an outsized art collection at Hamburger Kunsthalle (1 Glockengiesserwall), which includes everything from old masters to modern 20th-century pieces.

Must eat – The modern German cuisine at Anna (50 Neuer Wall, 7014) pulls in gastronomes, while the stylish surroundings and fresh Italian food at Vapiano (10 Hohe Bleichen, tel. ) give a midday boost to hurried office workers.

Shop til you drop – Hamburg’s most prestigious shopping boulevard, Neuer Wall, boasts the world’s top brands, including Tod’s and Louis Vuitton.

SPEICHERSTADT

The world’s oldest warehouse district is situated along the western edges of the Elbe on a series of narrow islands, with cobbled alleys and weathered brick structures topped with gables and turrets. It abuts HafenCity, a 155-hectare quarter that, when finished in 2025, will house 12,000 people.

Sleep soundly – Above the banks of the Elbe, Hotel Hafen Hamburg (9 Seewartenstrasse, 1130, hotel-hafen-hamburg.de, rooms from €80) enjoys unrivalled views.

Culture vultures – Documenting the expansion of HafenCity is the InfoCenter (30 Am Sandtorkai), featuring audio-visual displays, architects’ mock-ups and more.

Must drink – Next to the neo-Gothic Warehouse City, Chilli Club (54 Am Sandtorkai) is a modernist refuge serving everything from tapas to sushi.

SANKT GEORG

Hamburg’s edgiest quarter is also its most artsy and diverse. It’s located just behind the main train terminal, the Hauptbahnhof.

Sleep soundly – An institution for nearly a century, the waterfront Hotel Atlantic Kempinski (72-79 An der Alster, 880, kempinski.atlantic.de, rooms from €149) is the grand dame of Hamburg hotels. Or head down the street for newcomer Le Royal Méridien Hamburg (52-56 An der Alster, 000, leroyalmeridienhamburg.com, rooms from €199).

Must eat – A favourite with Hamburg’s sophisticated but unpretentious foodies, Cox (43 Greifswalderstrasse, 9422) serves superb brasserie-style food. Serious gastronomes head to Sgroi (40 Lange Reihe, tel. ), where Anna Sgroi creates Italian dishes worthy of her Michelin accolade.

Must drink – Set in a former gymnasium, Turnhalle (107 Lange Reihe) makes a commodious brick-clad backdrop for the city’s beau monde. Alternatively, café-bar Kyti Voo (82 Lange Reihe) is known for its sleek modernist interior and matchless cocktails.

OEVELGÖNNE

A former fishing village dotted with captain’s houses and cottages, this attractive quarter harks back to Hamburg’s maritime past.

Culture vultures – Learn about the importance of the harbour at the tiny Museumshafen (Neumühlen) on the strandweg, a walkway that meanders along the banks of the Elbe.

Must eat – The brainchild of celebrity chef Tim Mälzer, Das Weisse Haus (50 Neumühlen, tel. ) is an ode to inventive cookery.

Must drink – Overlooking the Elbe, Café Engel (Landeanlage Teufelsbrück) is one of a handful of bars and restaurants that make the most of the picture-postcard surroundings.

Compiled by Farhad Heydari