Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Hamburg

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Germany : Hamburg - August 2008

Country Code: Dial for Germany

With a vast lake to sail on, a web of canals to navigate, an endless lattice of paths to discover and plenty of wide open spaces perfect for pinicking, it’s almost impossible to waste a high summer’s day in Hamburg. Farhad Heydari kicks back

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).

EPPENDORF

Lined with eye-catching art nouveau buildings and Georgian townhouses, this is Hamburg’s oldest district.

Must eat – The Michelin-starred Piment (29 Lehmweg, tel. ) serves accomplished North African dishes, while nearby La Casita (278 Eppendorfer Weg. tel. ) is a more down-to-earth Italian affair, with communal tables.

Must drink – Neo (11 Martinistrasse) does organic finger food and fruity cocktails, and is justifiably popular with the after-work crowd.

Shop til you drop – Check out the city’s largest collection of Leica cameras at Meister Camera (64 Eppendorfer Landstrasse) or get the latest canine accessories at Dogma (33 Lehmweg).

Sleep soundly – Learn about the importance of the harbour at the tiny Museumshafen, located on the strandweg (beach way), the small pedestrian walkway that meanders along the Elbe.

Culture vultures – Hamburg’s Kunstmeile (art mile) is bookended by Deichtorhallen (1-2 Deichtorstrasse) and Hamburger Kunsthalle (Glockengiesserwall). In between, there is the ochre-coloured Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Steintorplatz) and the vast brick-clad Freie Akademie der Künste (23 Klosterwall), which houses three modern galleries.

KAROVIERTEL

Formally the city’s Portuguese district, this cobbled quarter hugs the atelierstudded Marktstrasse and is the city’s new fashion capital.

Must eat – With a predominantly vegetarian menu, minimalist Mangold Lokal (30 Ölmühle, tel. ) pulls in a pretty bohemian crowd. That’s something you certainly won’ find at Schlachterbörse (42 Kampstrasse. 6543), an old-school steak house popular with celebrities and the city’s moneyed elite. » Must drink Bazar 1001 Nacht (2 Sternstrasse) serves more than 10 varieties of tea, as well as traditional Arab pipes. There’s also a selection of slightly more prosaic cocktails on offer, such as mojitos, if you don’t fancy tea. » Sleep soundly Housed in what was once a water tower, Mövenpick Hotel Hamburg (6 Sternschanze, tel. , moevenpick-hotels.com, rooms from €125) is the city’s newest hotel, with a stylish lobby-level bar.

Shop til you drop – Pick up bodyhugging jackets, jumpers, shirts and tailored suits at Hans Peter Reuker’s atelier, Reuker HP (133 Marktstrasse). Prayed (3 Glashüttenstrasse) is a must. Come here for kaftans and dresses in fabulously clashing fabrics and prints.

ÖVELGÖNNE

Dotted with diminutive captains’ houses and cottages with pint-size gardens, this pretty former fishing village harks back to Hamburg’s nautical past.

Must eat – Jacobs Restaurant (143 Grosse Elbstrasse. tel. ) is headed by Thomas Martin, the only Hamburg chef to be awarded an 18 by the famously fastidious Gault Millau guide for “supreme creativity, quality and the finest ingredients”.

Must drink – Set in a converted barn, To’n Peerstall (69 Hochrad) is a typical German restaurant and bar serving hearty food such as goose and pork.

CITY CENTRE

The heart of the city consists of two shopping boulevards, Spitalerstrasse and Mönckebergstrasse.

Sleep soundly – Minimalist Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall has a striking spa, something you’ll also find at Side (49 Drehbahn, 9990, side-hamburg.de, rooms from €160), which has a black, backlit atrium.

Must eat – Its Manga comic menus are decidedly current, but the Japanese food at Matsumi (96 Colonnaden. 3125) is more traditional. Modern cuisine in the form of fusion food is served at DOC (58 Jungfernstieg, tel. ), a glass cube by Inner Alster lake.

Compiled by Farhad Heydari