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Germany : Hamburg - June 2009

Country Code: Dial for Germany

Hamburg’s waterways are more than just arteries of trade for ships heading in and out of the port. In summer the Elbe and Inner and Outer Alster lakes, become the focus for drinking and dining. And from 26-28 June, Hamburg Harley Days will see more than 50,000 people descend on the city. Stuart Forster 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).

BLANKENESE

Located in the west of the city, near the River Elbe, this affluent district of villas and summerhouses looks especially good in summer. Enjoy a lazy day wandering along Strandweg and into the charming narrow alleys of Treppenviertel.

Sleep soundly – After travelling along the Elbe, why not push the boat out a little further and stay at the luxury Süllberg Hotel (12 Süllbergstrasse, tel. , suellberghamburg. de, rooms from €190). Ask for a room with a river view.

Culture vultures – Take a Sunday cruise along the Elbe to Blankenese. The paddle steamer Mississippi Queen departs from the landungsbrücken (jetties) of St Pauli at 11am and 2.30pm.

Must eat – The Süllberg’s Michelinstarred restaurant Seven Seas (tel. ) offers classic French cuisine, including a succulent rack of lamb, and seasonal seafood. Look out for the bouillabaisse.

Must drink – Pause for an alsterwasser (shandy) at the floating Fischclub Blankenese (opposite 30 Strandweg).

ALTONA

Summer is a great time to visit Altona, which was part of Denmark until 1864 and a city in its own right until 1937. Consequently Hamburg residents joke that it’s so named because it was “all zu nah!” (“all too close!”) to their homes.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Hamburg- Altona (8 Hahnenkamp, tel. , hotel-hamburg-altona.de, rooms from €55) is a good choice if you’re on a budget.

Culture vultures – Take a heritage tour to the Jewish cemetery on Königstrasse. Portuguese Sephardic Jews were given the right to establish the cemetery in 1611 and it now stands as a cultural monument.

Must eat – If Spanish food appeals on a north German summer’s day, try Bodega Altona (1 Lamp’lweg). Go for the tortilla.

Must drink – The down-to-earth Astra Stube (200 Max-Brauer-Allee) is a ‘typically Hamburg’ place and a popular venue for gigs by up-and-coming bands from Germany and beyond.

Dance the night away – Waagenbau (204 Max-Brauer-Allee) stays open all night and spins hip-hop and reggae tunes.

NEUSTADT

The centrally located Neustadt hosts some of Hamburg’s smartest shops and fronts the Inner Alster lake.

Sleep soundly – Hamburg Marriott Hotel (52 ABC-Strasse, 050, marriott.com, rooms from €109) has a fantastic location and a great spa.

Must eat – Coffee breaks are part of the traditional German shopping experience. Head to Alsterpavillon (54 Jungferstieg, tel. ) for milch kaffee (a milkier cappuccino).

Shop til you drop – The area around ABC-Strasse, close to Gaensemarkt, is home to big names such as Chanel (2 Neue ABC-Strasse), Escada (32 Neuer Wall) and Giorgio Armani (19 Neuer Wall).

ST PAULI

This quarter has long been the place to go for entertainment in Hamburg.

Culture vultures – Hamburg Harley Days (26-28 June, hamburgharley days.de), Europe’s biggest meeting of bikers, stages music from funk to country, as well as stunt and dragster shows. The main events is the parade of 10,000 Harley Davidsons on Sunday 28 June.

Must eat – Schatto Pauli (32 Kastanienallee, tel. ) is an atmospheric restaurant with a chandelier and sumptuous red velvet curtains. The wiener schnitzel (thin slice of veal in breadcrumbs) is the house speciality.

Must drink – Strand Pauli (89 Hafenstrasse), one of the city’s summer-only beach clubs, has barbecues and salsa dancing.

Shop til you drop – Riders Room (4 Thadenstrasse) specialises in quality accessories for bikers. For belts, boots, jackets and helmets, this is the place.

Compiled by Stuart Forster