Berlin is hot. Hamburg is too.
Everyone knows Berlin is hot, but only few people know that Hamburg - the country's second largest city - is at least as inspiring as the capital of Germany. The proximity of the water, the modern architecture, the edginess of Hamburg's hotspot Reeperbahn, and the lively neighbourhoods awash with multicultural eateries will most certainly charm and surprise you.
These are SEAUTON's favourite places to sleep, eat and visit.
Sleeping in Hamburg
As in any large European city there are plenty of places to stay in Hamburg, but these are our personal favourites.
- Designhotel Gastwerk used to be a coal storage silo for a gas plant but was renovated to become Hamburg's first design hotel. All the rooms have the atmosphere of a loft, with an airy spaciousness and warm colours and fabrics contrasting perfectly with the cool metal and concrete. Located just outside the city centre.
- East Hotel: once an iron foundry, now a cool design complex near Hamburg's famous Reeperbahn (edgier side of Hamburg). This four star hotel was designed by the American architect and designer Jordan Mozer and includes a trendy restaurant, lounges, bars and a spa with a sunny roof terrace.
- Hotel Side: If you love luxury you are bound to become a huge fan of this hotel. Located near the inner Alster lake and the city's shopping arcades, it combines wellness with lifestyle and luxury with design.
Visit, eat and drink
Your prejudices about German cuisine are wrong and Hamburg is there to prove it. Its citizens love to eat and there are plenty of restaurants with food from all over the world. These are four of our top pick tours, including the best places to stop for lunch, diner and drinks.
1. HafenCity & Speicherstadt
Speicherstadt was built in 1913 and is the world's largest warehouse complex, Hafencity is an impressive city renovation project around Hamburg's old port, replacing the port warehouses with offices, hotels, shops, and residential areas. Take a stroll alongside Unileverhaus, the Marco Polo Tower, the Elbphilharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Pavillon, Deichstrasse, the Deichtoreihallen, Chilehaus en the Internationales Maritimes Museum, or take a boat tour on the water. Stop for a coffee break or lunch at Fillet of Soul, Café Ray, Kaisers or Klein und Kaiserlich Kaffeehaus and have diner at Vlet, a restaurant on the first floor of an old warehouse, and try one of the modern German farm-to-table dishes.
2.Altona & Ottensen
If you've always wanted to drink beer, eat fish rolls and listen to live music at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning, than do pay a visit to the famous Fischauktionshalle in Altona. Ottensen, the former industrial area with its lofts, trendy bars and hotspots next to Altona, attracts a more creative audience. Walk along the Fischmarkt, the Grosse Elbstrasse and the Altonaer Balkon with its view over the Elbe and the old harbour. Enjoy the sun at Elbstrand, try one of the modern German lunch dishes at Engel and have a wonderful dinner at the Fischereihafen restaurant.
3. Altstadt, Neustadt & St. Georg
Here you can spot highlights such as Rathaus, Levantehaus and the Gängeviertel, make a cruise on the Alster lake, or go shopping near the Neuer Wall, Jungfernstieg and ABC-Strasse. Sushi lovers simply have to pay a visit to Matsumi, an incredibly cheap but very good Japanese restaurant, and if you prefer meat or the classic French cuisine, than try lunch at Casse-Croute or eat something at the Brooklyn Burger Bar. Stop at Le Méridien for drinks with a view at the skybar, have diner at the trendy restaurant Die Bank and try a cocktail at Das Parlament.
4. Schanzenviertel & Karolinenviertel
This is where people come to party, shop vintage antique in the cosy shops or second hand stuff on the flee-market, or relax in one of the parks. If you get hungry or thirsty you can take a break on Das Altes Mädchen's terrace or have diner at Bullerei, TV-chef Tim Mälzer's restaurant that is located in an old slaughterhouse.
