Hamburg(lar) - April 2023

Whilst taking the train down to Hamburg, the top question on our mind was, "what is the historical importance of the hamburger to the city of Hamburg?" Turns out, not a whole lot, but the city is still lovely to visit.

We stayed at a chic, turtle-themed hotel (that might seem like an oxymoron, but I assure you, it is not). After checking in, we headed down by the river and found a spot to relax with a water view before continuing over to the city hall building. We found a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner, then walked down to the harbor area. By pure coincidence we ran into the Frühlingsdom, a fair and market that happens three times a year. Of course we had to take a spin on the Ferris wheel!

The next day began with a rushed search for breakfast before joining a historic walking tour. It was fun to learn about the history of the city - the most impactful sight being the church that was bombed during World War II and serves as a reminder of both the Germans lost during the war but also all of the atrocities that Germany was responsible for.

After the tour, we tried some traditional fish sandwiches before enjoying the rooftop view from the stunning Elbphilharmonie building. To top it all off, we snagged a table at a cafe there, so we could enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying the view of the harbor.

Alas, one lesson we learned the hard way is that you should make an advance reservation for Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg's star attraction (and the main reason I wanted to visit). We made a ressie for 11:45PM, had a delicious traditional meal of fish (for me) and schnitzel (for Jacob), took a disco nap, then headed to the museum. And it. was. worth. it. The working airport alone is worth the price of admission, and on top of that, there are miniature models of dozens of cities and landmarks. Plus interactive pieces everywhere where you could push a button and make a concert start, or a factory function, or a hot air balloon rise. It was so cool!

The next day, we enjoyed a day of wandering around the city aimlessly, just seeing what we would run into. We explored passageways, malls, and waterfront walks, among other things. The highlight of the day was dinner at a cozy restaurant, where our waiter was a jokester. We also tried Labskaus - it's a bit odd but quite tasty. After a quick stop at a bar full of old clocks, we retired to the hotel bar - and an early bedtime.

Our hopes of sleeping in the next morning were dashed by a public service warning - there was a potentially hazardous fire so our phones started chirping around 6AM. Luckily, the danger dissipated fairly quickly, so we could enjoy our last day. There was a lovely restaurant on a boat that we fell in love with - the food and ambience were lovely and we chatted with a couple who used to live in Cali. After, we headed over to St Pauli to enjoy the harbor side touristy area one final time. Our only regret is that we never got a hamburger.