December Roadtrip: Two Nights in Hamburg

Christmas Market stall sign at the St. Pauli market

I hope you are all enjoying 2013 so far and were able to celebrate the holidays with your family and friends! I have several blogs to catch up on since we've been traveling and away from home since mid December. At the start of Derek's 2.5 week vacation and the arrival of his brother, Adam, we piled into the car and had an uneventful five hour drive to Hamburg, Germany. As the largest harbor town in Germany, Hamburg city revolves around the harbor, its upscale town center and of course, Germany's most popular party street, the Reeperbahn. Derek, Adam and I stayed in a alternative area of the St. Pauli neighborhood  about a 15 minute walk north of the Reeperbahn.

When we arrived on Monday, we spent some time trying to find a parking place and after checking into the Superbude hostel, headed out to find some dinner. The area was filled with international options, and we settled on a German/Greek restaurant. After dinner, we ventured to the Reeperbahn to check out "the scene". In addition to many strip clubs, unique shops and normal cafes, the street was filled with theaters.  Derek's favorite was the strip club in between McDonald's and the pharmacy. (No, he did not go in.) We gathered information on the Lion King musical but decided against it due to time and money constraints.

Derek and Adam enjoying some fried pastry goodness

Since it was the season for Christmas markets, we made our way to the St.Pauli Christmas market in the middle of the Reeperbahn. Aside from some unusual Christmas gifts for purchase and some fun signs like the one pictured above, the market was normal and sold glühwein,  crepes and endless wursts. We ended the night semi-early and got a good night's rest in our hostel.

On Tuesday we awoke early and found our way to the Hamburg harbor on the Elbe River via the S-Bahn. After some mediocre kaffee and kuchen for breakfast at a harbor side diner, we walked through the 426 m long Elbe Tunnel at the bottom of the Elbe River leading from one side of the river to the other that serves as a pedestrian and car passageway from the shipyards and docks to downtown Hamburg. Next, with our group transport ticket in hand (up to five people for all city transport for 9 EUR) we boarded the harbor ferry for a very cheap tour of the surrounding area. After about 45 minutes of standing outside on top deck, we took shelter inside the boat and enjoyed the views of the shipyards and cruisers lining the harbor.

After disembarking the boat and grabbing a pastry snack and three large coffees from a bakery, we wondered into the warehouse district of Hamburg, known as Speicherstadt. Famous for its canals and architecture, the district proved interesting to explore. Derek and Adam marveled at the architecture surrounding Hamburg's waterfront. Hamburg resonates a feeling much different than German cities such as Munich or Koln; the city had an upscale, cutting-edge vibe. 

Hamburg center from across the river via the Elbe Tunnel

Adam and I in Speicherstadt

Adam and Derek admiring the warehouse district

Speicherstadt / Hafen City, Hamburg

Hamburg Harbor

Derek and I walking towards town center

We spent the rest of the day exploring the main center of Hamburg and it's many Christmas markets. The town hall hosted the largest market, and others were scattered along the lakeside waterfront and throughout the city. We waltzed down the streets with the big-name stores and enjoyed some glühwein while some Spanish street singers persuaded a contribution from me with their version of Feliz Navidad.  

Since we weren't going to make it to Bavaria while Adam was in town, we popped  into the Hofbräuhaus of Hamburg and enjoyed a mass (liter) of German beer. The guys drank a winter bock, or winter beer, and I had a Pils. Dinner included curry wurst, kaiser kuchen and kartoffel puffers- all fest food. The rest of the late evening was spent in the hotel lobby playing Yahtzee! and another German board game. 

Hamburg Christmas Market

Derek and Adam in front of Hamburg's town hall

Hamburg Christmas market

Derek and Adam enjoying their beer

Hamburg is both a lake and harbor town. This is part of Lake Alster

Hanging out in the hostel lounge

To me, Hamburg was a great city to stroll through, with many shops, theaters and restaurants to enjoy. However, we followed Hamburg with two nights in Berlin, the city that ended up winning the favorite vote between the two. I'll be posting about Berlin and our Christmas in Germany in the coming week.