Discovering 'undiscovered' Hamburg
An unforgettable capper to your Hamburg visit is its harbor tour -- the best of its kind in Europe. You'll see plenty of Hamburg's bold new architecture, as well as its more established beach communities. But mostly, the hour-long cruise gets you up close to Hamburg's shipping industry -- all those enormous container ships, cranes and dry docks.
Hamburg is one of the great "undiscovered" cities in Europe. With its trading heritage and a strong economy, a visit here showcases a wealthy city that rose like a phoenix from a terrible recent past.
IF YOU VISIT...
SLEEPING: Hotel Wedina -- hip, full of character, and design-conscious -- is near the train station (splurge, www.hotelwedina.de). Hotel Furst Bismarck is draped in Old World charm and elegance (moderate, www.fuerstbismarck.de).
EATING: Kajute sits on pontoons on the Aussenalster and is good if you're willing to pay a little more for atmosphere (splurge, An der Alster 10a, tel. +49-40-243-037). Oma's Apotheke is a cozy cafe-bar-restaurant with vintage decor and tasty German cuisine (moderate, Schanzenstrasse 87, tel. +49-40-43-6620).
GETTING AROUND: Public transport makes sightseeing efficient in this spread-out city. Hamburg's subway system includes both the U-Bahn (with four lines) and S-Bahn (commuter rail lines).
TOURIST INFORMATION: www.hamburg-tourism.de.
========
(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
(c)2017 RICK STEVES DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
