Easter weekend in HAMBURG

Old Sep 27th, 2006, 07:57 PM
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Easter weekend in HAMBURG

hsv or anyone familiar:
I'm planning to take my 13 year old daughter to Hamburg arriving in the evening on Karfreitag. Is there anything open on Easter Saturday & Sunday in Hamburg? Or is it going to be a ghost town? We have to train to Berlin to meet up with my wife & son on Sunday night.
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Old Sep 27th, 2006, 10:29 PM
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Karfreitag is a public holiday. Shops will be closed. I am not sure about museums.
However, while several years ago it was hard to even find a restaurant not observing the Lutherans' most important holiday, this has changed. Even bars are nowadays open.

Saturday before Easter is an ordinary Saturday - shops will be open (I rely on that for my traditional last minute shopping), museums and restaurants, too. However, you are of course aware that Saturdays may involve shorter opening hours of some shops even though most of them will now stay open until 8 p.m. in central areas of the city.

Easter Sunday and the following Monday are public holidays again. Shops will be closed all over Germany (with a possible exception of some spa towns). Again, I am not sure about museums. Restaurants will be open.

In general Easter is quite a popular holiday for doing city trips, so I would not expect cities to be deserted. There is also a tradition of doing an Easter stroll (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote a famous poem on the subject), so weather permitting you stand a good chance of meeting quite a couple of people in the scenic areas of nature and towns.
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Old Sep 28th, 2006, 06:36 AM
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Thanks for the good news hsv. In that case, we'll fly into Hamburg even for a couple of days. Any suggestion on what to do on Sunday? I don't know of any spa town near Hamburg. I was in Hamburg during Easter in 1997, it was a ghost town on Easter Sunday. I'm hoping to find a bit more commerce or at least people in downtown.
We're thinking of trying the Madison Hotel on Neuer Wall as my daughter just loves the one in Berlin. The location seems to be ideal to walk to the Speicherstadt as well as the shops. My other choice would be the Hyatt again.

One interesting harbor tour I'm wondering is:
www.hamburg-citytour.de/bordparty.htm. but I don't know if it's OK/appropriate that I'm going with my 13 yr old daughter. What do you think? Do you also have ideas for Sunday daytime activity?
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Old Sep 28th, 2006, 11:26 PM
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1. The city center on Sundays and holidays is usually rather empty. The reason is that Hamburg was artificially composed of various small towns (decades and decades ago). But most of them have retained their own small centers, which are usually more populated than the office dominated downtown area. You would have to factor in that, of course, quite a number of locals will leave the city for the holidays (often to go skiing).
If you are interested in architecture you might enjoy a stroll to the HafenCity, a vast conversion area of former docklands including the Speicherstadt. Usually quite a few people will be there. Strandweg connecting Oevelgoenne with Blankenese and lined with captain's houses along the river is usually very crowded on Sundays and makes for a nice walk.
Luebeck always makes for a nice daytrip, too.


2. Spa towns in the surroundings: Depending on the definition, the seaside resorts jump to mind. You could do a trip to the island of Sylt, North Germany's version of the Hamptons. Trains take about 3 hours, if I recall correctly.
I also like the Baltic Sea a lot, which is much closer. Timmendorfer Strand is Hamburg's preferred daytrip destination and one of the posher towns there. Travel time by train should be around 1 to 1.5 hour(s) - 45 minutes only if you take a car.
The regions along the Baltic Coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are also beautiful and not as (over) developed as in Schleswig-Holstein. Boltenhagen is a nice enough village - but before you reach that, there are miles of unkept beaches around Brook.

3. Hotel: I don't believe the Hamburg Madison is in any way related to the Berlin ones. The latter are now operated under the name of Mandala, BTW. That is not to say that it isn't a good property. I have heard very good reviews. It is owned and managed by Steak-House King Eugen Block's (of Block House) mother in law. He also runs the Grand Elysee Hotel, which is also very popular, so I guess the quality of the Madison is reliable.
It also offers access to an outfit of Club Meridian, one of the better chains of wellness clubs.
It is not, however, located on Neuer Wall (or even near it). It is on Schaarsteinweg, close to St. Michael and the port (behind the Gruner & Jahr publishing group's headquarters, which you may have noticed). This is a quiet area of town, but not a bad location. It is not far from Speicherstadt, and shops in the city center can indeed be reached on foot.
Alternatively, you could look into the Dorint Sofitel, which has a very modern but cool design and might appeal to your daughter. It is on Alter Wall, just steps from Neuer Wall and the Speicherstadt would be walkable, too.

4. The link of the boardparty doesn't work for me. I have only attended a boardparty on one of the smaller boats (Barkassen) recently and enjoyed the scenery. Service was rather bad, though. But then that one will most likely not resemble the one you are considering. I found info on one that is advertised for a steep € 43.00. It did look a bit tacky to me, but why not.

5. I think your daughter might enjoy a visit to Elbe 76 bar and restaurant. Great pizza in the bar area, nice crowd and stylish interiors. Located on Bismarckstr. in Eimsbuettel, not anywhere near the Elbe.
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Old Sep 29th, 2006, 12:55 AM
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I actually did consider the Dorint Sofitel and that's what I got the Madison location mixed up with. Would you say that Alter Wall is not as dead as Schaarsteinweg on a weekend? I shall take a second look. Alternatively the Hyatt is the best value Park Hyatt in the world. Ideally, I am looking for a hotel that we can walk to the shops as well as to Speicherstadt(Miniatur World) & Hafencity to see the impressive modern waterfront development if they are already built.

I hate to ask this question but do you know where the teenager shops are in Hamburg? It will save me time if we know. Her other passion is soccer, but I doubt that there's any game at the AOL arena on Easter Sunday/Saturday, is there?

Thanks for your local tips including your recommendation to go to the Elbe 76, it sounds good, we'll definitely give it a try. We've heard that Eimsbuettel is an upcoming fashionable area where people go to have their Milchkaffee during the day and hiphop clubs at night.
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Old Sep 29th, 2006, 06:43 AM
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Just reread my posting: The last sentence was meant as tongue & cheek as I thought it was funny to have an area described as such. That said it may very well be a place that a teenager may like.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2006, 10:14 AM
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hsv,
Is the Hamburger Dom open on Easter Sunday? I'm just trying to figure out things that a teenager would enjoy doing. I'm wondering if you could ask a teenager in Hamburg where the teenager fun stores are located. Thanks.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:11 AM
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DAX,

those days aren't that far behind ;-)!

In general, the Schanzenviertel (area around Schulterblatt, Sternschanze) would be where to look for hip (and sometimes a bit alternative) shops.
Eppendorf is more upscale but also features a few options.
I will get back with a few more details.

The Dom would most certainly be open on Easter Sunday.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 11:45 AM
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Thanks hsv !
I've scoured the internet for Schanzenviertel,Schulterblatt & Sternschanze but am not getting much specific info. I haven't tried Eppendorf yet, but I figure it's best to wait for more details from you. Swiss Airlines is putting pressure for me to finalize my plans tomorrow or I'll lose my mileage reservations.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 12:24 PM
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O.K., here are a few suggestions for serious shopping:

Marktstr. is a street which is (my bad) not in Schanzenviertel, but rather the neighbouring Karo(linen)viertel. A number of young and fashionable local designers have located themselves there and the neighbouring streets.
Try

http://www.karolinenviertel.de/

for more info.

And if you intend to visit shops there, do go after noon. Those bohemian designers do not open the doors of their shops before that (and be prepared to see some stunning prices).

Talking about steep prices:

Feldenkirchen features hip fashion in their city stores around Neue ABC-street in the center by the Marriott Hotel. For "discounts" (or what they consider to be discounts) visit their store in the neighbouring Poststr. (opposite the side windows of the Polo Ralph Lauren Store).

Lino and Omen are local labels that make nice Pullovers of pure lambswool (that come at a price, too), but that are pretty unique, as most of them do not have any cuffs, but are quite loose and relaxed while still very stylish. Omen can be found at Thomas I-Punkt, who has a store on Moenckebergstr. 21. It is the peculiarly old fashioned building in front of St. Petri church opposite the Southern entrance of Karstadt.

Lino used to have a store on Eppendorfer Landstr., but I am not sure whether that is still there. They are definitely stocked by a dealer in the Alstertal Einkaufszentrum mall in Poppenbüttel (a bit of a trip from the city center, but highly recommended for high-end stores). The shop is located on the ground floor next to the market hall and the gourmet food store of Oschaetzchen.

Cut-for-Friends is a Hamburg based barber-gone-fashion-creator that has a store on Eppendorfer Landstr no. 74. They are the inventors of the city jackets that still are quite popular (European pop music giant Robbie Williams wore them during concerts) and feature other stuff, too. Definitely worth a visit.

https://shop.cutforfriends.com/CFFSh...px?reseller=GO

Finally, Closed is a Hamburg based label that tends to be quite popular (they have warehouse sales twice a year, where one can buy their stuff at rather cheap prices provided one has an invitation). They have stores at Eppendorfer Baum No. 13 or in the Alstertal Einkaufszentrum (again), but are also carried by various other stores. Look at their website to locate stores:

http://www.closed.com/
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 12:33 PM
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Forgot to add:

Miss Sixty might be popular with 13 year old girls. They have a store on Moenckebergstr. at the corner of Bergstr. near City Hall.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 02:43 PM
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Hi,

You say that your daughter is a football fan? Just off the site where the Dom takes place is the fan shop for St Pauli FC. My (very not teenaged) husband got some shirts and stuff there a while ago. I believe its a club with a bit of a reputation (apols if thats not the case) but the shirts are quite cool

Have fun!
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 03:40 PM
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St. Pauli is a traditional club, but... to be honest, they are down to Regionalliga (3rd division) this year and aren't doing too well there. They will have fancy shirts and stuff, though, with pirate symbols. A special Hamburg souvenir. Besides, there is the HSV, too.

What to do on a public holiday? How about a tour of the harbour by boat?
The zoo is quite good, if your daughter likes animals.
Museums should be open during the holidays, but check.

Another vote for a day trip to Lübeck.

The Speicherstadt is very special on foggy, rainy days IMHO. Lousy weather adds a lot to the atmosphere. (Take your passport/ID card when you go there, as the Speicherstadt is part of the duty-free area, and sometimes they check documents.) - One of the old storehouses has been turned into a museum, which should not be missed.

An unique experience is the Fischmarkt on Sunday mornings. According to www.hamburg.de the fish market operates "every Sunday", which should include Easter. (Hamburgers: Is it really open on Easter Sunday?) - If yes, get up early and be there before 7 a.m.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 05:27 PM
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hsv: Thanks for such a thorough list! I'm very impressed by how detailed your knowledge is about so many different things from banking, real estate, taxes to shopping.

I think Karolinenviertel would be an interesting place for her though she may feel a bit edgy by all the graffiti and alternative incense yoga stuff. Some stores look like the fun stores on Melrose/Prenzlauerberg that she likes. We're wondering if there's something similar to Karolinenviertel but less edgy. I notice that my kids buy things/clothes according to the lifestyle that the brand projects rather than how they look. The Cutfor friends may be a fun experience for her to have lunch at.

Libuse: Thanks, we'll check out the StPauli soccer store when we go to the Dom on Easter Sunday, she does want to buy white soccer shirts for her soccer practices/physical strengthening runs.

Quokka: Thanks for your good tips as well. It'll be her 3rd time in Hamburg so she's been to the places you suggested. We'll be "hanging out" rather than touring Hamburg. If time allows, we do plan to repeat the boat tour & Speicherstadt.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 09:53 PM
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St. Pauli football shirts!??!! :-& Are you guys wanting to drive me nuts?

Although I will admit that the camouflage jerseys by St. Pauli are a somewhat neat idea, I urgently stress that there is a HSV paraphernalia shop centrally located on Schmiedestr. 2, corner of Bergstr. That's near St. Petri church and behind Prediger's excellent lamp and lighting store prominently visible from Moenckebergstr.

The traditional shirts are white (!)in combination with red shorts and worldwide-unique blue socks with a black and white lining.

While I am still waiting for the Holsten brewery to become the official sponsor, we currently have to arrange ourselves with the flying Emirs of Emirates - well, it happens to the best, I think (although that's unfortunately far from where the HSV currently stands), as we share the sponsor with Europe's arguably best team, London's Arsenal.

http://www.hsv.de/index.php?id=9431

DAX, from what you're saying Cut for Friends should likely do the trick - and they are located in a very respectable and neat area of town.
BTW Closed (as mentioned before and while not necessarily a label for the youth only) also has a store in the city center on Bergstr.
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Old Oct 4th, 2006, 09:57 PM
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P.S.: And if the brand is important, Feldenkirchen in the orderly ( :;-) ) city center at the Marriott Hotel and next to the Mulberry Store is a must .
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Old Oct 5th, 2006, 06:28 AM
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Hsv: Glad you reminded us of that other football team from Hamburg…LOL. I bet it's painful to hear that a soccer fan would come to Hamburg and ended up with an FC St Pauli shirt. The irony is people in the US can better relate Hamburg with the St Pauli name (beergirl) than HSV Emirate name. The Emirate HSV sponsorship doesn't make anymore sense to me than the Budweiser World Cup sponsorship but I suppose money talks.

I appreciate your help. I think my daughter will have plenty of places to go to and then some. Do you know of any reliable wine store for me to go. I've found one in St Georg who delivered the wines to the Hyatt as a courtesy so I didn't have to carry them myself, but they weren't able to get what they're supposed to have on their own catalogue.
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Old Oct 5th, 2006, 11:25 AM
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DAX,

certainly St. Pauli to some extent is synonymous with Hamburg (the irony about that deservedly infamous St. Pauli Girl beer brand is that it is brewed by Beck's in Bremen BTW). Just take into account that famous song and sort of Hamburg anthem by Hans Albers "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins": He who has never strolled along Reeperbahn on a warm night, does not know you, my St. Pauli, St. Pauli at night.

Still, in football HSV has a reputation throughout Europe, while St. Pauli only has a domestic reputation and playing in the lower midfield of third division is only of regional significance.

For wines, I am a huge fan of Moevenpick Weinland. They have stores in Bahrenfeld (close to the Gastwerk Hotel) or on the outskirts in Ahrensburg. Reasonable prices and a huge selection with usually good recommendations.

Apart from that, there is a store focusing on Austrian only wines (which are indeed good) on Winterhuder Markt. Metro (U-Bahn) station would be Hudtwalker Str. It is on the right hand side of the street leading up to Winterhuder Markt.
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Old Oct 6th, 2006, 12:06 AM
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I like Austrian wines quite a bit. The Austrians have done amazing things with their wines. I'll check out the store you recommend in Winterhude. In the past, I've managed to get rare/hard to find Austrian & Italian wines from a wholesaler in Innsbruck where I had to pay cash since they're not supposed to sell to the public directly. It always bothers me to think back of how they reminded me so much of the Mafia.
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Old Oct 6th, 2006, 04:31 AM
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I though I posted here the other day and talked about the Langhe Reihe as an alternative for the Schanzenviertel. Behind the Hauptbahnhof. Lunch at Turnhalle. Also, Winterhude (not near the Marktplatz, but rather the center of Winterhude near Dortheenstrasse/Mühlenkamp offers some boutique shopping, good cafes (Cafe Canale, Mangia Bevi for fast Italian). hsv will have to correct if I am making mistakes, I have been out of the hansestadt for almost three years. The Schanzenviertel might be a bit edgy but in a European way. Offers great shopping (Cucinaria for kitchen stuff and good coffee), and a creative environment.

Ottensen is another great area for funky shopping and ethnic flair. Cafe Einstein, the Gaswerke hotel and spa, and lots of independents are there. The bottom floor of Mercado (an indoor mall) is a food market and food court. Pricy but nice.

The big challenge in Hamburg is that it is very spread out (being in actuality a unification of several small and midsized towns rather than an actual single city). My suggestion is to make use of the metro system, which is great.

One last note. Blankenese. The S1 goes out there. It is laid back. Ask around until you find the Treppenviertel. You will not be sorry you did.

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