Germanophiles: We're looking for a city to stop and spend a couple of days in en route from Berlin to Amsterdam. We are considering Cologne and Hamburg, and are seeking ideas.
We tend to like large, fairly cosmopolitan places with lots of restaurants and nightlife options, but also with character and beautiful preserved historic buildings (ie, no Frankfurt).
Which of these two cities fits that bill best? Which has the most interesting sites? Any input would be appreciated.

We liked Hamburg quite a lot. There are any number of interesting old churches, an excellent zoo and botanic garden, and fine shopping--plus good restaurants and nightlife. The citizens are among the best-dressed I've seen anywhere.

I found Hamburg to be more cosmopolitan. It does not have a lot of old buildings, but still has several charming shopping streets. Definitely take a boat ride around the harbor area.

martytravels,

living in Hamburg formerly by birth and now by choice, I am a bit biased. But I certainly would suggest you spend at least two days here in the city.

Wheras Hamburg certainly was heavily destroyed during WW II, the restoration of the city center has been taken care of diligently and successfully. Plus, there is a lot of current architecture that is really noteworthy, if you care for that. There are also a couple of good museums, such as the Kunsthalle for paintings and modern art, the Hamburg Museum of the city's history and the brand new Bucerius Art forum right next to city hall in the ground floor and basement of a bank (this is a very commercial city generating its wealth from trade to a large extent, which becomes evident in cases like this).

In the evenings, Hamburg features a number of Musicals, a worldclass ballet at the Opera under the authority of American John Neumeier, good bars and Germany's highest density of star-rated reastaurants in any major city, along with others that are also outstanding or at least interesting. Almost any ethnic cuisine can be savoured here.

Hamburg is also one of the greenest cities of Europe, which also indicates that is pretty much an outdoor town. So you are likely to enjoy it more, should you come during spring time or summer. I have to admit that I hate winters here.

If you get a bit more specific about your preferences, I will gladly advise on hotels, what to see and where to eat!

Hamburg was leveled during WWII. It was reconstructed and is similar, IMO, to Frankfurt.

I would choose Köln or Düsseldorf.

It seems to me that after coming from the very cosmopolitan Berlin and heading to the very peppy Amsterdam, you might enjoy a change of pace; the well-preserved cities tend to be the smaller ones that weren't bombing targets. You'd do well to look into Celle (north of Hanover) or Hameln (south) where you'll find some great architecture, a few things to do, and several nice places to eat - you probably won't need more than a couple of meals there for a short stopover.

Thanks to everyone for the responses - they're very helpful.
HSV, sightseeing-wise, we'll want to see the city's major sites, naturally, but I'm also a huge fan of bohemian, offbeat, youth-affected areas. I love the big outdoor markets, and like to experience the multicultural nature of the cities I visit.
Hotel-wise, we're thinking moderate (90-150 euro per night) and central. I like staying in those bohemian, youth-affected neighborhoods I mentioned before, but anything that's in the center of the city and close to public transit is fine.
Restaurant-wise, I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, along with Thai and Ethiopian. We'll probably spend 2-3 days in Hamburg and we'll have at least one "event" dinner, but most of our eating will be the eat-and-run variety (shwarama sandwiches, falafels, etc.)
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Danke!

I'm quite familiar with both and would chose Hamburg. Cologne to me is one of the most uninpiring large cities in Europe but Hamburg, perhaps equally scarred in war, seems much more neat looking. Maybe because of its port setting or its St Pauli redlight district or because of its many lakes and parks, amongst the most of any city in Europe, and its many bridges, again often said to have the most in Europe, lends it a certain romantic feel that seems lacking in Koln. Though Koln does have europe's largest Gothic cathedral, certainly a sight to behold, and a rather nice riverfront the rest is blah. (Though it does now boast a leaning tower rivaling Pisa's in one church whose tower is precariously leaning and has become a tourist sight. As for nightlife Hamburg, since the Beatles days here has always had a vibrant one.

martytravels,

I am a bit short on time today. I promise I'll be back with a couple more suggestions.
Let me just say that I think you will absolutely find what you're looking for.
Which time of year will you be visiting?

Thank you HSV. We'll be visiting in late May (last week of May, actually).

I suggest you do both: wear cologne while IN Hamburg.

--Marv

PS: see how the solutions come so simply just by putting your mind to it?

I might be in the minority here, but I liked Cologne quite a bit. It was a fun city, and the Dom is one of the more amazing sights you'll see, especially at night. Plus it's close to a lot of other places worth sidetrips to.

martytravels,

in the first place, I am sorry that it took me a while to come back to this thread, but I was pretty busy at work.

Still, I would like to come up with some hints and help for spending a couple of enjoyable days in the city.

I will post this in various segments, as this server seems to have trouble coping with longer posts.

Accomodation:
For accomodation there is a pretty wide choice of hotels. As I live in the city, I haven't stayed at most places, but I will pass on what my impression of places is – in part based on experiences of acquaintances, too. I understand that you are not looking for the five star segment of the market, but would be willing to make do with a decent three star. Here are a few choices you may want to take a look at:

Hotel Vorbach: This is a family owned 2.5 to 3-star hotel neighboring the campus of the University of Hamburg. It is located in a tree-shaded residential street and housed in a charming art-deco-mansion. It is well situated in a green part of the city's center, approx. a 7 minute walk from Dammtor train station.

http://www.hotel-vorbach.de

Garden-Hotels Poeseldorf: Also at the 3-star level, this place is located in the posh city center neighborhood of Poeseldorf, a short stroll from the Outer- Alster Lake. It consist of a couple of former residential villas. Buses run on Mittelweg, about 3 minutes by foot away and might be preferable over Hotel Vorbach.

http://www.garden-hotels.de

Hotel Baseler Hof: This family hotel is situated on the busy Esplanade street right in the center of town. It offers decent lodging and a well known wine bar and restaurant by the name of Kleinhuis, that gets quite an amount of traffic for lunch. I would rate it as a 2.5-star place. Its ambiance is a bit 60-ish but clean and its location is prime with the main shopping arcades, the Inner- Alster Lake and the opera are just a few minutes of walking away.

http://www.baselerhof.hamburg.vch.de

25- Hours- Hotel: This is Hamburg's version of The Standard Hotels in L.A. and West Hollywood. A totally hip and new 3-star property on the grounds of a revived gasworks property in the neighborhood of Bahrenfeld. Health club privileges at the neighboring Elixia Spa can be obtained at a small cost from the front desk of both hotels. At weekend nights the downstairs bar cum restaurant (Sushi Bar) may well turn into a popular lounge and nightlife spot for the chic local crowd. This is not exactly center of town, but there is access to the local S-Bahn (express trains) a few minutes away and the bustling nightlife in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel and the Red Light District around Reeperbahn on St. Pauli are just a short cab ride (or train ride) away. I sort of like both places from their appearance, but would suggest the 25-hours only, if you feel young enough.
If you like modern design, but like it a bit more comfortable and sedate, the 25- hours is affiliated with its sister property,
4-star Hotel Gastwerk right opposite a small square. The Gastwerk Hotel also sports a pretty good Italian Restaurant by the name of Da Caio.

http://www.25hours-hotel.de/25h/index.html
http://www.gastwerk-hotel.de/englisch/index_sf.html

Crowne Plaza: Hamburg's Crowne Plaza hotel is a modern 4-star property located in the Uhlenhorst neighborhood just across from the Eastern shores of the Outer- Alster Lake. It is chainy, but offers all the mod cons along with a pool. Buses stop close by and will take you to Central Station within 5 to 10 minutes. The reason I mention this one is that they seem to offer pretty attractive rates on a regular basis.

http://hamburg.crowneplaza.com/hamge_de/index.shtml

As the competition is fierce in the hotel market, rates in general are not too high and deals can often be found. Thus, I will mention a few definitely 5-stars, too:

Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten: THE grande dame of Hamburg's hotels and usually among the top 5 of Germany. It is located on the Inner- Alster Lake, a stone's throw from shopping and smack in the center of town. It is old- fashioned but updated regularly, but does not sport a pool, though.

http://www.hvj.de/

Kempinski Hotel Atlantic: Located on the shores of the Outer- Alster Lake (busy street in between), a mere 5 minutes from Central Station, this majestic white palace- like property has been rivalling the Vier Jahreszeiten for decades as the city's prime hotel. It offers every imaginable luxury and gracious service. I would prefer it over the Vier Jahreszeiten (it sports a pool, too), although its location is not as nice as the latter one's.

http://www.kempinski.atlantic.de/eng...page/index.php

Park Hyatt: This one is housed behind the locally typic red brick façade of an early 20th century building adjacent to a shopping arcade on Hamburg's shopping street Moenckebergstr. It is only a stone's throw from Central Station and features a pretty nice health club and spa in its basement.

http://hamburg.park.hyatt.com/

Dorint Sofitel Am Alten Wall: Housed in the former central Post Office just steps from City Hall, this one's interior is a modern design statement and features a nice enough Health Club. There was a fire a couple of months ago, so inquire whether the Health Club has been put in operation again (given that you'll be here in May, I presume it will be).

http://www.dorint.de/hamburg-city/uk/home.html

Le Royal Meridien: Unlike the Meridien Hotel Stillhorn, which is located in the undesirable neighborhood of Stillhorn bordering the Autobahn and quite a long way from the city, this one is the new kid on the block of the luxury hotels. It is not far from the Kempinski Atlantic, also overlooking the Outer- Alster Lake. It often offers good rates, but be prepared to spend some money on cabs (or walk five minutes through the multi-cultural neighborhood of St. Georg on its back in order to catch a bus to take you to Central Station within 3 minutes on Lange Reihe St. Beware that you do not step onto Hansaplatz, though, where drug addicts frequently gather.). The hotel offers very modern rooms and some stunning views.

http://www.lemeridien.com/germany/ha...l_de1800.shtml

Marriott and Renaissance Hotels: You could not go wrong with either of these two properties, that are located near each other right in the center of luxurious shopping in the city's most prestigious shopping district close to City Hall. The Marriott sports a pool, but if you reside at the Renaissance, you have free of charge access to that, too.

http://www.marriott.com

For an overview of prices and availability, you might want to take a look at:

http://www.hrs.de

You might also take look at Priceline. In order to avoid ending up at the unattractively located Le Meridien Stillhorn in the 4-star category, bid for a 5-star. The Raffles Vier Jahreszeiten and the Le Meridien seem to come up here frequently and the rates should not exceed EUR 95.- to 100.- this way.

http://www.priceline.com


All sorts of information on Hamburg can be found at

http://international.hamburg.de/

Sights and Activities:

Although, it features a couple of Museums that are worth taking a look at, Hamburg IMHO is pretty much of an outdoor city. While it is the second largest city in Germany, it is not that densely populated and there are countless parks and canals making the city very green and very much geared towards water. In fact, we inhabitants consider sitting outdoors only complete when there is some contemplative water around somewhere.
Apart from that, Hamburg is continuously reinventing itself, partly due to necessities of commerce and trade from which the city has drawn its wealth. Keep in mind, that this is one of the wealthiest areas in the EU. However, this has caused many buildings that might have been worthwhile to preserve to be torn down, on the other hand, there are still gorgeous residential Art Deco areas to be found along with majestic buildings lining the Alster Lake shores and some stunning new architecture in the developing areas of Hafen City and along the river Elbe in Oevelgoenne and Neumuehlen.

Tour of the port: The city's main source of income is the port, which is booming and recently has risen to rival Rotterdam as one of this continent's main trading posts. Unlike in most other cities I know, the port is an integral part of downtown and quite worth a sightseeing tour. Small and large vessels for tours leave from Landungsbruecken, which is a stop of S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains, too. I think it is best to board one of the small boats called "Barkassen", as these will take you on a tour through the channels of the historic "Speicherstadt" (warehouse district), where in old brick buildings spices, tea, coffee and carpets are being stored, but which also is a big development area much like the Docklands in London.

St. Michael's church: St. Michael ("Michel&quot is Hamburg's landmark church. It is located not far from Landungsbruecken overlooking the city and the river. A fantastic view can be enjoyed once you have climbed the numerous steps of its spire (small fee). Its interior is understatedly elegant and thus reflecting this city's mentality. You might be lucky and find that the organ is being played, which is quite impressive.

Krameramtsgasse: This small alley is basically the only one that survived the big fire more than a hundred years ago. It consists of small buildings reflecting street life and living in the old days. It is only steps from St. Michael and a bit tricky to find. Look for an alley just to the left of a restaurant called "Krameramtsstuben" a little bit below the back side of the church.

>B< City Hall: >/B< City Hall is a pretty impressive structure on Rathausmarkt (U-Bahn stop) right in the center of town behind the Inner- Alster Lake. Tours are available, though I am not sure how frequently.

>B< Reeperbahn: >/B< Hamburg's famous red-light district is worth a look at, whether you approve of it or not. Formerly a long alley where ropes for ships were being manufactured, it became one of the most notorious red-light districts catering to the sailors from all over the world arriving in Hamburg's port. While the area is still pretty grimy, past efforts of revitalizing the area have been pretty successful resulting in the Reeperbahn and its surroundings becoming the center of Hamburg's nightlife with clubs, a Musical Theatre, cabarets (Schmidt's and Schmidt's Tivoli) and countless bars blending in with traditional brothels and topless bars. While pretty unimpressive during daytime, it gains attraction once night and darkness have settled in.

>B< Blankenese: >/B< A hilly suburb down the river, this picturesque neighborhood encourages a walk through steep alleys bordering small and beautiful houses, all overlooking the River Elbe and the majestic ocean-going vessels.

>B< Hagenbeck's Zoo: >/B< This is one of Germany's first zoos and is still among its prime. Privately owned and operated, Hagenbeck is famous for being the first zoo in Germany to having introduced a presentation of animals in surroundings resembling their native conditions. During summers, "Jungle Nights" are pretty popular nightly shows.

Museums:
Kunsthalle is located right next to Central Station and displays numerous paintings by this world's biggest name painters. It has a modern addition dedicated to modern art of all kinds.

Bucerius Kunstforum is located on City Hall Square (Rathausmarkt) in the ground floor and basement of the HypoVereinsbank building next to the canal and thus reflecting the intertwined relationships of business and art in the city. It is a small venue housing varying high quality exhibitions.

Museum for Hamburg's History is located near Reeperbahn and features a collection documenting the changing history and independence of Hamburg throughout the ages.

Miniatur- Wunderland: Miniature- Wonderland is a pretty new introduction to the Museum scene consisting of one of the world's largest model railroad facilities. It is a fun place for the young at heart and offers a lot of enjoyment with its gorgeous attention to detail. It is located in the Speicherstadt warehouse district and accessible by train through the "Baumwall" U- Bahn stop.

Hamburg Dungeon is located right next to Miniatur- Wunderland, also housed in one of the red brick buildings of the Speicherstadt. It is an interactive museum dealing with Hamburg's past of the 17th century and likely to send some shivers down your spine.

Barlach Haus: Located in Klein Flottbek close to Blankenese, the Barlach Haus mansion displays the sculptures of famous North German sculptor Ernst Barlach and is definitely worth a visit.

Alster Lakes: The Inner- and Outer- Alster Lakes are acutally not lakes but part of the small Alster River that has been dammed up. Located smack in the center of the city, they are one of the city's main venues for recreation. I strongly recommend a leisurely stroll along the posh neighborhoods of its Western shore, or even better: renting a sailing boat (best and easiest at the berth in front of the Hotel Atlantic on the Western shore) or a rowing boat (e.g. from Bodo's Bootssteg at the Alte Rabenstraße berth on the Western shore, in front of the Hotel Intercontinental. Bodo's also features a nice terrace to enjoy a cup of coffee in the sun, or a small beer or shandy (mix of beer and lemonade) called "Alsterwasser" and in Bavaria known as "Radler".
There are small white ferries that can be boarded in order to get you from one end to the other. Others depart from Jungfernstieg (S-Bahn and U-Bahn stop) on pretty scenic tours of the widely spread canals affording intimate views into the backyards of some of Hamburg's poshest homes.

Elbchaussee: This is one of Hamburg's main arteries connecting the city center with the ritzy neighborhoods along the River Elbe. Wonderful old mansions along with some nice views of the container port and the River can be spotted along its meandering way out to Blankenese.

Strandweg in Oevelgoenne: Strandweg is a small pedestrian walkway in Oevelgoenne down by the River Elbe and lined with pretty neat old Captain's houses. It is best accessible by ferry from Landungsbruecken. These ferries are included in a day pass of Hamburg's public transport system called HVV and invites for a leisurely stroll along the River.

Fischmarkt: The famous fish market is held Sundays starting at around 5 a.m., so get up early. It is located down by the river, not far from Reeperbahn and does not only feature fish stalls, but in fact produce and other items of all varieties at bargain prices. Usually some Jazz Music and beer is available at Fischauktionshalle (Fish Auction Hall).

Ohlsdorf Cemetery: This cemetery is one of the world's largest and without wanting to appear morbid, it is quite a spectacular park in the best of British landscaping traditions and thus of a high recreational value. No fun activities like rollerblading allowed, though, for respect of the dead.

AOL Arena/ Color Line Arena: For those interested in sports, the AOL Arena (formerly known as Volksparkstadion) is probably the second best football (soccer) stadium in Germany (behind Gelsenkirchen's Arena auf Schalke, and possibly behind Munich's new Allianz- Arena, which has to be completed, though) and home of Germany's only football team to always having played in the highest league, HSV (now you know from where I took my screen name ;-). There is a museum of the club's history and players' practice sessions can be observed on weekday mornings or afternoons (check with the local press). Right across the street, Color Line Arena is the second largest indoor sports arena of Germany (behind the Koeln Arena in Cologne) and also hosts international concerts. Train stop for both is Stellingen, from where it is a 10 minute walk in the park (which can be nerve-wrecking). On playing days, shuttle buses operate, but are almost always packed.

Shopping: Hamburg offers some of Germany's finest shopping. High- end stores are located in the area South of the Inner- Alster along Neuer Wall St. and Jungfernstieg. There are also several shopping arcades in this part of the city in order to facilitate shopping during rainy days (which are frequent, although the amount of rainfall in contrast to the ever popular cliché is not higher than anywhere else in Germany).
Big deparment stores (Karstadt, Kaufhof, H&M) are located on Moenckebergstr, not far from the above mentioned streets in the direction of Central Station.
Fine shopping can also be found along Eppendorfer Baum and Eppendorfer Landstr. streets in Hamburg's popular neighborhood of Eppendorf near the Western shore of the Outer Alster Lake.
Should you be interested in distinguished interior design, Stilwerk is a shpping mall dedicated to the finest names and located right behind the fish market by the river. There is a ferry stop right opposite, which can easily be accessed from Landungsbruecken.


Hamburger Staatsoper: The opera is located on Stephansplatz (U-Bahn stop) right in the center of town. Whereas it does not draw the big names in opera currently, it still plays host for performances of young aspiring singers. It is also the venue of the Hamburg ballet, which offers worldclass performances under the guidance of American John Neumeier.

Lion King Musical: The Lion King Musical has been playing for a couple of years in a theatre right in the middle of the port, overlooking the city center. It is best accessed through a short ferry ride from Landungsbruecken.

I will follow up with a few suggestions on dining and nightlife shortly.
Greetings
hsv

HSV, thank you sooo much for the little mini Hamburg guide. In none of the Germany travel guides I've picked up - Eyewitness, Let's Go, Lonely Planet - do they give sufficient space to Hamburg. The hotel recommendations in particular are much appreciated.
P.S. - I'm not at all disapproving of Red Light districts. I love that Europeans generally aren't so judgmental and Puritanical about them. Just walking through them is fascinating, and not in the "ooh aah" gawking tourist way.