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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

O.K., here are a few suggestions for serious shopping:

<b>Marktstr.</b> 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:

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

<b>Lino</b> and <b>Omen</b> 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 <b>Thomas I-Punkt</b>, 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.

<b>Lino</b> 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 Poppenb&uuml;ttel (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.

<b>Cut-for-Friends</b> 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, <b>Closed</b> 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/

Forgot to add:

<b>Miss Sixty</b> might be popular with 13 year old girls. They have a store on Moenckebergstr. at the corner of Bergstr. near City Hall.

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!

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 L&uuml;beck.

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 &quot;every Sunday&quot;, which should include Easter. (Hamburgers: Is it really open on Easter Sunday?) - If yes, get up early and be there before 7 a.m.

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 &quot;hanging out&quot; rather than touring Hamburg. If time allows, we do plan to repeat the boat tour &amp; Speicherstadt.

@-)St. Pauli football shirts!??!! :-&amp; Are you guys wanting to drive me nuts? 8-}

Although I will admit that the camouflage jerseys by St. Pauli are a somewhat neat idea, I urgently stress that there is a <b>HSV</b> paraphernalia shop centrally located on <b>Schmiedestr. 2</b>, 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 <b>white</b> (!)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.

P.S.: And if the brand is important, <b>Feldenkirchen</b> in the orderly ( :;-) ) city center at the Marriott Hotel and next to the Mulberry Store is a <b> <u>must</u></b> .

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.

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 &quot;Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins&quot;: 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.

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 &amp; 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.

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/M&uuml;hlenkamp 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.

Thanks Bellacqui! I am considering of taking my daughter to Schanzenviertel especially towards Eimsbuttel or at least Markstr as hsv suggested. What does edgy in a European way mean? Less violence, less dirty or less drugs? I'm a bit surprised that you suggested Lange Reihe bordering St Georg as a better alternative to Schanzenviertel. I've been to St Georg per Hyatt's concierge recommendation for a nearby local winestore. I have to study Ottenseen, but as far as Blankenese, we've had a taxi tour of it, I thought it was just a nice neighborhood to stroll, not sure a teenager would be all excited about it.

As you probably can tell, I'm a dad who's trying hard to maintain a close connection with his daughter as she's entering her midteen stage, so excuse my nitpicking. I can no longer make my kids do what I like so I try to go with what they like.

Bellacqui's suggestion of Winterhude appeals to me, too. Muehlenkamp/ Poelchaukamp and Gertigstr. might have some stores of interest - but it is getting upscale (as is the Schanzenviertel BTW - way to go, but it seems to be inhabited predominantly by advertising agents and even quite a few young lawyers who try to maintain a hip image these days. The streetfighters of past days have long lost their fight - and as I read the other day may indeed have caused the gentrification of the area by attracting an established crowd that enjoys the subcultural image).

Only one correction to bellacqui's remarks: Cucinaria has moved from the Schanzenviertel to Eppendorf - they are now to be found in the new Falkenried complex.

I am not surprised that Cucinaria moved, hsv, after that new construction in the Schanzenviertel blocked the visual entrance (dirt parking lot) to his place. I hope he has success in Eppendorf.

It seems that all of HH has gone upscale. Lange Reihe is a great area, very colorful, and near to the art museum, the Museum for Arts and Crafts (Kunst und Gewerbe) and to the Alster as well. I always liked it, anyway! Ethnic and relaxed. Right, Blankenese is a bit more conservative, but the water views are great. I have a bias because it was my jogging route and I lived there for several years. The waterfront is very laid back in comparison to the &quot;I'm too sexy for my Jil Sander Suit&quot; crowd which walks around the Alster on Sundays. For more hip action head down to Ovelg&ouml;nne and the Strandperle for a beer, and das Weisse Haus (if you can get a table).

The outdoor market still happens on Easter Saturday in Blankenese. All the shops in the Innenstadt will be open. Reserve for dinner somewhere if you want someplace special (Fischereihafen, Das Weisse Haus, Schlachterb&ouml;rse, etc.) Sunday will be dead pretty much.

Thanks to both of you. I see that the area you're recommending is in the southern end of Winterhude closer to Uhlendorst. What's the best U/S bahn station to use? You do mean that the area has stores for young teens? I don't enjoy shopping for myself(it's a chore for me) unless it's for wine or music.

DAX,

in order to get to the M&uuml;hlenkamp/Gertigstr./Dorotheenstr./Poelchaukamp area in Winterhude, it would be best to take Metrobus Line 6 in the direction of U Borgweg.

Accessibility through trains (either S-Bahn or U-Bahn) is not very efficient there. It is only a 15 minute bus ride from Hauptbahnhof, though.

Alternatively, you could take an Alsterdampfer and unboard at Muehlenkamper Faehrhaus or Krugkoppelbruecke/ Leinpfad, but prices are always a bit hefty on those Alster boats if one uses them for transportation purposes only, as they are not incorporated in the public transport network.

I am not quite sure yet, which stores would in particular cater to teens there, but will take a special look next time I pass through.

Have you made a decision regarding the hotel yet? Just wanted to add that I believe the Hamburg Madison, while certainly up-to-date, may not be as focused on modern design as the Mandala would be.
If design comes in as factor, the Dorint Sofitel might be the better option. And I am surprised to hear me say that as I usually do not care too much for the French Accor chain. But having stayed at the Munich Dorint Sofitel Bayerpost, they have convinced me that they do in fact own a few noteworthy properties.
As the Hamburg one must have been planned at about the same time as the Munich one (the days when Dorint was still a German brand that tried hard to leave its own days of mediocrity behind and when they had not been taken over by Accor yet), the Dorint Sofitel Am Alten Wall might be worth trying - provided you get a favourable rate. A friend of mine stayed there a few times on business and loved it.

I've booked ourselves at the Hyatt for now but actually I intend to break the Hyatt habit for this trip, just so that we get exposed to a different area. I dropped the Madison option per your explanation. I'll look into the Dorint Sofitel after my seminar &amp; trade show trip to Stuttgart/Berlin this month, your Dorint design logic makes sense, so it's not just another Accor hotel.

My daughter just showed me a website about a brand new mega mall (Europa Passage?) in Jungfernstieg that she wants to go. I actually remember the large construction area from Jungfernstieg to Moenckebergstr as we were looking for a restaurant that was torn down during our last visit.

You might want to think about the Side Hotel, which is near Gansemarkt as an option to the Hyatt. www.side-hotel.de

Thanks, the Side Hotel rooms look impressive! We have to wait for the room packages in 2007. How about the location? North of the Gaensemarkt toward the Dampftorbhanhof? My daughter was hoping to stay closer to the Jungfernstieg area so I will let her go to the new giant Europa Passage on her own if I get tired of walking the shops with her. She's just entering the stage where she really enjoys shoooooooping and she chooses Hamburg for that reason.

I don't want to rain on your daughter's parade, but I took a first glance at the newly opened Europa Passage yesterday - and wasn't that impressed at all.
IMHO it poses an accumulation of disappointingly mediocre shops (with a few exceptions maybe) in an architecturally rather bland environment. It rather escapes me why it draws the crowds as it currently does. What bugs me most is that they incorporated a traditional street into the building - and destroyed one of the few axes of sight towards City Hall by putting an uninspired glass cube in its way.
That said, maybe those shops are indeed appealing to teenagers - your daughter may find out. In any case the Thomas I-Punkt store I recommended before is located right across the street from the Southern exit of the Europa Passage.

The Alstertal shopping center mentioned before for its Lino and Closed shops on the other hand just has been significantly expanded (approx. 240 shops catering predominantly to an affluent clientele of Hamburg's Northern suburbs of the Alstertal and the Walddoerfer) and does offer a shopping environment even I (usually hating to go shopping) find satisfactory.
The Alster River is just a few steps behind the building, and you could take a nice walk up-river while your daughter takes a look at the shops. There is also a canoe rental at Marienhof only a 5 minute walk away and The Locks Restaurant (also at Marienhof, just across the big road labelled Ring 3) overlooking the Alster features tasty international fare and good wines in a rustic environment.

The Side Hotel is on Drehbahn, a small unimpressive side street of Stephansplatz opposite the Opera House. It faces a public parking garage, but was designed by very renowned architect Jan Stoermer of Hamburg with interior design executed by Mateo Thun of Milan. The interior is quite nice once you have found its well hidden entrance. I cannot comment on the rooms - but in case you book there, I'd ask them if they come with all-glass-walled bathrooms, which is a factor you might want to consider (whether you'd find this appropriate for the purpose of your trip). I, of course, do not know the rooms, but am not sure whether I might have heard something to that extent.
The location isn't bad: It's only steps from Gaensemarkt and all of the shopping areas (including Europa Passage) are easily walkable.
In fact in this respect it is basically a toss-up with the Sofitel.
The Sofitel is better located, though, should you want to walk into the Speicherstadt/ HafenCity.

A choice between the two places would be a tough call IMHO. The Side just received an award for being one of the best business hotels in Germany, but reviews on TripAdvisor are rather mixed. They did have some service issues right after their launch a few years ago, but are said to have solved those problems.

The Sofitel's lobby on the other hand easily leaves an impression of being a bit sterile. It could have a bit on an airier feel about it, though, as there is a bit more room to the next buildings (it entrance area is rather wide and the back is lined by a canal).

I guess if it came down to choosing between the two, I'd have a slight preference for the Sofitel, but I'd probably go with the better deal.

Just one follow-up, not to create a false impression: The Alstertal shopping center is not exactly focused on teenagers - although they might find something to please them, too. This would just be an option if it is either raining, or if you should decide you want to explore the Northern periphery.

Thanks hsv.
We'll keep in mind about the Thomas I Punkt and Alstertal's Lino. What really caught my attention is the canoe rental; it may just be the fun thing for us to do on a clear day rather than the H. Dom. Does one have to row it back to the original rental station or do they have another station that we can drop the canoe off? It would be great if I can have their website or address/phone. Poppenbuettel is more north than the airport isn't it?

Can't resist to add to this. I always found downtown (Jungfernstieg/M-bergstrasse, etc) shopping boring and average. That downtown mall project has been under construction forever, but somehow, hsv, I am not surprised that the shops amount to more of the same. There are some ok stores inside of the mediocre stuff, but Hamburg never, ever struck me as a great shopping city.... not by a long shot. Berlin is FAR better for shopping, IMHO. That is my assessment after nine years of living in the Hansestadt.

Alstertal? You would have to drug and kidnap me to get me to go to Poppenb&uuml;ttel to go shopping. An ok/average mall in a boring area. Poppenb&uuml;ttel is a suburb. Sure, the Alster river runs behind there, and if you were into doing some biking, I'd say take an Alster bike ride starting in town and riding out to that area... but... as a distination when you have one weekend? Oh, Lord, no way.

It has all already been said. Go to Langhe Reihe. Winterhude. Eppendorf. Ottensen. Schanzenviertel. The Hamburg Art Museum, Kunst und Gewerbe Museum. And a little bit of the Alster and the Jungfernstieg thrown in for good measure. The Sofitel, The Side hotel, maybe the Alster Blick Hotel over on the Aussenalster (nice rooms, good rates. That is more than enough to keep you all busy for a few days...

Bellacqui: Appreciate your comments very much. I shall do a research on Ottensen which I remember your mentioning though not specific of what's there (I'm assuming along the line of Schanzenviertel, Lange Reihe?).

My wife often said to me that Germany in general is just not a country of great shopping for her because German fashion marches to a different drum (compared to France, Italy or even Belgium) but we don't know much about the teenager stuff. I personally always enjoy hunting for wine, European music &amp; German/Dutch films that I can't get in the US.

hsv:
While the destination is very important to my kids, I mostly value the &quot;one on one&quot; communication that I get when I travel with them. Often times we would walk great distances from one destination to another and not felt it, other times it would seem tedious so the canoe transportation may be a great alternative as it offers privacy and ease of operation requiring less concentration.

Yes, DAX, Ottensen is a district the western part of Altona which is funky and multi-ethnic. There are lots of fun shops and great international, cheaper restaurants. The Mercado (I think I mentioned this) is a shopping mall (some good shops, some mediocre ones) with a really nice food court in the basement.

Berlin is a city with more of an exploding creative scene which pushes the envelope. In Hamburg, adherence to tradition and a hanseatic attitude is more highly appreciated over creativity. I attibute this as being the major reason why Hamburg shopping tends to be boring in comparison to Berlin.

On another note, after last evening I just hope that tradition-steeped Hamburg manages to keep at least one team in the Bundesliga after this season! ;)

bellacqui,

I thought I had made it perfectly clear that I do not necessarily consider the Alstertal Shopping Center a worthwhile occupation for a tourist.

However, DAX will not exactly be around for the first time and certainly appears to be familiar with most of what the city has to offer. Thus, I consider it perfectly acceptable to point out a few more mundane things. And then there is always a chance that the weather around Easter will not be too pleasant for outdoor shopping, so a mall might turn out to be an option if shopping is on the agenda as suggested by DAX.

I happen to disagree profoundly regarding the quality of Mercado and AEZ shopping malls. The Alstertal has just expanded significantly and I would prefer it hands-down over the Mercado any day.
I also happen to disagree about the general shopping qualities of Hamburg, too - but as our differences appear to be quite obvious, I won't bother to argue here. To each his own, I suppose.

And don't worry, about the football team - a momentary slump happens to the best of them and the team is still capable to play among the nation's best. It's just an ongoing process of team-building that's currently in the way of immediate success.

Thanks to everyone on this thread - Hamburg is likely to be a one-night stop for my daughter (who will then be 16) and me in August. The shopping tips are really helpful.

Will Travel: This website was the reason why my daughter wanted to go to Hamburg.
http://www.europa-passage.de/en/pres...essebilder.php

hsv: You're definitely the epitomy of the very loyal hsv fans, still positive despite ranking at 17 out of 18. I hope they win this Saturday with 52 thousand hopeful fans watching!

DAX, those pictures are very impressive. I have a feeling we'll end up there at some point.

Have you decided which hotel?

Because it's a one-night stop for us, I'm thinking of staying near the train station at the Ibis Alster (77 Euros per night cancellable). Another possibility is the Dorint Novotel Alster (82 Euros per night, prepaid). However, if there's another location that would be better, I'd consider somewhere else.

will travel: The Dorint Novotel looks to be the nicer hotel, but location wise I would pick Ibis at least it's close to the lake. I believe the Dorint is located on a busy main artery road far from any pedestrian area. You would have to walk through the St George area to get to the Train Station and Moenckebergstr or other nicer areas.St George is notorious for drug dealers and prostitution.

We prefer to stay inside downtown itself because I am planning to let my daughter shop on her own after I give her an orientation (she enjoys shopping a lot more than I can handle). I have just booked ourselves the Hyatt and Renaissance. The Hyatt is on Moenckebergstr where all the normal shops are located (very close to the train station). Renaissance is on the other side of Jungfernstieg close to the designer shops on Neuer Wall. The Europa Passage is in between the two hotels.

I don't know your dates but there are often deals to make staying inside downtown worth the experience. some parts of Hamburg can be a little rough since it is a big metropolitan. Go to the hotel website itself to find special deals: Marriott,Le Meridien,Hyatt. There are also Crowne Plaza, Atlantic near the Ibis. Let me know if I can help you further. Some people told me to do a bid for the new Dorint Sofitel for $100(see biddingfortravel.com) but I don't feel so sure about travel auction.

DAX, Priceline looks to be a reasonable option if you bid for a 5* hotel only. If you bid for a 4* hotel, you might get the Le Meridien Stillhorn, because the Hamburg zone is really big, which would be pretty useless. The 5* hotels that have come up so far are:
Inter-Continental
Le Royal Meridien
Raffles Vier Jahreszeiten
Dorint Sofitel

Are any of these badly located? The other risk is that there is some 5* hotel on the outskirts of that Priceline zone that has not yet come up during bidding.

I totally understand the shopping issue!