germany and north

Old Aug 1st, 2003, 04:25 PM
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germany and north

We are planning a week+ in Hamburg and would like to go north possible to Copenhagen,
any suggestions
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Old Aug 2nd, 2003, 03:39 AM
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combasa,

first thing: when are you planning to go?

Summer is definetly the season to go- beautiful weather currently (and for the past few weeks continuously).
If you would give a slight indication of your budget plans, I could provide some info regarding where to stay.

Must sees:
Tour of the port- boats leaving every few minutes from "Landungsbrücken". There is a train station adjacent so it is easily reached within a few minutes from the City Center.
There are smaller boats which take some worthwhile tours of a historic warehouse complex called "Speicherstadt" which is still used but currently under development to some sort of "Docklands London" resembling living and working neighbourhood. The bigger boats will not include this as they cannot pass the bridges there. I would encourage you to take some of these (less comfy) smaller boats called "Barkasse".
Choose a workday (not a weekend) for the tour as the port is usually busier during the week.

Climb the steps of church St. Michaelis ("Michel")- Gorgeous views of the city.

Stroll through the historic alleys adjacent to the "Michel".

Take a walk around "Alster" lake in the center of the city and enjoy the Skyline from a rowing boat. Have a break at "Bodo's Bootssteg" or at "Bobby Reich".

Take a tour of the city which will take you down "Elbchaussee", a posh street lining the shores of the River Elbe.

Enjoy upscale shopping in the various downtown shopping arcades and malls.

Take a stroll down "Strandweg" from Oevelgoenne to Teufelsbrück with views of the River and nice old Captain's houses.

If interested: In "Speicherstadt" there is the biggest minature railroad displaying remakes of various German areas; also there is Hamburg Dungeon, an interactive museum combined "Horror Show"- quite thrilling.

Have a sundowner in Oevelgoenne at "Bar Au Quai" or "Bar Sa Vanh/ Indochine" right by the river with views of big container vessels loading and unloading.

Try some fresh fish at "Fischmarkt" Restaurant in Ditmar Koel Str. or the "Fishereihafen Restaurant" in Oevelgoenne.

Enjoy the Red Light and Amusement District around Reeperbahn- a bit sleezy but some fun bars (not at all all porn!) and clubs.

End your Saturday Night/ Start Sunday Morning on "Fischmarkt" (fish market where they sell everything from fish to groceries to antiques) with some Jazz from 5 a.m to around 10 a.m.

Welcome to Hamburg, one of Germany's most beautiful cities (in my -and many other's) opinion second to none)!

Travel to Copenhagen either by air (SAS/ Lufthansa have various flights a day) or by car taking the ferry between Puttgarden/ Rödby (45 minutes), which might be more scenic. Trains also via that ferry. Their website is www.scandlines.de (available in English, too).

I will come up with more Restaurant/ Accommodation and activities suggestions if you let me know a few more details.

Warm regards
hsv

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Old Aug 2nd, 2003, 04:45 AM
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HSV-Thank you for the info. Will be in Hamburg third week in Nov 03 for conference. Would like to spend week or so traveling north. Have hotel in Hamburg, but would welcome recomendations for other stops. Prefer to travel by public transportation(not rent car). Concerned about weather at that time of year. Any info is appreciated.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2003, 03:51 AM
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combsa,

I would hate to lower your spirits, but I would say November actually is the most dreadful time of the year to be in Germany. It might be a bit chilly, though hardly below 0 degrees Celsius (low thirties F). Weather is usually a bit moist and therefore the cool might be creeping a bit. It will get dark pretty early, that is around 5.30 p.m.
I wood bring some woolen sweaters and some rain gear as well as an umbrella.
By the way- the weather will be like this throughout Northern Europe as the area is wedged in between the North and the Baltic Sea and is therefore definitely maritime. So Copenhagen will not be much of a difference.
Oh, and to include some shoes without a leather sole as there will be a considerable amount of rainfall (hardly any snow) and leather soles would soak pretty soon.

On the other hand: There is no bad weather, just bad clothing, and you can still have a good time.

Aside from Hamburg, I think you should include a daytrip to Lübeck. This is a medieval town which used to be the capital of the famous trade association called "Hanse" (Hamburg was a member, too). Lübeck has been preserved (or restored) extremely well and offers quite an intact insight into towns of those ages.
Sights include the "Holstentor", which is a famous gate to the old city that used to be depicted on the 50 Deutsch Mark bills and today houses a museum of torture instruments.
Then there is the "Buddenbrook Haus" which is dedicated to (the possibly best German writer ever) Thomas Mann, a nobel prize winner who left Germany in the course of the 1930s and taught literature at Princeton University and later used to live in Pacific Palisades, CA which used to be an enclave of German authors and other intellectuals in those days.
There is also an acclaimed theatre featuring puppets on a string.
Also the old city hall is worth a look at.
Have lunch at "Die Schiffergesellschaft" (a historic landmark restaurant, food is traditional and o.k. to a little better), or at "Lübecker Hanse" which is not much to look at but offers quite some good cuisine with German to French influence and a cosy interior (not far from the Puppet Theatre). Also a good place would be "Landwehr" buth this one is located a bit outside of Old Town in some beautiful gardens facing a small river (great upscale food).
Leave some space in your stomach for coffee and cake at Niederegger, Germany's most famous Marzipan factory, right across from City Hall. You might also want to buy some of their stuff to bring as a souvenir. It is unbeatably good!

If you will allow three to four days for Hamburg, one for Lübeck and another three to four days for Copenhagen, this should fit your itinerary pretty fine.

Talking about Hamburg: A stroll along Reeperbahn as I mentioned before for a whole night of fun might not be as much fun during that time of the year. You still might enjoy the Fischmarkt on a Sunday morning, though.
As for other activities: Hardly any amendments need to be made, although I had another time of the year in mind when making my first suggestions. You will have to cut back on the boating on Alster lake.
There are some good museums however. "Kunsthalle" right next to the Central Station ("Hauptbahnhof") is one of them. There is a vast collection of traditional art and paintings and a whole building complex dedicated to modern art.
Another option would be the "Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte" (Museum of Hamburg History) which displays exhibits demonstrating the history of Hamburg (as you would have guessed;-)) as a free city with close ties to commerce. It makes you understand why Hamburg is probably one of the most liberal, tolerant and cosmopolitan cities in Germany, though still maintaining its own identity and values.
I will also try to find out, whether during that week there will be a ballet performance at the Hamburg Opera. American John Neumeier is widely considered one of the best director of ballet in the world. It might be worth a visit in the evenings.

Personally I would always appreciate some good dining suggestions by locals as this will probably take one away from the usual tourists' paths. Thus, I will include some:

For upscale dining, a real treat but expensive, try:
- Jacobs Restaurant (at Hotel Louis C. Jacob in a section of town called Blankenese). The cuisine is currently rated among the best in Germany.
- Süllberg ( not far from Jacobs) Also overlooking the Elbe River. Chef used to work at Hotel Adlon in Berlin. There is a Bistro, which is very good but not gourmet and Seven Seas, a top notch gourmet section.
- Landhaus Scherrer (local cuisine done to perfection with freshest and light ingredients, a long time favorite in town and notorious for its quality). Located on Elbchaussee, no view, though.
- Le Canard (also a long time favorite, more Nouvelle Cuisine likedishes and menus). Located across the street from Scherrer and sporting a view.

Also very good, but not that expensive:

- Stocker (Austrian cuisine done to perfection, friendly service and pleasant, if sightly kitschy, ambiance). Located in Altona.

- Fischmarkt (I recommended this already; seafood only). Absolutely fresh, very pleasant ambiance. Located close to the City Center, near the port in Ditmar Koel Str., other than the name would suggest not on the "Fischmarkt" (fish market) Square!

- Fischereihafen Restaurant (a local institution for years) at the fish market. Local celebrities can often be spotted. I would prefer the "Fischmarkt", though, as Fischereihafen Restaurant is much more conservative.

- Darling Harbour (new very trendy location. Mediteranean influenced food usually good, service can be spotty, though)

- Cox (young and sometimes somewhat wild cuisine in a trendy place in Hamburgs main gay neighborhood called St. Georg near the Central Station. Mixed clientele, though, lots of people from the advertising business).

Gotta run now, will get back to you regarding Opera etc.

Regards
hsv

P.S.: check www.bahn.de for train connections!

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Old Aug 3rd, 2003, 09:30 AM
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whoa- that should read : I WOULD bring a wollen sweater! That was embarassing when I read it...

To go on a bit:

Bars for a drink at night:

- Bar Sa Vanh (in Restaurant Indochine, not far from Au Quai) with also splendid views and even better cocktails

- Au Quai: Trendy and classy bar in Oevelgoenne (not far from Fischereihafen Restaurant) with a great view of the port


- Christiansens (Pinnasberg in St. Pauli)- quiet bar with the presumably best drinks in town, award winning bartender for the past consecutive years

- Bar Ciu's at Ballindamm overlooking the Alster lake right in the Center of town. Great selection of cocktails and most extensive Whiskey list.

- Tower Bar at Hotel Hafen Hamburg (top notch view over the port and the city). Not far from Reeperbahn and a good place to start a night out. Views are better than the drinks, though, which does not mean that they are bad.

Regarding public transportation:

The public transportation system is pretty efficient. It consists of S- Bahn (which is a little faster), U- Bahn (the subway), busses and ferries servicing the port area.
An exception is the airport. Unfortunately Hamburg has shied away from building a major airport. There is currently no train service from the airport into the City. There are busses called Airport Express which link the airport to Central Station, but you might prefer taking a cab. The airport is not too far from the city and fares should not exceed 20 to 25 Euros to the major hotels.
There is a regular train service to Lübeck, estimated time 40 minutes from Central Station. The fare should not exceed 15 Euros per person (I should guess).

Unfortunately, there appears to be no Ballet Performance towards the end of November, I checked their website at http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/index.htm.

Should you need any further info, please do not hesitate to post!

Regards
hsv
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Old Aug 3rd, 2003, 09:31 AM
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and another typo in correcting the first one- WOOLLEN...

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Old Aug 4th, 2003, 04:49 PM
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HSV-Thank you for all your wonderful tips. We will certainly use them. Can not change the time of year, so will make the best of the weather. If you think of any other interesting things to do please post. Thanks again
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Old Aug 5th, 2003, 12:06 PM
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That is certainly the best possible attitude!

If anything more pops to my mind, I will post it here.

Otherwise, feel free to E-mail me under [email protected]!

Regards
hsv
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Old Aug 5th, 2003, 01:32 PM
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HSV,
Fab advice, and really thorough. I'm going to Hamburg 1st week December this year (normally we go for somerdom, but thought winterdom would be cool) I'm expecting that, as with most of Germany, Hamburg will "overcome" winter very well with the use of heatlamps and canopies at outside bars, etc.
Combsa, as you're there in November, you must do the dom, its one of my favourite holidays through the year and really good fun, its on the, hmm, Heiligestfeld, (def ?sp)for four weeks, 3 times per year. The website is www.hamburgerdom.de

have fun,

Lib
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Old Aug 5th, 2003, 03:39 PM
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lilibuse and hsv,
Was ist winterdom?
I am also planning a trip to northern Germany in late Nov./early Dec. and would like to include Hamburg.
Is it a fair or convention? Should I figure on reserving hotel early because of it?
Thanks.
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Old Aug 5th, 2003, 10:08 PM
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dovima,

Winter Dom is a fun fair- the largest in Northern Germany. It is somewhat like the Oktoberfest only with a little less oom- pah- pah music and a number of good and fun rides.
It is well worth a visit for a few hours. No need to make early hotel reservations, though, as we are having the Dom three times (I guess, or is it four?) a year!
Have fun
hsv
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