danon

I'll be in Berlin in early July for a week. It will be my third visit , I have already seen a number of attractions although, there is always more to do in Berlin!

Since Hamburg is only 1:40 minutes by trains, and it looks like an interesting city, I was thinking about getting there on Sunday at noon and staying until Monday early evening.
I am mostly interested in walking around without spending time in museums
and churches.
Would hotel Sofitel be good place to stay ?

danon

ttt

hsv

Great plan, good timing (maybe leave on Saturday already if the weather is good), good hotel (Sofitel). The Park Hyatt may be slightly better - if the price difference isn't significant that would be my choice. Other than that there's nothing wrong about the Sofitel.

Stroll along the Western shore of the Alster and the adjacent streets and parks.
Stroll through HafenCity, Europe's biggest city expansion project with some good modern architecture.
Stroll from the Oevelgoenne berth along Strandweg and take in the river views and the picturesque old captains houses.
Stroll throgh the hilly quarters of Blankenese and end on Suellberg's terrace.
And do include a tour of the port - best on Monday as it's likely to be busier then.

For any other recommendations, do post here.

danon

thanks very much....
the weather is a consideration but if I
buy tickets on DB well ahead of time, I think I can get much better fare. Same with hotels .

hsv

I just mentioned that as I consider Hamburg to be very much an outdoors city. It's its ensemble of buildings, lots of parks and waterways in combination with a lot of leisurely cafes and bars that makes it attractive. So you will get more out of it, especially if you don't care too much about museums.

In July chances are the weather will be reasonably good anyway and in that case I might consider either taking an early train on Sunday or go already on Saturday afternoon. Sunday in Hamburg is a bit weird: Hamburg historically is a conglomerate of separate districts. Its inner-city houses mainly shops and offices and life in the city focuses on the districts and sub-centres as well as the Outer Alster Lake and the River Elbe. As shops will also be closed, the city centre will be quite empty. Saturday and during the week is a lot different.

As a bit of a unique experience, I would encourage you to stop for 1.5 hours on one of your strolls at Miniature Wonderland. It's the world's largest model railway (which may sound strange), but I have yet to meet someone who hasn't enjoyed it: They have created different landscapes and sceneries to great detail with a lot of love and humour and simulate full days with thousands of lights coming on during "night" times (about every 20 min or so). It's located in an old red brick warehouse next to the HafenCity developments.
http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

danon

thanks again for the helpful information. I have read about Miniature Wonderland -- looks like fun.
Perhaps, I should avoid Sunday in Hamburg - there are enough museums in Berlin to fill the day when the city is quiet!

hsv

There'll be a lot of people outside along the River and the Alster Lake. Sunday is fine, I just wanted to prepare you that staying in the Sofitel (which is just behind City Hall) the immediate vicinity may feel strangely quiet. But people are just to be found elsewhere. So don't worry about going on a Sunday.

danon

thanks again.

photo2u

Danon, sorry if I jack up for tread. I am new to this forum and I am still trying to learn how to use it. I have a question for hsv.
Hello hsv. I was reading some of your post on speeding tickets in Germany and Europe. I was wondering if you could help me with one questions regarding a speeding ticket I got in Austria.

PLEASE advice,
George

hsv

I cannot advise on Austrian speeding violations as I am not familiar with Austrian traffic laws.

hausfrau

Just want to reiterate that Hamburg is a fantastic walking city...and hsv can give you all the advice you need! We really enjoyed the 2 days we spent there (in late October). Although it was a little chilly and windy, we still had an excellent time, primarily outdoors, strolling and taking the harbor tour. We also went up the spire of St. Nikolai church, which was mostly destroyed in the Allied bombing raid of 1943. It offers excellent views and there is an informative below-ground exhibition about the war.

danon

thanks hausfrau. I am looking forward to seeing it.
Some of my favorite cities are ones on the water: Stockholm,
Sydney, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Vancouver...etc/

danon

I have returned a while ago, just to let you know how it went...
I was in Hamburg for 24 hours and could have easily stayed another day.
What a lovely city; I highly recommend a visit:
easy to get around,the tour of the harbor was very interesting, I liked all the canals , excellent shopping, good restaurants, and I found the best bakery this side of Paris.

Hotel Sofitel is very central and comfortable.

hsv

Good you enjoyed it despite the pathetic weather in the season they call summer.

I'd be very interested to hear the name of that bakery.

danon

I am sorry, I don't remember the name...there were
a few tables outside on the sidewalk and a restaurant (?) upstairs.
Close to the main shopping area.
I noticed the lineup in front ;everything looked fabulous in the window. Had a delicious sandwich..
The weather was sunny and warm, a bit cooler at night.
The tour of the harbor was in German;did not understand much, but enjoyed seeing the waterfront, new developments and huge cargo ships loaded with containers( never seen anything like it)..
The wide canals with cafes and restaurants alongside were a pleasant surprise.
Did not have time to see much around the lake...Maybe next time!
Thanks again for your suggestions.

hausfrau

Glad to hear you enjoyed Hamburg and had a chance to tour the harbor.

danon

thanks.

I was sorry I could not stay one more day.