To Hamburg with Borja | 9flats blog – inside the world of social travel

travel tips

To Hamburg with Borja

Travelling always makes me feel good, whether I’m with friends, family or on my own. Going to new places and discovering an entirely new world: hearing a different language or accent, meeting new people… these things really lift me up during a trip.

I’ve been to this northern German city three or four times now, and the thing is, I can never get enough! Here come my top three amazing, unmissable tips to help you soak in the essence of this Hanseatic city: this time I wasn’t to discover a new city, but rediscover it: Willkommen in Hamburg!


  1. Sail around the harbour: The port of Hamburg is one of the biggest in Europe. Throughout the city’s history, everything has centred around this place. Just imagine how many sailor, spy and emigrant stories have taken place here. Some tips: go inside a real Soviet submarine, visit the Sunday fish market or take a journey by ferry around the harbour.
  2. watch this space
Stay out all night: Something I love about Hamburg is the way it has two completely different faces: posh and reserved during the day, loud and crazy at night. The craziest area is St Pauli – a must if you want to really get to know the city. The cool pubs and exciting places around the Reeperbahn are a popular meeting point every weekend
 
Stroll around: If you just want to see amazing buildings walking around the streets you’ll find plenty of places to do this. The impressive city hall (Rathaus) and the interior of St Michael’s church will leave you breathless. You’ll also enjoy the trendy business district buildings on the Elbe river. If it’s sunny, don’t miss Planten un Blomen: the biggest park in Hamburg.

And the great thing is, even though it’s quite a wealthy city, your wallet doesn’t have to suffer. I stayed in Apartment 2, St Pauli, with the very friendly host, Karsten, for only €21 a night. An amazing price considering how central it is. You can raise the comfort level a little bit and still stay central for a bit more.

Borja is from the Canary Islands and works for 9flats as a communications intern.

Photos (from top to bottom) by: dmpop; luxtonerre; ikkoskinen;

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Written by , November 24, 2011