Visiting Hamburg for a Day

hamburg must sees

When visiting Hamburg for a day, the easiest way to avoid missing something is to start with a list. A good place to start is the city website. We started here for every city we visited. Here’s the link to the Hamburg site in case you will be going there in the future: Hamburg Must Sees

Hamburg top three

Old Elbe Tunnel – The Elbe Tunnel was the first item on our list of “must sees.” Built in 1911 as a way to get workers to the port and back more easily, this tunnel is now open only to pedestrians and bicycles. We were eager to take the unique “lift” which raises and lowers you from above the water level to below. It’s white subway tiles and streamlined art deco inspired design make for wonderful pictures. Alas….it was being renovated when we visited, so we will have to visit this one when we return.

St. Michael’s Church is the largest church and renowned for it’s ornate, Baroque architecture. Rebuilt in 1912 after it was twice destroyed by fire, it was our number one site to visit. We’re a family of musicians and made sure our tour stopped here. A bonus was the timing of the tour. Our tour guide, Gudrun, was excellent. As we were heading back to the bus after touring St. Michael’s, she encouraged us to “look up at 10 AM.” Sure enough, at exactly that time (and at 9 PM in the evening) a trumpeter climbs to the bell tower and plays facing North, South, East and West. In the past, this would have signaled the opening and closing of the city gates. It’s details like these that made this tour a good choice.

The Reeperbahn was another must see. This is the red light district of Hamburg, but it is also the musical center with burlesque shows next door to Broadway musicals and an abundance of restaurants and clubs. If we had more time, we would have lingered here. As it was, we got to see the main road and the Beatles sculpture at the entrance. We had seen this area described as “family-friendly” despite it’s history. We visited in the morning so it’s hard to say…but it certainly was a conversation starter.

site for free time downtown

After the tour, we had time downtown to sightsee on our own. We were dropped off at the Rathaus which is the City Hall. During our time in Europe, we found that people are very proud of their city halls…which is a bit different than in the United States. Our family loves churches, so we found our way to the oldest church in Hamburg, St. Petri Church. It was magical as we entered the beautiful sanctuary and the organist was rehearsing. You can’t plan these little serendipitous moments which make a trip so special….so be on the lookout.

a few more sites on the way back to the ship

On the way back to our ship, we were able to see two other sites. The Speicherstadt is a UNESCO world heritage site. This largest warehouse district in the world is more fascinating than one might expect. Built on thousands of oak poles from 1883 to the late 1920’s as a free trade zone, it is a fascinating mixture of one of a kind architecture and the lengths to which merchants will go to avoid taxes.

Finally, the Elbphilharmonie is the modern architectural masterpiece which can be seen from all over the city. The sparkling glass facade which seems to twinkle in the light is more than just a concert venue. It houses shops, restaurants, a hotel and even apartments. If you have time, walk around the plaza which offers 360 degree views of the city’s port.

grace notes from our day

As a family, some of our favorite memories are unplanned. Here are a few serendipitous moments (we call them grace notes) from our day in Hamburg, Germany.

• Being at St. Michel’s at 10:00 am to hear the trumpeter.
• Hearing the organist rehearsing as we entered St. Petri Church downtown.
• Watching and listening to a welcoming choir as we disembarked for our day.
• Having Gudrun as our tour guide. She taught us so much about the city’s history and pointed out things we might have missed if we were on our own.

In the end, we discovered it is possible to enjoy visiting Hamburg for a single day. This port was definitely the biggest surprise on our itinerary. We saw everything on our list, but there were plenty of times when we wished we were staying for longer and had time to explore. This is another kind of travel we truly enjoy….staying like a local. We explore this traveling style here. But for a first trip, cruising provides a great opportunity to scout cities you might like to return to at a later date.