A Day in Hamburg zu Fuß (by foot!)

Hamburg panorama from the top of the St. Michael's Church! <3

Bus stop by the Hamburg HBF~

After an intensive week studying at the Meisterkurse at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, practicing tirelessly every spare minute to prepare for the upcoming rehearsals for 10 (!) different chamber programs with Lincoln Center Stage in NYC - I decided it would do me some good to take advantage of my Hamburg flight back to the Americas to trek my way around another Hanse city. 

Well - this one did not let me down. 

Here’s how I went about getting the most out of my day, with no data service and just understanding ein bisschen Deutsche. 

First: research and preparation. Nothing crazy. I use to be obsessed with planning my travels down to the tiniest details, but that causes unnecessary stress, so I just relied on a few simple tools: TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and some simple Google searching - “day trip in Hamburg”. I happened to come across a blog post by a traveller who interviewed a local Hamburg friend for advice, which proved helpful in sketching out my day. Local tips are always pretty reliable! Combined with TripAdvisor and Triposo, I grasped a general understanding of the districts and highlights of the city. 

From here, I saved these locations on Google Maps (which gives me those little yellow stars that are easy to follow, yayyy), and then - download the offline map. I found that Google Maps offline has some limitations, it doesn’t show certain shops and cafes (strange), but you definitely will not get lost. When I travel by myself, I always try my best not to stick out as a confused or obnoxious tourist - no fumbling around with giant paper maps in the middle of the street or taking endless streams of selfies… Be smart, attentive, and mindful of people around :) 

Once you find your own system for planning, each trip will become easier and smoother~ 

The way I enjoy my travelling has also changed. I used to be much more … intense? Ambitious? The ‘must-hit-all-my-museums-and-landmarks’ kind of energy and outlook. Now, I’m much more content with just … wandering around, see where my luck takes me, where I end up is where I’m meant to be. And often it’s not the most rewarding and scenic places, but I have had many pleasant surprises. 

It’s true, it’s often the unplanned things, the little surprises, that are the most charming. 

This time around, for example, I stumbled across a little festival in HafenCity Hamburg bustling with locals, with street performer shows, delicious food stands, and all kinds of shops and art stands. 

Next, this has been so incredibly helpful for me - 

bring a book. 

:D it’s been such a relaxing and amazing feeling to just wander into a cute coffee shop, put my feet up for a while, and read a beautiful book while sipping a cappuccino. A lot of getting the feel of the city is just that - getting the feel of it. The atmosphere, the mood of being there. Not necessarily seeing anything or doing anything particularly active or ‘special’. Sitting at a cafe or visiting a bookstore could do exactly that. And having a book on hand makes you feel comfortable there, like you belong there, you’re enjoying a special, peaceful time to yourself - you’re exactly where you want to be. 

Now, a little bit more on what I actually saw during my day - I covered quite a lot of distance just by walking! I first took the bus from my Airbnb into the city and got off near the Park Planten un Blomen around 10:30AM. (Taking the train and bus to my host’s house from Lübeck with all my luggage was a bit intimidating at first, but then I remembered I’ve gone through much more daunting public transportation experiences! :’) 

The park is really serene and beautiful - a quiet, relaxing public garden for fresh air and a lovely morning walk. I made my way then to the Port of Hamburg - where the cashier lady was not so friendly selling me a bottle of water haha, (and I’m so polite as a tourist!) … following which I paid 50 cents to use the cramped little WC. And then - it started raining. 

But all this couldn’t spoil the mood when you’re travelling by yourself and totally in charge of your own mood! After the rain settled, I sat on the top level of the pier and had a snack while enjoying the view of the port. Surprisingly, there weren’t that many people around, so I ate my banana and granola bar in peace with a cool breeze in my face. (Oh! - bring a scarf when travelling! Light and comfy and so versatile in so many weather conditions). 

I looked at all the food stands with the famed raw herring Fischbrötchen, and did not quite have enough appetite for that adventure. Instead, I made my way down the port some more to treat myself to a delicious lunch with assorted fried fish. Wowwww, the best salmon I’ve ever had. Maybe only comparable to a special date at Legal Sea Foods. But yes, so crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and marinated on the inside. <3 

Yes, once in a while, sitting down at a restaurant by yourself is okay. Being confident and smiling lots help - the servers here were particularly friendly, even the other diners too! Again, learning to be comfortable being by yourself takes practice and getting used to, how to enjoy time by yourself, particularly when eating! 

Next, St. Michael’s Church. I made my way to the top of the tower without realizing there was a lift (!) haha, but on the endless stairs up there are levels with some small exhibitions and I was lucky enough to see those gigantic bells ringing from up close. WOW. The resonance and overtones. It’s incredible how loud and powerful those bells are! That’s something I’ll remember. 

By the time I came down it was around 3pm, and I went to the Warehouse District, which had a different charm. Aussenalster. Industrial neighbourhood on water connected by countless bridges. I didn’t get to see the Miniature Wunderland exhibition since the wait was over a hour, but here I relaxed at the Campus Cafe and found myself at the Duckstein Festival in HafenCity. 

Finally, to end a long day, I walked into the downtown area for my touristy selfie at the Rathaus, and went to sit briefly at the inner-city side of the Alster Lake. Quite curious, that those steps by the lake are completely filled with locals sitting and chatting, all looking in the direction of the lake. Observing the culture and lifestyle of different areas is also rather interesting. 

I walked along some more to find the perfect spot to relax and do some more reading - a single bench hidden away behind some trees and right by the edge of the water on the quieter side of the lake. A perfect way to conclude a wonderful day. I guess in the end I’m an introvert who likes to get away from the crowd and have my peace and silence with a nice book. 

Ah- which by the way I am reading Isabel Allende’s The Japanese Lover. Such lyricism and romance. The perfect mood for this brief stay in Europe. 

:’) until next time~