We arrived in Hamburg on Monday and spent five days there. As someone from the aerospace industry, I was, of course, aware of the huge Airbus plant in the city, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I could see myself living there.
Overall, I was left with a good impression — the city has lots of water, and you really relax as you walk along the bridges and embankments. Hamburg feels authentic with its port atmosphere, yet at the same time, it is very well-organized, with excellent public transport and city infrastructure.
There are many great playgrounds, from which we often had to literally drag our children away — and for Germany, that’s quite an achievement! Prices are a bit higher than in Dresden, but as I understand it, salaries are also noticeably higher.
The Port
Upon arrival, we took a harbor tour. The sight of cruise liners and container ships carrying thousands of containers was truly impressive.
I learned that container ships only emerged fairly recently — in the 1960s — and in just half a century, their capacity has grown from 700 to over 13,000 containers! As a result, the cost of shipping a kilogram is measured in cents. To transport the cargo of one container ship by air would require about 1,000 flights of a Boeing 747.
While at the port, you can grab a Fischbrötchen (a roll with herring) and wash it down with an Astra beer — a very tasty combination.
Miniatur Wunderland
This museum rightfully holds the number one spot on TripAdvisor. Buying tickets online during the school holidays is almost impossible — everything is sold out. If you buy on-site, you usually have to wait about six hours for the next available slot. Luckily, you don’t have to wait in line; you can simply buy a ticket and come back at your assigned time.
Once inside, you immediately understand why the entry is regulated — it’s quite crowded, but absolutely worth it. Whole cities have been recreated there in amazing detail, and you feel as if you are stepping into another world. The lighting even changes from day to night, creating a whole new atmosphere.
We spent the most time exploring Hamburg, Switzerland, and the airport section, where model planes actually take off. The rest we only skimmed through. But honestly, you could return there again and again.
Reeperbahn
We visited the infamous Reeperbahn during the day and didn’t venture very far. Apart from the signs advertising girls from all over the world and a number of homeless people, there wasn’t much to see. However, it didn’t leave a depressing impression like the center of Frankfurt sometimes does. Somehow the authorities have managed to maintain order, and we never felt unsafe.
Botanical Garden
Tired of the city’s hustle and bustle, we dedicated a day to the Botanical Garden — and it turned out to be a wonderful place. The kids saw rabbits, squirrels, and many different birds. By late April, many trees were already in bloom, filling the garden with vibrant colors.
The huge playground, a café with ice cream, and a beer garden completely won our hearts. Sitting by the fountains in this beautiful park at the foot of the TV tower, you can’t help but marvel at how little islands of beauty and peace still exist in our crazy world.
International Maritime Museum
We spent our last day at the Maritime Museum, which is absolutely enormous — it spans eight floors and ideally would require three days to fully explore.
There you can learn how to determine longitude with a sextant, follow the development of shipbuilding and navigation, and explore exhibitions on colonialism and slavery.
One floor is dedicated to ship construction, another to military ships, and the collection overall is impressively extensive.
That said, there wasn’t much interactivity for kids. There was a small stand where you could practice tying maritime knots, but the instructions weren’t great — even I found it tough. There was also a piece of a mast where you could raise and lower sails, and some flags demonstrating the maritime alphabet. Otherwise, it was a bit boring for younger visitors. The explanations also could have been better; for example, I looked at the engine room models without understanding much — it wouldn’t have been too hard to put up a few explanatory posters.
Conclusion
In five days, we managed to see and do everything we had planned. So I don’t think we’ll be returning to Hamburg in the near future. However, in the future, when the kids are older, I would gladly go back again.
