HAMBURG
Malmo - Hamburg
Øresund Bridge
This was the part of the journey we were especially interested in, as it involved a long and scenic sea crossing. Traveling from Sweden to Germany meant crossing several impressive bridges, including the iconic Øresund Bridge, which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding waters and landscapes. Also traveled through some tunnels that offered no breathtaking views just grey walls.
After a relaxing train journey we arrived (after a 20 minute delay due to a fault on the train) in Hamburg. An easy 3 minute walk from station to hotel, checked in and we were off to explore. We made it as far as a beer garden and stopped to refresh our tired bodies before ambling through the streets soaking up the atmosphere. We eventuated upon another traditional German restaurant for dinner before heading back to the hotel. An early night was in order as it had been a very early start and around 6 hours of train travel when you factor in the delays.
Outside Hamburg Rathaus
After a good nights sleep we were ready to set off again to see what Hamburg had to offer.
I was taking very good care of Simon, holding his hand as we crossed the streets and keeping him well away from kerbs….after all it was in Germany back in June when the kerbs here grabbed hold of his ankle and wrestled him to the ground. Simon, from what I understand put up a fight which resulted in the broken foot.
Hamburg is steeped in history and our whistle stop tour did not allow for us to take it all in. After stopping for a coffee and croissant we went to go to the Miniature Wunderland which boasts the biggest model railway in the world ( According to the Guinness book of Records). Trip advisor had advised us to book tickets in advance, to whche we heeded…NOT! so we didnt end up going in as the next ticket times were mid afternoon and we did not want to be tied to having to be back at a certian time. So off we went wandering through The Speicherstadt which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Upon reaching the canal/rivers we opted to jump on the next available canal/river cruise to see Hamburg from a different perseptive. The live commentary was in German only. I woudl like to say that we ‘laughed’ in all the correct places and at thr right times so as not to stick out like tourists who are not fluent in German. OK….speak less than very little. Alas! we were relying on our App - google translate, and so we were a minute behind everyone else with the laughter!!! One of the interesting things is that you can hire a kayak free of charge for 3 hours and the only requirement is that you collect any rubbish you may come across on the river.
Elbphilharmonie
Next stop was the Elbphilharmonie….Hamburgs answer to the Sydney Opera house. It was a very impressive piece of architecture and the roof fo the building is said to have been designed to represent the waves of the North Sea.