Hamburg
The sprawling Hamburg in Germany is a
maritime hub and a beautiful city with
scenic lakes and
over 2000 bridges over its narrow canals and rivers. The waterways and the multihued culture make it the
Venice of the German territory. However, that’s not the only claim to fame that Hamburg has, it is also the largest port and one of the richest cities in Germany. It is also a historical city which has been an important harbour for most of Europe.
Hamburg has the distinction of being a part of the 16 German states. It is a
city-state that also calls itself ‘
the gate to the world’ as in the beginning of the 20th century thousands left Europe to search for the new world through the Hamburg harbour. Hamburg is a traditionally
mercantile city that has made its fortune through
trading. Due to its literary roots, Hamburg also holds the pride of place as the
media hub, half of Germany’s newspapers and journals have their roots in this state. The city also houses the
Airbus assembly plants, and is the most preferred location, after Toulouse and Seattle, for the world aerospace industry.
Climate
Hamburg experiences all the four seasons in its full force. It is generally a
windy and
wet city. Summers are fairly warm but the dry sunny spells are short and it rains most of the times. Winters are quite cold, the temperature comes down to - 2ºC and the rivers and the lakes freeze enough to entail ice-skating. Snowfall statistically starts in the first week of December and by Christmas turns into icy sheets. Spring is awesome to watch in Hamburg, when all the trees shed their winter gloom and burst into various shades of green and the air starts to turn pleasantly warm.
History
The history of the Hamburg is the story of a city that was devastated, burnt, bombed, flooded, tortured and yet came back each time with a verve and dignity that makes you salute the spirit of the state and its people. Each time the city has risen like the phoenix and rebuilt itself, and today, it holds the pride of place in the German Fatherland.
The Golden Years
The fortress of
Hammaburg, was erected on the
Alster, a tributary of the
Elbe River and though historians differ, the general view is that the city has been named after this ancient structure. This marked the origins of the city in the year 830. Right from the 12th century, the city of Hamburg began to gain prominence as an important trade centre for the Northern European region. The ruling Emperor of that time, Barbarossa, granted Hamburg free city rights in the year 1189, which helped the city become a major international port later.
The State’s fortune reached even greater heights in the 14th century, when it joined the
Hanseatic League, which was a confluence of the cities of North Europe which came together to establish better trade practises. Hamburg now became the most important sea port of the region and shipments such as grains, metals, furs and spices passed through its harbours. However, Hamburg’s main export became the German beer; it put Hamburg on the world map of the connoisseurs.
Once the trade routes to America and the Asia were discovered, the period from 15 -17th century was a Golden period in the trade history of the Hamburg city. It opened up new opportunities and in a span of few years, the city became one of the largest trading centres in Europe. The Wallanlagen fortifications, which came up in 1616, were a prime example of Hamburg's significance and wealth and it continued till the 18th century.
The Turbulent Years
Though the city never stopped flourishing once it established itself, it went through rough times over the next couple of centuries. But each time, it emerged stronger and better than before.
· Napoleon invaded Hamburg in the year 1806, this stemmed the fortune of the city
Napoleon’s troops were defeated in 1814 and the Congress of Vienna stepped in to guarantee the freedom of the city. Hamburg became a part of the German federation.
· Hamburg problems began again with the great fire in 1842
; it destroyed one third the city. Old buildings and monuments were lost, but, out of the ashes emerged the railway lines, which financed the development of a contemporary city.
· The Nazi occupation, and the subsequent bombings in the World War II
, severely affected the fibre of the city and hardly any buildings were left standing. Scores of people died and a gloom came over the city. The harbour was 80% destroyed.
· If that wasn’t enough the Great Flood of 1962
again destroyed the previous efforts at rebuilding. But typically the city fought back, picked up its pieces and the period of the Economic Miracle began which brought Hamburg into eminence again and gave it, its place in the sun.
The post turbulence Hamburg
is a shiny new and modern city that can compete with the best cities in the world. Today ultra modern buildings vie for space with the historical monuments. Hamburg is easily accessible and people (Hamburgers) are extremely friendly, a fact that comes across due to the presence of 96 consulates in the city, a feat seconded only by the NYC in US.
Getting into Hamburg
Like most developed cities there are many ways to get into Hamburg.
Plane
For people travelling from far off places around the globe, the only way to reach Hamburg is by a flight. Hamburg has the distinction of being the fourth largest International airport of Germany. The only thing to take care here is that unlike other international airports, the airport of Hamburg does not operate in the night. Try and avoid late flights. The airport is in the city but not so well connected so be informed about the transportation schedules beforehand.
Train
Hamburg is well connected with the train service to the major German cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne and many others. The intercity express (ICE) is very efficient. There is also a direct train service connecting Vienna, Hungary, Prague, Copenhagen and Budapest to the city of Hamburg.
Car
The Autobahn is well connected integrated highway system. One can drive down to the city from various cities but the car parking in Hamburg isn’t very cheap.
Bus
The Hamburg Central bus station, is located very close to the Central railway station ((Hauptbahnhof) and serves Berlin as well as other European and regional destinations.
Getting Around
The public transportation system in Hamburg is well developed and the buses run 24 hours in a day, 7 days of the week. There are also special night buses called Nachtbus that connect the city centre and the outskirts. The buses arrive and depart from Rathausmarkt near the town hall. Intracity train services run till 5 AM but it shuts service for the district by 11 PM. However they do run 24 hours on the weekend.
The Public transit in Hamburg runs mostly on an honour system, which means the tickets are checked (only) within surprise checks. If you are using bikes in Hamburg, ensure that they are the folding type, so that you can carry them on the public transport at any time.
Regular Ferry services operate along the Elbe as well as the harbour. The Alster lakes too have a ferry service travelling from Jungfernstieg to Winterhuder Fährhaus. They are more expensive, but offer a stunning view of Hamburg’s wealthy neighbourhoods. Taxis are easily available, but are a bit expensive, and can be recognized by their Ivory white colour. Railways, both underground as well as over, inter connect the city and its suburb pretty well.
Things to do
Hamburg is a city with a musical heritage. From Beatles to Bach and Heavy metal groups, the city has over 40 theatres and concert halls that have shows throughout the year. The theatres offer so much diversity that on one hand Theater für Kinder has awesome shows for children, while on the other, the famous
Schmidt Theater at
Reeperbahn puts up plenty of performances to entertain the adults.
Hamburg is surprisingly pastoral, with its many churches, and yet has a typical harbour flavour with its red light area
Reeperbahn. There are many night clubs like the Kaiserkeller, Disco in Docks, Große Freiheit and the Mojo club, which feature gigs and live bands in the areas of St Pauli and Reeperbahn. Reeperbahn, though a bit seedy, is also popular for its strip clubs, bars and a hot and happening nightlife. There are many open air gigs in Stadtpark. You can also enjoy a weekend full of music at the annual Hurricane Festival in
Scheeßel.
For people with a refined taste, the Hamburger
Kunsthalle, the museum of modern and ancient art, the
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe with its old art and craft exhibits and
Museum of Ethnology that has exotic items from far away places, are the places worth visiting. The
State House Opera is one of the most opulent and is home to many ballets and performances. The Operettenhaus theatre puts on popular shows like the Phantom of the Opera and the Lion King, the shows are stunning and lively.
There are many sports events that are held around the year. Most notable amongst them are; the Hamburg Marathon, Dragon Boat race, the Cyclassics and the Hamburg City Man Triathlon. All these are open to public and require registration months in advance.
Hamburg, with its many lakes and canals also offers water sports such as rowing, canoeing, water skiing, sailing and cruising. You can also take a boat tour to Speicherstadt on a weekend and enjoy its many museums and attractions.
If you get tired of all the regular things and want to have a meal a bit differently, then head to the
Hamburg Fish Market on a Sunday morning. Join the revellers from the previous night’s party and have a hearty breakfast listening to some great music and watching the fishermen at work. Since the
Fischmarkt closes within 4 hours of its opening, ensure that you reach there by 5 am, to enjoy the sunrise as you tuck in a freshly netted smoked salmon and other delights.
(Thanks for this splendid description to professional writer Neena Wright)
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