Archives for “Hamburg” tag

Ok, why going into a hotel if you already found accomodation in Hamburg? For me, the Mövenpick Resort Hotel is a great place to be for relaxation and enjoying myself with a good book. I’m not talking about to have a lunch, dinner, spa or whatever there but more about the luxury being able to enjoy time at a spiritual-like place. Restaurant & bar are a minor matter.

The former water tower once supplied the city with water and has been converted to a hotel few years ago. The investor decided to create a place of memory in order to conserve the old structure as much as possible and complete it with modern elements of design. Old meets new and this makes the place quite magical and unique.

On my first visit, I wasn’t really sure about liking this place because the project has been controversially discussed in public. So I needed to check it out and now I can tell you it’s awesome. You feel like entering a sanctuary accompanied by a soundscape installation referring to the former use of the structure and giving tribute to the building in its former function as urban artifact today.

I love being there to enjoy the illumination, sometimes immerse myself into a good book apart from the hasty way of life and to listen to the soundscape of water. It is for sure an oasis of silence and a cathedral of old memories.

The “kostbar” just a few metres away from the “Goldfischglas” in the “Schanzenviertel” was also one of my first liked places in Hamburg. The comfy atmosphere and rustic interior design create a nice setting.

Actually I share quite a lot of nice stories with couchsurfers at this location which makes it for me quite an intimate and unique place where I totally feel at home. The name of this bar is a word game and means not only “delicious” but also “precious”. Bringing or meeting someone there means for me to spend time listening to stories or to revive old memories with friends for a whole evening.

The food is great and offers a large variety of dishes. The drinks & cocktails are very good and the service is always friendly.

In summer you probably want to sit outside to enjoy the warm evening watching people on the street chattering or listening to a musician playing a lonely song.

In wintertime you will be happy to sit in the warm while watching the rain falling outside and warming up by a good cup of tea, coffee or cocoa.

I don’t know why but sometimes it makes me feel like I am in holiday. I guess it is the ease that come with the people and the perfect mixture of urban lifestyle in that vibrant area.

Oh my! How I love this place. The “Goldfischglas” is one of my first locations I visited when I moved to Hamburg and it is still until today. If this location would be a girl, well yes… I would be in a close relationship to her. That is why locals also call the bar “Susanne” and because of its location at the corner of Susannen- & Bartelstraße.

The “Goldfischglas” is my personal super-secret insider tip which needs to be shared amongst those who value loungy ambience combined with a touch of retro70ies. During the week, the atmosphere is very relaxing which offers the possibility to bring some friends, to chat and to hang out with or just to get a nice coffee.

The drinks are tasty, the prices affordable and the playlist of the DJ varies in between soul, funk, pop, indie and electro beats. The small dance floor at the basement is easily overlooked by guests but even more fun if you just want to dance the night away and connect with new people – only disadvantage there: smoking is allowed (the bar upstairs is no-smoking).

The “Goldfischglas” is very crowded on Thursday and Weekend because of students and nightlifers. Partying starts around 22.30. and doesn’t stop until the early morning. I suggest you go for it and say hello if you meet me there.

The IBA Dock is a great Infospot for the future development of the City of Hamburg. The IBA 2013 (International Building Exhibition) and the IGS 2013 (International Garden Show) are now taking place on the Elbe Islands (Veddel and Wilhelmsburg) and are definitely some highlights for this summer in Hamburg.

The IBA Dock built of floating containers is a little attraction. It was originally based on the idea to build a floating youth hostel for tourists but for some reason never has been realized… unfortunately!

So now it serves as info center with exhibitions of different themes and topics of urban life in cities. The model inside of the building’s atrium gives you the perfect impression and orientation for the larger scale of the landscape.

There, you will also have the possibility to enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea. Sometimes people move their chair to the outside to sit next to the water and to enjoy the sun.

There are also guided tours you can take (pls. check  the website). Language won’t be a problem because everything is translated in English.

Most hamburgians haven’t fully discovered this spot yet… so going there will definitively make you look like a local!

The IBA Dock will definitely reveal you a very new face of Hamburg and I’m sure you will enjoy this very special spot a lot if you are into architecture, landscapes and in the culture of urban life.

There are many corny souvenirs on the market and I myself usually look for lasting gifts or originality to continue to embellish my self-made travel altar at home!

“Michel and Elbe”, a superb gallery in Eimsbüttel, can guarantee good quality photographs around Hamburg and its port. All images are stored, regardless of size and processing, limited to 50 pieces. This guarantees exclusivity. You will find many unusual views of Hamburg and images that convey great moods. In addition to the exhibits that are on display, there is a wide choice of motifs, all in different sizes and different materials (canvas on wood frame, Dibond etc.). Here you’ll find competent and detailed advice, even from the creative mind of “the captain” himself (Andreas-Schmidt-Wiethoff). His black and white love turned pure passion into the exciting business idea.

Photo animation makes it possible to see the effect of your chosen images in advance. You can borrow images or pick out a topic and they deliver the images. On request, they even change it after a few months and bring a new series.

In the meanwhile, his gallery has also become a platform for other artists. Together, they aim to offer stylish images of the city, the port and its people.

Don’t feel ashamed, if you come shopping only for a few postcards!