Zollkanal

Hamburg Day 1 of 2: Hamburg is a secret to the average American. I didn’t know much about it except what I’ve seen in WWII documentaries. This is a world-class city.

Jessica and I taxied into town, where we dropped ourselves off in the Speicherstadt, Hamburg's Warehouse District. It’s the world's largest historic warehouse complex, renowned for its stunning red-brick architecture and network of canals. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, now home primarily to offices and apartments.

From there, we started our tour of Hamburg’s churches; wow, these churches are larger than life. We began at St. Catherine's Church in Hamburg, known for its distinctive Gothic architecture and prominent spire. It is one of the city's oldest churches, dating back to the 13th century. While there, in a virtually empty church, the organist treated us to a musical selection. It made our day!

After venturing into the shopping district, we visited Hamburg’s City Hall, where we were delighted to witness a performance by the Hamburg Police Band. They were great! Then we grabbed a korneck mit pute and a Berliner (doughnut) for lunch!

Then, we hopped on the city tour bus and ventured to St. Michel’s Church. There, I saw the largest church organ I’ve ever seen. St. Michael's Church in Hamburg, a stunning example of Baroque architecture, is one of the city's most iconic landmarks and offers panoramic views of Hamburg from its tower.

Following, we walked to St. Nikolai’s Church. This one was special because it was bombed into ruins in 1943. Once the tallest building in the world, it now stands as a poignant memorial to the devastation of World War II, with its spire towering over the city. The ruins and the underground museum provide a powerful tribute to the victims and a reminder of the city's resilience.

It’s 7:15 pm and we’re attending “Rock the Ballet” at the historic St. Pauli Theater, one of the oldest private theaters in Germany, it’s renowned for its diverse range of performances, situated in the vibrant St. Pauli and Reeperbahn Districts. This is really cool because we know one of the performers, Natalie Soutier. Looking forward to catching up with her after the performance!

Sheesh… a day entirely on our own in Hamburg, and that’s just day one! Tomorrow will consist of an organized land and water tour for several hours. We’ll depart from Hamburg at 2:30 PM and start making our way to Amsterdam, where we will be on Sunday for the entire day to visit the Anne Frank House and enjoy canal tours.

If you read this far, you're a trooper! 😊Read more