"A most underrated city" Hamburg by Sjalen

WOW! Winter holidays in Scandinavia meant that the next connection to Copenhagen was fully booked when we planned arriving from Brussels one morning. I am so glad it was, and that we had tickets for a later one! I have lost count of all the times I have changed trains in Hamburg as it is the major railway hub for Scandinavians going anywhere in western Europe (but I remember vividly when as a four-year-old I dropped my cuddly dog under a train and a kind gentleman helped my granny pick it up!). I also know the autobahn around it reasonably well due to frequent travelling with relatives between family in Lower Saxony and Sweden. Yet, I had hardly ever seen anything of the city itself during these short waits, apart from short strolls to the City Hall square near the station and what you can see of river life from various trains.

This Sunday in February changed my whole attitude to Hamburg as I found a city full of things to discover. Its architecture had me fascinated with its mix of high level metro rails and converted warehouses with canals everywhere and lots of activity. I learnt that the city has more bridges than Venice and did not find it that hard to believe! Now I know what Sabsi is ranting about all the time - maybe I just needed to be away from my childhood Gothenburg for a few years to start appreciating those lively harbour cities again :) Please let me return soon to discover more than during this short (and cold) visit.

If you want to read more, book accommodation and so on, go here:
http://www.international.hamburg.de

Just a very nice house :)

• Pros:lively, tolerant, riverside activities, good communications
• Cons:Northern winds, expensive housing
• In a nutshell:Waterside fun