'Inner-Alster' is the smaller part of a lake that defines the heart of Hamburg. Beyond two bridges…read more- one named in honour of president Kennedy - is the Outer-Alster, a lake of 1,2 square miles. A net of more than 120 miles of waterways meanders through the city. In spring it is unbelievably beautiful to canooe this wonderworld. Blossoming trees and dedicately tended gardens border the rivers and creeks, the canals and cul-de-sacs. More than 50 kinds of birds build nests and rise their offspring between low hanging branches, dusted by pollen from countless bushes and trees. Four weeks ago the swans were freed again - after incarnation for the winter time. Never before they could court as undisturbed as 2020.

The Binnenalster is a famous lake in the center of Hamburg…read more On one side of the Binnenalster you will find the Jungfernstieg, i.e. the most famous street in Hamburg which is also well known by lots of people in the whole country. At the same side of the Binnenalster (Jungfernstieg) you may have a coffee at the Alex if you have left enough time to do so. The café is very special and you lots of young people and people of the middle age are spending their time here. On the same side you will find the pedestrian zone, only few "meters" away from the Binnenalter. I you would like to make a boat trip you may do so at the same side of this lake. Here boats start to the Außenalster. The boats stop every few hundred meters to take new passengers. You can leave the boat at each stop you like. On the left side you will see the famous Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten and on the right side you will be pleased to look at the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. Both hotels are very, very noble.

A very nice place in Hamburg to go for a walk. One round…read moretakes about 45 minutes. The park around the see is very calm and most people use it for running or biking. I have reduced my rating by one star because the places for a potential barbeque are very small and possibilities to clean up the charcoal are very rare in comparision to the Stadtpark.

We loved our time here roaming around the Speicherstadt. It was a fun exploration even on a rainy…read moreweekday morning. It was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015. That's most likely because it's the largest historic warehouse complex of its kind (low-lying) in the world. The site has been historically protected since 1991 and subsequently restored. What's interesting is that these old red brick warehouses were uniquely built on top of a foundation of oak timbers. They were driven deep down (about 36 feet) into what was technically once considered marshy sandbars along the Elbe River. The wood with the surrounding sand petrified over time to create a solid foundation to build upon. This whole complex was needed to store global market items such as spices, tea, and coffee. The warehouses have entrances from the canal and at the street level for easy access. I was actually more impressed with the Gothic Revival look of the buildings as well as the steel bridges connecting them all together. We walked up and down the blocks and across the various different bridges to get a feel for the area. I don't think the pictures really convey the scenery here. It comes across as gloomy on rainy days, but it really wasn't that way in person. I really like that this area has become so popular. There are many attractions, shops, museums, cafés, and restaurants in and around it. The beautiful Water Castle can be seen from the furthest bridge known as Poggenmühlen. There's an International Maritimes Museum housed in one of the oldest buildings (1878) in the Speicherstadt. You'll see it right away when you see the massive propeller at the south entrance. The Sandtorkai-Hof and Speicherstadt Rathaus are other beautiful buildings that deserve a mention. There's way more to Hamburg than Speicherstadt and HafenCity. This was just a cool visit to the historical port of Germany. It's definitely a place that I would revisit if given the opportunity.

The Speicherstadt is fantastic. A lot to see and a lot to do. Great coffee that I took back to…read moreCalifornia and great entertainment. A have to see spot in Hamburg.