Hamburg, lying along the River Elbe, is 70 miles from the North Sea and yet is Germany’s largest port. It was a leading member of the Hanseatic League in the 13th century and today is one of Europe’s busiest maritime centers.
Much of Hamburg was destroyed during World War II, and today modern buildings stand beside centuries-old churches and merchant houses. From our balcony, we could see new, rebuilt Hamburg along the waterfront.
Modern Hamburg view along waterfront
We left the Majestic Princess into rain and wind and entered a lovely shopping mall. What a different way to disembark a ship.
As we made our way through the terminal, we passsed an a cappella group welcoming us to Hamburg.
A cappella group
Once in the mall we needed to find an exit. The mall was modern, attractive and totally overwhelming. Did I say it was also nice?
JoAnn at an intersection in the mall
The signs pointed in all directions except exit. Which way to go? To the right were toilets and to the left the Kitchen. Or we could go down to Intersport. Well, the direction we chose, to the right, did not lead us to the exit.
Finally, I spotted a store with a young woman sales clerk. It was a lingerie store, and I went in to see if she could and would help us. She spoke English, that helped, and she was more than happy to point us in the right direction. Before we knew it, we were sprung on Hamburg.
Modern Hamburg is quite interesting. The grey buildings, blending into the angry skies, seemed to threaten rain all day.
Modern Hamburg
We decided our first stop would be St. Michaelis Church, affectionately known in Hamburg as “Der Michel.” One of the city’s best-known landmarks, it is one of the finest Protestant Baroque churches in Northern Europe. One step inside and I was completely overwhelmed by the pristine white interior that soared overhead and the magnificent pulpit that made me think of the bow of an 18th-century frigate preparing to sail the North Sea.
Main aisle and altar, St. Michaelis Church
Pulpit, St. Michaelis Church
The church was preparing for a concert and the area around the altar was packed with electronics and young people.
Main altar, St. Michaelis Church
The altar is ornate and lovely.
Main Altar
Let’s talk stained glass. There is a stunning window in Der Michel. It reflects Hamburg’s centuries-old connection with the sea; with angels, a lighthouse and a sailing ship combining images of faith, guidance and safe passage.
Stained glass window
We had plans to have lunch at the Old Commercial Room, which came highly recommended. As luck would have it, it is directly across the street from the church, but we were way too early. So, we decided to stroll around the area. The area seemed primarily residential.
Neustadt neighborhood
Neustadt neighborhood
We wandered through the Neustadt neighborhood surrounding St. Michaelis, an older part of Hamburg lying between the city center and the harbor. One local resident seemed to be keeping an eye on us from his “French balcony.”
Man on balcony
As I said, the Old Commercial Room came well recommended for its traditional German food, and we were anxious to give it a try. We made a reservation before we left home and were right on time. At noon the restaurant was still fairly empty, although it was destined to fill up within the hour.
We were seated in a side room with a few other couples already into their lunches. Boy-oh-boy could we go for a nice cold beer while we perused the menu.
Well, that was not to be. For whatever reason, we seemed to be a distant after thought, sitting on a deserted island.
Ultimately, I went in search of help. Help!
Shortly thereafter, a pleasant fellow appeared ready to take our orders. First the beers and then JoAnn selected Wiener Schnitzel of Veal and I chose a Roasted Pork Shank. “Good choices,” we were told. We were also informed, in reply to my question, that the gentleman was the owner. What he neglected to tell us was that my pork shank was going to take about an hour to arrive. But, alas, we were not so informed.
The Old Commercial Room
Not only were they cooking stews but we were stewing in our seats as, after the beers were served (that’s right the beers did arrive) we were again left on the deserted island. No one stopped by to say, “it will be a little longer as the roast is still in the oven” or “you should have known the pork would take forever” or “fool, no one orders the pork for lunch.” No, we were just abandoned.
Lunch arrived! And, both the schnitzel and the pork were excellent. Were they worth the wait? Maybe, if only we had known what to expect, then we could have decided whether we wanted to hang around or make another selection. Now, I don’t regularly take pictures of food but in this case I made an exception.
Wiener Schnitzel
Roasted Pork Shank
The church was directly across the street from the restaurant, and on exiting I looked up at the statue above the entrance to St. Michaelis Church. Saint George slaying the dragon. I find it interesting that frequently the dragon has a man’s head on a scaly, reptilian body.
St. George slaying the dragon
Hamburg may lie well inland from the North Sea, but everywhere we walked there seemed to be evidence of its centuries-old relationship with the water. Canals wind through the city, and warehouses are built right up to their edges. I could imagine boats pulling alongside, delivering goods and taking aboard items to be traded elsewhere in the Hanseatic league.
Hamburg canal with three-arch bridge
Warehouses on the canal
Further on we came to a lock. I wouldn’t have thought that there would be canal locks in Hamburg, but there are.
Locks on the Hamburg canal
Promenade along the canal and lock
We made our way over to the city hall, the Hamburger Rathaus. Built in the late 19th century, it rests on approximately 4,000 wooden pilings driven into the marshy soil beneath it and is home to Hamburg’s Parliament, Senate and First Mayor.
JoAnn taking a photo of the Hamburger Rathaus
In the gloom and drizzle, we we looked up and spotted high above on one corner of the Rathaus, the winged figure of the Archangel Michael, sword raised as he stands triumphantly over Satan.
Archangel Michael standing triumphantly over Satan
It was time to start back to the Majestic Princess. We crossed a bridge with symbols of love secured to the ironwork. Notice all the red locks. Is red the color of love? It is certainly the color most associated with Valentine’s Day.
Lock bridge
Notwithstanding the hustle and bustle along the canals, it’s still possible to find peaceful life on the water.
Swan floating peacefully
The canals, at least this one, are subject to the tides.
Canal at low tide
As we passed one final canal, I could see in the distance what I learned was the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s concert hall and cultural center. Designed to resemble waves, it rises above an old red-brick warehouse.
Elbphilharmonie concert hall in backround
The harbor in Hamburg is always at work. In the distance, cranes were loading and unloading ships that make their way up and down the Elbe, bringing goods into Hamburg and carrying others back out to the world.
Cranes in the distance, Hamburg harbor
And then we were on our way back to the mall and on our way to the Majestic Princess.