A CITY steeped in history with waterways running through.

Hamburg is a place I never thought I would visit, and to be honest, I had never imagined it to be a city of hustle and bustle but also beauty.

The city is the second largest in Germany and is known for being a hot-spot for creatives – with one of the most famous bands - The Beatles - living there for a year.

When you visit Hamburg, there is much to see, including the architecture. On my visit myself and others on the trip were given a well-informed tour of the Speicherstadt and Chilehaus.

Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse district in the world. It was built to transfer goods without customs and as such was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

The area features winding bridges and stunning architecture. Many of the houses are built on timber-pile foundations and have a red-bricked façade.

On the tour we learnt that many of these buildings are still used for certain goods and whole-sale, including carpets, tea and coffee.

One very popular place was the Kaffeemuseum-Burg – a coffee museum and café where you could buy freshly ground beans, coffee plants and more.

Another stunning sight is the Chilehaus. The building, which is shaped like a ship, was designed by German architect Fritz Hoger and is ten-storeys high. The Chilehaus was built between 1922 and 1924 and is definitely a sight to behold.

Another place which is a must visit is HafenCity. Located on the former port of Hamburg by the river Elbe, HafenCity is modern and features a variety of new cafes, hotels and more.

In the HafenCity is one of the most modern pieces of architecture in the city which is the Elbphilharmonie. This concert hall was completed in 2009 and is breath-taking to look at. The top of the building has a glass construction which looks like a giant wave and features around 1,000 or more curved glass windows.

We were taken on a viewing inside the Elbphilharmonie which is open to the public and entered via an escalator surrounded by lights. Inside the building are three different halls: the Kaistudio, the Recital Hall and the Great Concert Hall.

The Great Concert Hall is the biggest venue, which can hold more than 2,000 people and is laid out with individual drywall plates to disperse sound waves. It’s a stunning, grand hall with the seats having maximum comfort for guests.

One of the most interesting things about the tour was finding out that part of the Elbphilharmonie has 45 apartments which are part of the Westin Hamburg Hotel. The hotel opened in 2016 and offers luxury living for guests.

All in all, the Elbphilharmonie is part of Hamburg that needs to be visited as you can be reassured you will never see anything like it.

Another unmissable visit which I was told about by several people before even jetting off to Hamburg was the Miniatur Wunderland.

Miniatur Wunderland is world-famous model train and miniature exhibition located in the historic Speicherstadt district.

Before you think about visiting the Miniatur Wunderland, you may want to visit early, as it gets very busy.

A member of the tour and myself went along to check out the exhibition and although packed and stuffy, it was something I am very glad to have seen.

The exhibition is known for its model trains but also has its own mini “airport” with a screen showing departures and arrivals. Visitors can stand and watch as mini planes land and jet off.

As well as trains and planes, there’s a funfair, a miniature Elbphilharmonie which opens up to show the halls and apartments, areas of America, Scandinavia, mountain structures, harbours and more.

Last, but not least, all visitors to Hamburg who are staying on or over a weekend must visit the Hamburg Fish Market.

Every Sunday, the market opens at 5am by the Elbe river and is filled with fruit stalls, plant stalls, street food, music and more. The market is popular amongst night-owls, as many people go straight there after nights out. It is also a great place for tourists and locals.

Hamburg in itself is a beautiful city and is very different to Berlin – the only other German city I’ve visited.

Flights to the city are easy to get from Bristol airport with Flybmi and travel around the city is also easy and simple.

FOR MORE ON HAMBURG:

bmi

bmi offers flights from Bristol to Hamburg from £97 one way. All fares are inclusive of 23kg of hold luggage, allocated seating, complimentary in-flight drinks and snacks and speedy 30 minute check-ins. For more information, or to book, visit www.flybmi or call 0330 333 7998

Hamburg Tourism

For more information on Hamburg, visit www.hamburg-travel.com

Hamburg Card

The Hamburg Card offers unlimited travel by bus, train and harbour ferry, plus discounts at over 150 tourist attractions. The card starts from EUR 10.50 for a one day pass. See www.hamburg-travel.com/search-book/hamburg-card

Adina Apartment Hotels, Hamburg Speicherstadt

A stay at the Adina Hamburg Speicherstadt starts from EUR135 per night, based on two sharing a studio king or twin on a room only basis.

For more information or to book, visit www.adinahotels.com/de-en/hotel/hamburg-speicherstadt or call +49403346080