The Pineapple Chicken Blog

Hi Everyone,

How is your weekend going so far? Welcome to the next installment of Pineapple Chicken!

I went on a weekend trip to Hamburg back in September after a long trip to the US; this originally was a solo trip, but my best friend managed to come out there to see me, and always her presence made it out to be an even better trip! Another reason, a more selfish one, was because I wanted to obtain Silver Tier on the British Airways loyalty programme before my cut off period, which resulted in a few more trips before October. However, this obsession to get to silver is a discussion for another day! (let me know if you think this would be something interesting for you?)

Hamburg is a beautiful city and I really would fly out to visit again. The short weekend I was there did not give me enough time to explore all the different places that I saved on my google maps and research. Unfortunately, it also rained whilst I was out there, which sadly dampens my holiday spirit. Hamburg did remind me of Copenhagen, and when I looked at the map – it was easy to realise why.  However, I personally enjoyed Hamburg more, or maybe I need to go to Copenhagen again to make a proper comparison ;).

Where I stayed

I stayed at St Georg’s Hotel in the St Georg district with a partial view of Alster lake. I love being around water/seeing water when I am away as I rarely get to see it when I am in London. I was disappointed that the hotel was not situated right next to the water as the website implied but it was a lovely stay, nonetheless. What was ironic was that the hotel was decorated in a “British” style with Twiggy overlooking me whilst I slept which was quite funny. The hotel staff and located conveniently a 15-minute walk from Hamburg’s central station or there were a few buses that stopped next to the hotel. The area is also filled with wonderful cafes, restaurants, and shops. Definitely, an area to check out! If you are looking for a nice breakfast do check out Cafe Gnosa – they have a great selection!

What I loved

• Speicherstadt – Hamburg’s warehouse district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architecture is amazing and intertwined with canals. One of the prettiest spots to take a photo! It is also walkable distance to HafenCity which in contrast is one of Hamburg’s newest districts with amazingly cool buildings!

Speicherstadt

Elbphilharmonie

• I wandered the very edgy streets of Sternschanze which reminded a bit of London’s Shoreditch. The whole area can take a day to explore in itself with awesome boutique stores and restaurants. There is also a very large flea market on a Saturday held at the Alte Rinderschlachthalle. I really recommend it, even if you are not in a shopping mood, just the buzz, and the people made it all worth it!

• It wouldn’t be a Pineapple Chicken blog without a bit of Art. I highly recommend Deichtorhallen which has a contemporary art hall and a separate photography hall. It is a wonderful space with super high ceilings. Really loved it here. They hold different exhibitions rather than an in-house gallery all year round, but I think that is what makes it special.

Hamburg, I can’t wait to be back! For those who are interested in some of the saved place on Google Maps, you can access my list here.

With Sweet & Sour Love,

Pineapple Chicken