Hamburg is home to Europe’s third-largest harbor. This might give travellers – like for instance cruise ship passengers – the opportunity to explore the city on a layover. For them, I’ve put together a perfect itinerary for up to 24 hours in Hamburg.
The iconic Landungsbrücken, Hamburg’s piers.
This very popular category on my blog is designated to transform a layover into a short extra vacation.
While international tourism to Germany is increasing, visitors rather stick to the clichés like beer and Lederhosen at Munich and a cruise on the river Mosel; or they hang out at the hip capital Berlin – instead of enjoying Island Hopping in Germany.
I guess that’s the reason why many people think Germany is landlocked. They don’t think about long coasts, two seas, and about 80 islands.
The Strandkorb’s hood can be left in the upright position or reclined so that the sunbathers lay in the sun. The footrest can also be used as a storage space and to the sides are small wooden fold-out tables large enough for your drink and a book or magazine. It definitely is the perfect beach furniture.
However, that’s exactly what Germany’s north has to offer – and many fascinating phenomenons like the tideland that comes with it. As a matter of fact, Germany’s shoreline is longer than the Portuguese one.
So what are you waiting for? Join me on my island hopping…in Germany!
In this guide, I’m taking you to the small town of Potsdam, which King Frederick II made great. Although it sounds like a cute, drowsy hamlet, everyone is amazed by the rich cultural and political heritage of this place, where Europe’s history was written and rewritten again.
Munich, the capital of the federal state of Bavaria, stands, of course, for the famous beer and Oktoberfest and is the epitome of Germany.
Mary overlooks the Marienplatz from her column. In the backdrop of Munich’s most iconic symbol, the Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady – it cannot get more Bavarian. (Photo: Nicknicknick97, München Marienplatz , CC BY-SA 4.0)
Since Munich also has Germany’s second-largest airport – after Frankfurt – chances are that you have a stopover here.
“So, by which ferry did you get here?” asks the chubby little lady and her accent gives her away as Southern German. “Well, I came here walking”, I beam at her, still thrilled by my hike from the mainland to the island of Neuwerk.
To Neuwerk – this way! You cannot blame people if they don’t believe that you came to an island walking.
The lady looks over the rough sea where the huge waves are rolling towards the shores of Cuxhaven. She frowns and shakes her head and is, obviously, thinking I’m trying to tell her a cock and bull story.
Little does she know: Visiting the island of Neuwerk, the way is the goal; definitely.
A trip to the island of Heligoland is always a good idea. On just one square kilometer, it unites soft sand dunes and rough cliffs. It adds tax-free shopping to natural wonders like frolicking seals and jumping guillemots.
Gray Seal on the island of Helgoland in Germany
Heligoland is a tiny archipelago that long ago used to be Danish and British. But, actually, it is as German as can be since the poet Von Fallersleben wrote the National Anthem during his stay on the island in 1841.
However, visiting Heligoland today, either on a day trip or for a longer stay, it is almost impossible to imagine that at the end of WWII, Germany’s supposedly only deepsea island was completely bombed out. For then long years, it was even uninhabitable.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, today, Heligoland is one of Germany’s most popular island when it comes to a couple of relaxing days in a secluded spot.
Somehow Lubeck, Germany’s most ravishing city, has always reminded me of Venice. An innocently cute and relatively small city that used to possess such political influence and economic power – reaching all over Europe and beyond.
There are quite a few lions in Lubeck – honoring Henry the Lion, the Bavarian King who after Munich founded also Lubeck in 1159. In the Backdrop the iconic Holstentor and right next to it the ancient salt warehouses.
Although Lubeck has incredibly beautiful buildings and alleys, seven church towers, three Nobel prize winners and world-famous marzipan, it does not suffer from destructive over-tourism. I don’t want to change that, however, I’d like to show you around one of Germany’s most ravishing cities.
Büdelsdorf revisited – since every year the NordArt is taking place in that forlorn suburb with the quirky name, also in 2018, I visited bye:myself.
Apart from the annual changing exhibitions, some of the works – especially the sculptures in the gardens – stay for longer. For instance this NICHTS-sign. NICHTS was made by Klaus Gündchen from stainless steel in 2011.
As you already know from this post, the NordArt is a very nice, annual art event. Obviously, you cannot compare it to the Biennial in Venice.
Nevertheless, they show a great variety of international artists. The NordArt has been one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary art in Europe, after all.
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