Weekend Getaway: Hamburg

Hello again! At the end of May, we took advantage of the long weekend (due to the Corpus Christi festivities) and drove up to Hamburg to visit one of Michael's best friends, el tío HC ;). It's the second time this year that we visit this beautiful city. The weather was great for the most part and could explore a lot. We rented a small apartment through Airbnb. I like to cook for Lucia. Plus, we just think that a small apartment is more comfortable for her than a hotel room.

We were supposed to arrive in Hamburg on Corpus Christi Thursday at around 3.30pm but we hit traffic. Instead, we made it there at almost 7pm. Needless to say, we only wanted to go to bed pretty much straightaway.

Friday turned out to be a very good day. It is easy to forget about a rocky trip after a solid eight-hour sleep, don't you think? 

We spent the day walking around Hamburg downtown. The City Hall (Rathaus), Jungfernstieg (the ultimate destination for shopping and fine dining options) and the gorgeous canals or the magnificient Binnenalster, an artificial lake gracing the city center, are some must-see spots. 

Saturday was even better! Our Lucia turned 18 months that day (May 28). We wanted to do something special to celebrate it and almost by accident we came across the perfect scenario for that. The initial plan was to explore the area of Schanzenviertel and St. Pauli. Schanzenviertel is known for its great brunch spots, cute little restaurants and boutiques. It reminded me of San Francisco's very own Haight-Ashbury. 

Right behind the famous St. Pauli Soccer Stadium there's a shopping center, Rinder Markt Halle. Its front area makes for a great spot for brunch during sunny weekends. There are lots of food trucks offering a wide range of culinary options (from Mexican to Waffels or Würstchen and anything in between), a DJ, little shops with organic products and a really relaxing atmosphere. 

The famous St. Pauli Stadium had a Doors Open day and naturally Michael couldn't resist to visit inside and snap a few pictures. Lucia and I waited outside :)

We read wonders about Planten un Blomen, the city park. We figured Lucia could just run around, interact with other kids and so on. Well, we really lucked out with that choice.  

Once we got there, we discovered to our delight, that the park was hosting a massive kinder event organized by the city's KITAs association (KITA stands for Kindergarden/ children's daycare). We had no idea! There were lots of entertainment options for kids. It was definitely THE place to be. We had a blast! 

We were told that the event takes place only every two years. We already marked our calendars for May 2018. 

After all the excitement, it was time to move on to our next destination: St. Michael's church. You can actually see the tower from the park. The building is one of the most renowned exponents of the baroque architecture and another landmark of the city. 

Right after that, we decided to head back home. The walk to central station was also very nice and could snap this beautiful picture of the City Hall.

Later that night, we watched the Champions League final at home. #halamadrid

On Sunday it was time to return to Bonn. Before that, we wanted to visit the Hafen (port) and Speicherstadt. Unfortunately it wouldn't stop raining. That was kind of dissapointing. The port is by far my favorite place in the city. It was good that I got to visit it back in February. Here you guys have a few pics we took then. 

All in all, the trip was great, but too short. But hey, better two days than nothing, right? Hamburg is definitely a really beautiful city with so many things to offer. We'll come back for sure!

Have you guys been to Hamburg? Would you plan a trip for just two or three days?