Only ninety minutes apart by high-speed train, Hamburg and Berlin can conveniently be combined in one trip. With distinctly different yet complementing identities, they make a perfect pair, and a long to-do list in late summer coupled with smaller crowds and perfect temps put them at their best.
In Hamburg, harbor cruises are popular, and Harbor City’s maritime experience at this former dock area turned urban hotspot is extensive. Pristine inner city Alster lake is perfect for strolls along its banks or renting a paddle- or small sailboat. In 2011, the European Commission awarded it the title of European Green Capital.
Berlin tours often cruise past Museum Island and the Reichstag, or to the outer city lakes. Berlin is Germany’s greenest city—27 percent consists of parks and woods.
Special “Creative Sustainability” and “Green Design” tours see everything from eco-hip markets to green art and urban gardens.
Hamburg and Berlin each boast more bridges than Venice. In the summer, locals catch rays along the cities’ rivers and lakes. Urban beaches are hugely popular in both metropolises—ideal for soaking in the local vibe on long summer evenings. Popular beach bars in Hamburg are Strand Pauli and the eclectic Strandperle Elbe beach. In Berlin, the Strandbar Mitte and the ultra-trendy Arena Badeschiff are the places to be.
The Alster-Vergnügen festival in Hamburg September 1–4 features water/air/land acrobatics, concerts, gourmet stands as well as romantic moonlit nights and fireworks on Alster lake.
Reeperbahn Festival September 22–24 is a must for music fans. With new and established names of popular music, the line-up is complemented by exhibitions, street art events and screenings.
Prost! The 15th Berlin International Beer Festival August 5–7 turns Karl-Marx-Allee into the world’s longest beer garden and bar, with 300 breweries from 86 countries and some 2,000 brands of the world’s finest brews.
The Berlin Festival September 9 and 10 will see around 15,000 music fans. This unique urban rock event held at historic Tempelhof Airport will have its line-up posted soon.
Berlin and Hamburg are the two German cities with the most Michelin Stars. Culinary experiences are often a modern and creative interpretation of traditional recipes.
Close to two oceans, Hamburg’s seafood dishes range from a traditional on-the-go Matjes Herring (salt mild herring) sandwich to Asian-inspired haute cuisine. Fresh seafood and classical northern German dishes are served at Fischereihafen Restaurant. Much talked-about new restaurants are Goldene Gans serving an outstanding veal with plums and the city’s best chocolate soufflé, and Vier Rosen, where former punk musician turned chef Marcus Schröpfer serves Francophile delicacies.
Berlin’s cuisine is redefining itself just like the rest of the city. Organic farms in the surrounding Brandenburg region supply meats, traditional herbs, and fresh seasonal produce. Berlin is currently experiencing a comeback of traditional German fare, often with a Mediterranean or Asian twist. At the new—and immediately star-rated—Tim Raue, chef Raue serves energy-giving Asian-inspired dishes. Also new and known for high quality homemade dishes are Chipps No 1 and No 2. The famous Curry Wurst and the Turkish Doener are the pillars of Berlin’s street food scene.
Hamburg’s Fish Market is well worth getting up for before 5 am on a Sunday morning.Hamburg’s oldest open-air market sells all items imaginable, with breakfast and live music completing the picture.
In Berlin, the flea market Trödelmarkt Boxhagener Platz on Sundays 10 to 6 is one of the most popular of roughly 50 in the city. Some 100 booths sell anything from old records to porcelain, second-hand fashion to antiques and furniture.
Train tickets between Hamburg and Berlin can be booked online, with specials often available. For local transportation, the Berlin Welcome Card and Hamburg Card offer free public transportation and discounts.
Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, www.visitberlin.de; Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, www.hamburg-tourism.de