Hamburg: Germany’s Trade Powerhouse

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to go to one of the most unique German cities. Hamburg is a northern German city along the Elbe RIver, and acts as a trading hub for most of the goods coming into the country. Its unique layout and rich history make it a must visit. It is filled with intertwined canals and rows of shipping cranes.

We met up and stayed with my host sister and her boyfriend. They were very kind to let us stay with them and they showed us some of their favorite things to do in the city. For starters, we waited by the docks and watched the sunset, all while betting on how long it would take the ships to pass our viewpoint. Plus, over the course of the weekend, we stopped at a döner place (German kebab) that they showed us, that is boasting some of the most outstanding prices. Döner for only 3.90 Euros, what a deal! We also made sure to get some “Fritz-Cola,” as it originates from this city.

I think the most unique thing about Hamburg was the layout. Hamburg actually has more canals than both Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and they seem to weave around the city somewhat randomly, rather than the ordered arrays in other cities I’ve seen. Interestingly enough, the canals weren’t really being used. The larger ones had bigger ships (including public transport boats) moving through, but the smaller ones were almost always empty. The buildings were very interesting as well, with copper spires and high brick walls. Overall, the infrastructure was pretty unique because it used very modern techniques but several sectors showed their age and contributed to the “fishing town” look of the city.

Hamburg traces its roots to fishing, and thus the “fischbrötchen,” is a classic. It consists of a crunchy bread roll with (typically raw) fish and a mixture of toppings and sauce. I for one am not a fan of overly saucy foods or heavy toppings but I do love fish. After a day walking all around the city and across the canals, this Hamburg staple hit the spot. The raw herren that we got in the sandwich was so smooth and not stringy at all, and the unique combination of flavors was unlike anything I have ever had. If you are making the trip up to this beautiful city, I would highly suggest getting yourself a tasty fischbrötchen for lunch.

To read more about the infrastructure of Hamburg look at the following sources:

Construction projects. (n.d.). https://www.hamburg-port-authority.de/en/hpa-360/construction-projects

Hamburg is developing its Cityscape. Construction. (n.d.). https://www.hamburg.com/residents/construction

-Drew A