Help - Spring trip to Hamburg and vicinity

As someone who also has points and permanent status with Marriott i always look at those as an option. Since I've been back in Germany (two + years this time) Steigenburger has also become a favorite. I've not stayed in the Hamburg one, but have used the ones in Bad Homburg and Konstanz. Very nice; better than the Marriott's usually are.

Add the St Pauli Bunker to your list of places to see in Hamburg.. It's one of three remaining WWII German Flak towers, and an amazing piece of work. It was built in 6 months, and they have "repurposed" it because it would just be too much to tear down. (The others are in Vienna, now an aquarium, and Berlin, semi destroyed and home to underground tours.)

If you’re into that even remotely, try out the Wattenmeer (Wadden sea) and possibly the North Frisian islands. It is quite unique - the whole sea becomes land twice a day for miles and miles, so you can even walk between islands.

Day 16/17 Travemünde

Do a boattrip from Lübeck to Travemünde 90 min stay for a few hours and back the same way

https://www.hanse-travemuende.de/

Enjoyed it

Youtube Video

Many, many thanks for so many helpful suggestions! Planning is one of my favorite things and I'm most grateful for your help. In going thru the comments, I think we will simply add a few more days in the north - been to Berlin and Copenhagen, several times, and enjoyed them both but it seems that there is much to offer in Germany - no need for a filler!

I hope you get to Lüneburg. We thought it was one of the prettiest towns we’ve ever visited. An easy train ride from Hamburg. Lovely little town for wandering. My memory is awful but something makes me think we were advised there were two stations in this little town, perhaps next to each other? We made it OK so anybody can. Safe travels and enjoy your transatlantic…we’ve taken several and like them a lot. The journey down…or is it up?… the Elbe into Hamburg is rather scenic in itself, or so we thought, so be up on deck if you arrive early to enjoy it.

We absolutely intend to! Looks lovely!!

Another no longer Hidden but gem at the Baltic Coast near Travemünde/Lübeck 20km/35km

https://www.schwansee.de/hotel.html

Quite spot in springtime by the sea when we were there
Had Cup of Coffee and a piece of cake in the Manor House Restaurant
Walked the alley down to the natural beach and had a nice afternoon by sea

Remote spot nice for a day to relax

We took our bikes for a 10km ride east along the Baltic Coast from Travemünde-Priwall to Schlossgut Schwansee
waymarked Biking Route "Ostseeradweg" 1hr

Oh my goodness - this hotel looks lovely but is it accessible by public transport or taxi from the station? We're not planning to rent a car this trip, which limits us.

I am in the same group as you, mid-70s, and I heartily suggest Eutin/Holstein , been there several times, the last 2016 and also Schwerin of the former Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Not only is the Schloss (chateau) is the primary attraction , the entire Zentrum and Altstadt is well worth your time in exploring if you want more that a superficial view of the city as a cultural and historical site.

Eutin...see the Museum/House of Carl Maria von Weber, Beethoven's contemporary, my first destination in Eutin 50 years ago. The Schloss is important, in the gardens is the German WW1 military memorial. The tourist office in Eutin is located in the Zentrum.

If esoteric Prussian history is of interest to you, since you're in Hamburg anyway, take the S-3 from Hamburg Hbf to Pinneberg , walk the 35 mins. or so to the "Samland Museum," the focus of which on a specific geographic region in the former East Prussia. I saw it 1989.

There is more sites you can get to taking the S-Bahn from Hamburg Hbf if historical sites related to the same historical subject are your focus.

@crooney You def need a car to get there from Lübeck or
two bikes when you ar fit enough to go the 10km by bike to Schwansee from Travemünde on the Ostseeradweg( Baltic bicycle way) along the beach That would be a full day out

So sorry guess you have to look for a different place then

Fred, it was serendipity that you enthused over Eutin because I've been debating simply visiting in a day trip from Lubeck, rather than 2 overnights. Now, I think we will stay. And, thank you for suggesting the history museum - that's now been added to our Hamburg day trips! We LOVE history, all history and try to visit both the well-known and obscure (which are often the most interesting). So nice to know that others our stage are still wandering about!!

Fred, just to follow up - I've researched the Pinneberg Museum and it does look fascinating - but everything I've found is in German. Yes, my grandparents were German but I don't speak a word (well, maybe some - enough to order dinner). Are exhibits in English or is there an English guide? Thank you again.

@ crooney...It sounds as though history is very important to you. On the Samland Museum in Pinneberg, I went there in 1989. Then it was all in German, the museum curator spoke to me in German as I did automatically to her, all written explanations were in German. I read the language generally with no problems, grammatically and vocab-wise. Now that was back then.

I have not been back since, who knows whether any other languages such as English may have been added in the 21st century.

Generally, I have seen that the more esoteric the museum on German history or on a geographic region, it's only going to be only in German, I saw that in 2023 in Ettingen/Bayern, which if you're interested in seeing that in Pinneberg, you would be interested in Ettingen.

part 2 here

@crooney...Since you're in the Hamburg and Lübeck anyway, two more esoteric museums on Prussian-German history can be visited. The first is accessible by taking the S-Bahn from Hamburg Hbf to Friedrichsruh im Sachsenwald , easy to get , signs point the way from the S-Bahn stop, very walkable.

This is the Bismarck Museum.

The other museum is located in Lüneburg, the East Prussian Museum on Ritterstraße, (Ostpreußisches Landesmueum) located in the Zentrum, walkable from the train station to the city center. Over the years this museum has expanded in scope topic-wise and size.

This museum is heavy-duty and very esoteric . Chances are than audio phones with English could be available, I don't know, I never use them anyway.

I would suggest checking with the Tourist Office in Eutin, I found the primary attractions in addition to exploring the Zentrum are the Schloss, the cathedral that escaped the war damage, and Carl Maria von Weber's House/Museum, very enlightening if you're interested in German music in the Romantic Age, Weber is a central figure in that movement.,

As for flights to Southampton, the nearest are from Amsterdam.

Ryanair also fly to Bournemouth from Wroclaw and Krakow (Poland)- taxi to Bournemouth station for trains to Southampton.

Otherwise it is easyjet from Berlin to Bristol (for Bath and/or direct trains to Southampton from Bristol Temple Meads), Heathrow (direct National Express bus or train via the Woking or Basingstoke bus links) or Gatwick (direct National Express bus or train with 1 change).

Fully second Fred as to the language: The more esoteric it gets, the less likely English will be available in the exhibition.

That being said: If you‘re interested in a museum but unsure, just write an email and ask. Even if the exhibition is not in English, the staff will most likely know enough of it to answer such a question - English has been compulsory in schools for about 60ish years now (35 in the former GDR) so almost anybody in the workforce should have some basic grasp of it.

Fred, Part 2 looks fascinating and, as you say, Google translate is a wonderful resource! I will be reading German history in the coming months and am sure that we will be able to get a great deal out of the more 'esoteric';. Thank you!!

Just a note on flights - we would return to Hamburg art the end of our land travels and I've found many flights from Hamburg-London in May - no problem at all. In the past, we've simply used a car service from the London airports to Southampton (Gunwharf Travel in Southampton) and been very pleased - a bit expensive but very reliable.

Hi,

The Museum covers the area between the Vistula and the Memel (zwischen Weichsel und Memel) as one its brochures pointed out, including the most northeastern strip known formerly as Memelland and the city of Memel, now Klaipeda, Lithuania. You can get to Klaipeda/Memel by ferry from Germany, a 26 hour ride from Kiel.

I don't know about air flights, I don't use the air option anyway.

Years ago, 2010?, the Museum held a special summer exhibition on Memelland . I missed it.

@ crooney....You have , as planned, day 17 earmarked for a possible outing to Schwerin. I would heartily suggest that you do that trip to Schwerin, set aside an entire afternoon for that in order to do at a more leisurely pace some real deep exploring of the city on foot. Numerous cafes in the Zentrum.

Logistically, a snap, from Hamburg Hbf less than one hour, a direct shot, Twice as long from Berlin or more.

In Schwerin you'll see and gain an unique insight into a different part of Germany, vis-a-vis the architecture, the city contour in the Zentrum and Altstadt, the lovely Schloß Schwerin of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the cathedrals, etc.

Above all, you'll have a different feel, that subjective factor, in Schwerin. I have been in and visited at length or superficially numerous towns and cities in eastern Germany.(both famous and back-water places) ....Weimar, Potsdam, Neuruppin, Neustrelitz, Leipzig, Prenzlau in the Uckermark area, Magdeburg, Frankfurt an der Oder, Dresden, Meissen , Neuhardenberg, Jena, etc.

Next to Dresden the city of Schwerin stands out as stunning and enchanting along with that subjective feel of the city as to its difference.

Historically, Schwerin and Eutin/Holstein have one common feature quite noticeable, ie, a large and tall memorial to the War of 1870 (as the French call it), ie the Franco-Prussian War in English. (So does Magdeburg). In Schwerin that is located in front of the Schloss, Euttin in the town square as you enter the Zentrum.

I truly wish that we were leaving tomorrow - so many wonderful suggestions and enticing places! Thank you!!

Schwerin is definitely on the itinerary! Thank you both!!

Mignon, I debated Bremen/Bremerhaven but , apart from the Emigration Museum (and we've been to EPIC in Dublin and the Immigration Museum in NYC), did not see that it would be unique to Germany. Are there other sites that would be compelling? Right now, we have possible day trips to Ahrensburg (castle), Celle (castle), Friedrichsruh im Sachsenwald (Bismarck Museum), Lüneburg (lovely and Salt Museum), and Pinneburg (Samland Museum). Clearly, we will need to make some decision as we won't have time to see them all - so much to see!!

Thank you! Winnowing down places to go is getting harder and harder - I do wonder if we will be 'castled out' by the end so it's nice to have options. Bremen may be added!!

I couldn't agree more! It's been great fun researching where to go and what to do - and this forum has been an amazing resource.

"There's so much to see in Northern Germany...." Ain't that the truth !

I would say based on totally subjective observations from my days spent there that Northern Germany still does receive more foreign tourists than does eastern Germany., maybe with Dresden in the lead.

Foreign tourists are simply not going to Weimar, Greifswald, Halle, Magdeburg, Jena, Werder an der Havel, Leipzig , Ludwigslust, Strasund or even Schwerin, even though on my day trip from Hamburg spent in lovely Schwerin I did see a few Asians , (they were Japanese, individual parties, not groups) visiting the Schloss area...bravo !