In yesterday’s post I took you through half of my trip to Hamburg – now I’ll show you the rest!

After exploring Hamburg’s independent design scene during the day, we met up again at 6pm for the evening’s activities. First stop was Clouds – a 24-storey building in the fashionable Reeperbahn area of the city. We headed up to the 23rd floor for cocktails and a glorious view of the sun setting over the city. The very top floor is a terrace still under construction, but it’s due to open in April and it will be stunning.

Then it was on to dinner at Hotel East. Despite being inside a hotel, the restaurant is one of the most popular in Hamburg and was packed full, even at 7pm on a Thursday. The surroundings are plush and decadent and there’s a live sushi kitchen in the centre so you can watch chefs prepare your food – very cool and tasty too!

After dinner we headed out to St. Pauli on the Hamburg Beatles Tour. I must admit I was a bit thrown by this – apparently Hamburg was a key location for the Beatles during their early years and they played many gigs here. Brilliant for Beatles fans but it wasn’t really my scene… luckily we ducked into one of the many full-to-bursting bars in St. Pauli for G&Ts and some dancing afterwards. Much better!

Our last day was reserved for exploring the HafenCity area, starting with the historic Speicherstadt building. Speicherstadt is a collection of warehouses designed to transfer goods in and out of Hamburg’s harbour. The harbour doesn’t see much action these days, so since 2009 Speicherstadt has been under development and exciting things are starting to happen inside these towering buildings.

We visited one of the businesses that now call Speicherstadt home, fashion label Brax. It was great to see how the space has been repurposed for a more modern use while still retaining its original character – all exposed wood, concrete flooring and an amazing view over the city.

With a couple of hours left before lunch, we were guided around the HafenCity area. Right on the water, this part of Hamburg is up-and-coming with loads of development including luxury apartments, a university and a concert hall.

We visited the 25hours Hotel and had a little sneak peek around – I absolutely loved the design of this place, all bright colours, copper piping and bicycles as art. We also ducked into JAN KATH – an amazing German designer who creates bespoke rugs from deconstructed Persian styles. The shop was beautiful and full of inspiration… shame the rugs cost upwards of €7,000!

After a final walk along the waterfront, we sheltered from the wind in Carls – a gorgeous French restaurant that overlooks the bay. Carls’ parent restaurant Jacob’s has two Michelin stars so I was very excited to eat, and the fresh, delicious food did not disappoint. A wonderful way to end our trip!

I had a fantastic few days in Hamburg – if you’re bored of Berlin and want a city break with something different, I’d definitely recommend a trip. Fascinating culture, stunning design and delicious food – everything you need for a weekend away!

My trip to Hamburg was provided by Hamburg Marketing.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited on a press trip to Hamburg. My initial thought was ‘Hamburg? Where’s that?’ – my geography isn’t great and Germany is somewhere I’ve never given much thought to. But Germany it was, and within 24 hours I was on a flight (which took an hour and a half – quicker than a train from Leeds to London!) heading towards the city. Here’s what I got up to…

I joined the group – which included fashion, design and art writers from across Europe – a little later on the first day due to my last minute flight, and caught up with them at Hamburger Kunsthalle museum for a double exhibition – Feuerbach’s Muses – Lagerfeld’s Models. The museum has curated a collection of Karl Lagerfeld’s photography alongside paintings by Anselm Feuerbach – an exploration of models, muses and the way beauty is portrayed.

After a guided tour of the exhibition, we headed down the street to The Cube, the museum’s restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious 5-course dinner. Art can often be lost on me but it was fascinating to see how Lagerfeld’s modern photography echoed paintings from the late-19th century.

Day two dawned bright and sunny and we had chance to explore the hotel we stayed in – Barcelo Hotel Hamburg, a central spot that made it easy to get around the city. Rooms are spacious and modern, with an amazing walk-in shower and a glorious view, and the breakfast was amazing too!

Our first stop on day two was the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg for The Chanel Legend – an exhibition dedicated to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel and her work. I absolutely loved seeing Chanel through the ages – from the delicate flapper dresses of the 30s to the classic LBD and her signature tweed suits. There was even a screen showing the episode of The Simpsons where Marge finds her own Chanel suit!

From the museum we caught the subway to Schanzenviertel for lunch at Bullerei Deli. It’s one of the most popular spots in Hamburg and it’s not hard to see why – we grabbed a table in the sun and enjoyed burgers bursting with flavour and chilled glasses of Fritz-Kola. Inside was just a gorgeous, with blooming floral displays and mismatched vintage furniture.

After lunch we headed further into Schanzenviertel to discover Hamburg’s independent fashion scene. This was probably my favourite part of the trip – Hamburg has a vibrant design culture and inspiration can be found everywhere.

Walking through the Karolinenviertel area and down Marktstraße (‘Market Street’) was such a great experience – we ducked in and out of tiny shops jam-packed with trinkets and treasures, from letterpress gorgeousness to delicate jewels and handmade headwear. Our tour guide was local designer Katharina Czemper who owns a label and shop on the street, Maison Suneve and it was brilliant to have her knowledge and insight.

After a long and happy day exploring, we retired to the hotel to rejuvenate before the night’s adventures and our final day in Hamburg. Come back tomorrow for the second instalment!

My trip to Hamburg was provided by Hamburg Marketing.