Discovering Hamburg #1

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.