I recently spent a weekend running and cycling around Hamburg- you can read my full blog post here. I thought I’d also re-cap where we stayed and ate in the city.
Best Western Premier Alsterkrug
We spent two nights at the Best Western Premier Alsterkrug which is located in the Alsterdorf district in the north of the city. I would usually choose a hotel which is more central for a city break, but this time it worked well to stay in Hamburg’s suburbs. Although the hotel is approximately 6 miles from the city centre, it is well connected with buses and trains so getting around is easy. It’s also super convenient to get to from the airport which is ideal if you arrive on an early morning flight as we did.
The area is an upscale residential district characterized by tree-lined streets and large red-brick houses beside the beautiful river Alster. Being so close to the river is perfect for running and walking- there are miles of trails to explore just a stone’s throw from the hotel. The Best Western Premier Alsterkrug also have a canoe available for guests use, although it was too cold for this activity when we visited!
The rooms were spacious and well-equipped with a king-sized bed, coffee machine, bathrobes, large TV and a view down onto the garden below. There were thoughtful touches like chocolates left on our pillow. After a long day exploring Hamburg, it was lovely to return to our room and relax.
What makes this hotel unique is that it has its own 2-lane bowling alley in the basement! The other facilities include a fitness area and spa with Finnish sauna, soft sauna and steam bath, wellness-showers and ice fountain. My only complaint about the gym is that there are no weights, just cardio equipment- why run on a treadmill when you can run along the river?!
Hobenköök
One of our best meals during our stay was at Hobenköök which is a restaurant and market hall housed in an old rail freight station. The produce is all locally sourced, seasonal and cooked in an open kitchen. Hobenköök’s menu is in German and being unable to translate it we took a recommendation from the waitress to order the fish. We were pleasantly surprised with a delicious meal of white fish, vegetables and potato.
Ban Canteen
Escaping the cold wind, we stepped into the cozy atmosphere of Ban Canteen for lunch. The restaurant serves fresh Vietnamese-inspired food and drinks in a relaxed, modern atmosphere located between the St. Pauli and Schanzenviertel districts. The noodle bowls are huge and full of flavour- mine was topped with chicken, peanuts and egg, whilst Glen had squid as a topping.
Casa Madeira
Hamburg has a sizeable Portuguese quarter which our cycle tour guide pointed out to us. We decided to sample some Mediterranean food and chose Casa Madeira from the cluster of restaurants along the Ditmar-Koel-Strass. We shared the mixed fish plate which was piled high with salmon, cuttlefish, sardines, prawns, potatoes and courgette. There was so much food, we couldn’t actually finish it!
Do you like to stay central or in the suburbs on a city break? What’s your favourite cuisine?
We visited as guests of the Come to Hamburg scheme and the accommodation, travel and meals were provided free of charge.