Heading to Hamburg

Coming out of the airport terminal and into the car park, you will get a lung full of impeccably clear air that almost puts you in shock. One thing is for certain from the minute you arrive and that is the beauty of Hamburg has a lot to do with the nature that surrounds it.

It's almost impossible to describe how stunning Hamburg is. The best time to visit is around April, when the trees burst into a vivid lime green colour and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The city's parks are immaculately clean and a popular hangout for its inhabitants and tourists alike.

When I visited, Hamburg was experiencing its first few days of spring sunshine and it would not be an exaggeration to say that 90 per cent of the city's dwellers had taken to their balconies, or were having picnics in the park. In this sense, the city has a very southern European feel to it, which says a lot for a place that doesn't see that much sunshine.

What to see

With Christmas approaching, Hamburg is a popular choice for tourists who come to take advantage of the city centre's festively decorated shopping streets and arcades. Enjoy a visit to one of the Hamburg Christmas Markets that take part around the city centre, starting from Jungfernstieg, right through to Fleetinsel (from November 11 to December 31, www.hamburg-tourism.de).

You can also catch the colourful Hamburg Christmas Parade that takes part through the city centre every Saturday evening during advent at 1pm and 5pm, starting in the Mönckebergstraße at Galeria Kaufhof. The 680th Hamburg Winterdom, which is the largest public festival in the north of Germany, takes place between November 11 and December 6.

A popular destination is Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway. Born out of a dream by twin brothers Frederik and Gerrit Braun in 2000, today the display is made up of 9,000 metres worth of track, approximately 700 trains and 10,400 carriages, in addition to more than 150,000 figures and 200,000 lights. More than 400,000 manhours were put in to make the model railway what it is today, and with four more phases now under construction, a lot more work is yet to be done.

If you're not a model railway enthusiast or young boy, you may wonder why you should bother with a trip here, but you will be surprised to see how much you enjoy the evident amount of love and imagination that's gone into making these fascinating displays. (www.miniatur-wunderland.de, admission costs ten euros (about Dh54) for adults, five euros (about Dh27) for children under 16 and eight euros (about Dh43) for seniors).

Where to stay

If you have a substantial budget to blow, consider staying at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, the hotel of choice for Hollywood stars. Founded in 1897, the hotel maintains its historical charm by choosing to give keys to its guests as opposed to access cards (http://www.fairmont.com/hamburg).

The Grand Elysee, the city's largest hotel, is a popular choice for a mid-budget stay. The hotel boasts some very helpful staff, in addition to large, comfortable rooms and excellent restaurants (the Oyster Bar comes personally recommended) (http://www.elysee-hamburg.de/el/en/home.html). n