Kampnagel is the first decent sized live music venue I've been to in Hamburg. The setup is a bit…read moreweird if you're used to going to gigs in the UK. Firstly, they start late. Support at 2200, band at 2300, out by 0030. The building looks like some kind of former factory, and when you get in there it's very very civilised! You drink outside the hall first, in a huge factory floor, and go in just before the support come on. Everyone was queuing up, I presumed to get to the front. Not a bit of it! They were actually queuing to get seats! The magic of going to gigs in Hamburg is twofold then. You can actually just buy tickets on the day for most things, AND you can get right to the front, cause the Germans aren't interested in doing it themselves! Amazing. The Decemberists themselves were really really good. I'd only got into them a day previously, so didn't know all the songs, yet came out on such a high I made a frivolous tshirt purchase! I love acoustic music at the best of times, and these guys play really interesting songs, sea shanties... bordering on trad folk at times. They're also really tight. The highlight of the gig was the encore when they dived into the crowd, with instruments, and played "The tale of the mariners revenge" completely unplugged. Great stuff.

The Kampnagel surprised me even before I set foot in it's doors. One of my favorite bands, The…read moreDecemberists, were set to play there and those who heard that this little-known band (or at least, little-known in Germany) were going to be giving a show at the Kampnagel mentioned that playing there was a significant "movin' on up". Their previous show at the Knust, a smaller venue fit for a smaller audience, was packed to the brim. Playing at the Kampnagel is apparently a large step up for indie bands. The location itself is large and comfortable, built for a middle-sized audience The location is part concert hall, part contemporary art gallery and part club (The "Casino") and is geared towards a younger crowd (students and 30-somethings). The acoustics in the concert hall are moderately good and the hall itself includes seating arrangements for the lazy. Smoking is not allowed in the concert hall itself, which is a blessing. Smoking in the outer hall is allowed (where the exhibition takes place) however the lack of ashtrays and very few trash bins was a little odd. Overall, The Kampnagel seems to be a lovely place for a concert, but I can assume that audiences would be more enthusiastic about the preformances if a lack of seating arrangements would force them off the chairs and onto the dancefloor. Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R4tmJY0rtQ

Honestly, when S first told me about Miniatur Wunderland and how it was the largest model railway…read morecollection in the world - it wasn't a place that I felt super enthusiastic about visiting during our time in Germany. Another couple joined us for the Hamburg portion of our trip and they really wanted to go, so I agreed. I'm a believer now! This place is fun for all ages. As someone who prides myself in my skillset re: "attention to detail", this place has me beat and I'm totally impressed. Come early to beat the crowds. It does get pretty crowded in there. You definitely need at least 3-4 hours here, and can probably spend the entire day too if you want. They have lockers for your stuff, and a place to grab a bite to eat on-site. Reservations are a must! We were pretty late in booking our tickets so ended up spending an extra 10 euros to buy the "virtual reality" experience in order to get an any time entry ticket. The 10 min VR experience was pretty meh, so only choose this option as a last resort.

Wow! What an experience! I never anticipated this being something of interest, but hearing so many…read morepositive recommendations when I arrived in Hamburg made me interested. I looked online and it was sold out and the estimated wait time was 3-4hours. I rolled the dice and got lucky with a walk in and only waited 30min. This is was the highlight of my trip, the displays were detailed beyond expectation. Looking forward to going again in the future!

As a preliminary issue, this hotel is no longer operated by the Kempinski group, but there is no…read moreother listing for it. This is a glorious old hotel that holds tightly to its heritage, which is a lovely thing. Our room, once we got past some hiccups, was gorgeous and comfortable, with a huge, well-designed bathroom, and beautiful window/doors that opened completely to small Juliet-style balconies. The beds were comfortable, and the room was tasteful. The lobby and bar areas are exceptionally classy and visually stunning. Unfortunately, this was not the 5-star experience expected of a 5-star property because of some early issues with the room. My friend arrived in Hamburg a half-day ahead of me because of flight schedules, and she was placed into a room different from our booking. She had booked a room with 2 twin beds, as we were sharing the room. On check-in, she was assigned a room with a "king" bed that consisted of two twins pushed together. They were configured in a way that she could not easily spread them apart, so she contacted the front desk. She was told the beds would be separated. Hours went by, and after multiple conversations with the front desk, my friend considered booking a second room because they simply refused to honor their word - or the reservation. Finally, there was a change of personnel at the front desk, and immediately the situation was corrected - we were promptly reassigned to a new room with two beds. Unfortunately, this meant my friend, who had already partially unpacked, had to repack and move her things, but at least we were given what we had booked. It is unfortunate that the original front desk staff could do nothing but make false promises because clearly the issue could be easily addressed. Still, we tried not to let that subtract from our lovely stay in this hotel.

Just finished a 4 day stay at this beautiful hotel in Hamburg. Hotel was lovely but the welcome and…read moreservice was below standard. I was treated as a non guest for lack of a better explanation. Maybe because I was an American alone or a woman alone. Asked a few questions because I'm in a foreign place and was often treated rudely, made to feel like I was not welcomed asking a stupid question. We travel a lot with smiles on our faces and excited to see everything and this wasn't my first trip to Hamburg or Germany. Being nice always works even in the most prestigious hotels!