THEMED POST (Post 7)

This themed post means that you can write about something you want to write about. Write about something that moves you, or interests you, or you are passionate about, or want to share. Word Count: 230

I am going to write about a city I feel very connected to. It is a partial hometown for me. Hamburg, Germany. My mom was from there, and my grandparents (and great-grandparents lived there, and I was partially raised by them, so I spent a lot of my childhood and youth there.


Hamburg is a really special city. It has about 1,8 million inhabitants, and is Germany's second largest city. It is very distinctive from the rest of Germany for several reasons.


It is a port city. In fact it is either the first or second biggest port in Europe. You can spend all day just travelling around the port seeing the ships, the wharfs, the canals, the warehouses, the port neighborhoods with bars and typical life of a port. Part of the public transport system is a "water bus" (boat) system, which you can use just to see the port. The port is located on the Elbe River. Hamburg is about 100 kilometers from the sea, but the river is still very wide here, and big oceangoing tankers and cargo ships dock here. In fact, you can see "Hamburg Süd" shipping containers even in Chile!


Hamburg is a city on the water. There is the big river, the Elbe (whose source is in the Czech Republic, and mouth in the North Sea), and some small rivers, and a very big lake in the center: The Alster. There is a lot of water, parks, and it is quite green. Fun fact: Hamburg has the most bridges of an city in Europe...not Venice or Amsterdam.


Comparing to Venice or Amsterdam, Hamburg is a very "normal" city. It's not a tourist place. You can see some tourists, but most people you see are just Hamburgers living and doing their daily things. Therefore, it feels very real if you visit it.

Hamburg is its own state. It is a city-state. Germany is a federal republic of states. This is because Germany only really started to exist in 1871 (can you believe it? Germany is a very young country, not old at all--Chile or the USA are older countries). Due to this fact, Germans tend to have strong local cultures and sympathies: Bavarians, Saxons, Prussians, Rhinelanders, Franks,...and Hamburgers (and a lot more). So, Hamburg is a small city state because throughout its history it was a city state independent of dukes, princes, and kings. Hamburg was and is a city dedicated to commerce and trade, so it is an open-minded place that looks to the world. This fact sort of creates its personality and character.


An interesting note is that there is a building called "Chile-Haus" built by a man who returned from Chile where he made money in the nitrate business. This building is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its unique architecture. Now Hamburg also has a symphony hall recently built in the port area, which is amazing.


I really love this city, and recommend a visit! If you go, you must eat hering (a fish), and/or the traditional eel sandwich!

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