Hanseatic Cities, 11 – 16 August 2019
Our journey begins on Sunday morning in Windisch. Two of our four new Car Rouge coaches are gleaming and ready for the trip to Hamburg. Full of anticipation, we welcome almost 60 guests on board, greeting them with our home-baked muffins and fresh coffee from our modern Jura coffee machines. A long journey lies ahead of us today, with more than 800 km to cover. We are driven by our excellent drivers: the young but highly skilled Denise Eissler and the experienced, even-tempered Jens Schuldig. So that the many kilometres and hours at the wheel can be managed, Daniel takes over from them time and again on both the outward and return journeys. No traffic jams stand in our way and we make good progress. We take short breaks along the way, and on board we are always happy to look after you. Coffee, drinks and the odd little chocolate sweeten the journey. Even on the way, we get into the spirit of the days ahead with a video about the Elbphilharmonie.
In the evening we arrive in Hamburg and check in to our accommodation for the next 5 days. The Hotel Steigenberger enjoys a prime location, just a few minutes' walk from the Jungfernstieg. The spacious rooms offer plenty of comfort, and guests who have booked a superior room enjoy a view of the Alster as well. The dinner buffet is ready for us, and after a feast we can fall asleep looking forward to the days ahead.
Today, the second day, is devoted entirely to Hamburg and its finest highlights. We meet in the lobby with our long-standing tour guide Paul Klein. We begin with a tour of Hamburg, which gives us a first overview of this wonderful city. The tour takes us to the Binnenalster, the Town Hall and the Landungsbrücken. It ends at the Elbphilharmonie, where a boat with a thoroughly typical Hamburg captain is already waiting to take us around the harbour. Mighty container ships and the Elbphilharmonie itself are best admired from the water, and our captain adds amusing and informative commentary on the local peculiarities.
After the impressive harbour cruise we have time for something to eat. A modern quarter with many cafés and small restaurants has grown up around the Elbphilharmonie, making it the ideal place for a short break. Refreshed, we head into the Elbphilharmonie. We are very proud to be able to offer our guests this guided tour, which includes the small and the large hall, as organising it was quite a challenge. On the tour we learn a great deal about the architecture, the construction, the acoustics and the many small details that make this building so extraordinary.
The evening is free for our guests to explore Hamburg on their own or to enjoy an enchanting evening at a concert in the Elbphilharmonie. Daniel and I drive those guests who have chosen the concert by coach right up to the main entrance of the Elbphilharmonie. Guests can relive all the details shown to them in the afternoon, and above all experience the outstanding acoustics. After this successful evening, we take our guests back to the hotel by coach.
The third day takes us in the footsteps of the Hanseatic League. Today's excursion focuses on Wismar and Lübeck. On arrival in Wismar, the pirate Störtebeker is already waiting for us and guides us with great passion through the small but very historic Hanseatic town. He casts a spell over all of us, and we listen spellbound to his pirate tales. The free time that follows is ideal for a leisurely lunch, for taking photos in Wismar or for seeing further sights.
We continue to the city of marzipan, Lübeck. We accompany our guests from the coach park to the Holstentor, where Daniel gives some further explanation of this landmark. As a little insider tip that we discovered on our reconnaissance trip, we recommend the tower of St Peter's Church. You can climb it on foot or take the lift up, and enjoy a breathtaking view over the whole of Lübeck, which is also a perfect way to get your bearings in this pretty city. A visit to Niederegger to taste the delicious marzipan is of course a must in Lübeck. Lübeck offers wonderful opportunities for a shopping trip, or simply for spending time in a small café. With many impressions of these two Hanseatic cities, we return to the Hotel Steigenberger in Hamburg. The evening is free in Hamburg. Perhaps for a visit to St Michael's Church, the original landmark of Hamburg, or something quite different, such as a nightcap on the Reeperbahn.
The fourth day is not about cities and Hanseatic merchants. We head for the Lüneburg Heath. On the way there, we stop at the impressive Scharnebeck boat lift. Daniel explains in detail how the lift works and gives interesting background information. After a drive off the motorway through the traditional villages of the Lüneburg Heath, with their typical houses, we arrive in Underloh. At the farm of Detlef Schröder and his family, four carriages and eight horses are already waiting for us. A colourful carriage ride through the Lüneburg Heath awaits us, with fascinating commentary from the coachman. The heath is said not to have bloomed as beautifully as this year for several years, so we are real lucky charms. In Underloh you can still buy local honey or another small souvenir at the little village shops, for example for the neighbour who waters the plants during the holidays. Back at the farm, a little surprise awaits our guests: we have organised a barbecue lunch at Detlef's. There is a superb salad made by Detlef's sister-in-law, Detlef's brother is at the grill, and the meat comes straight from the neighbour, the village butcher. Wine, beer and water are served as well. We spend a wonderful day in the midst of nature in a family atmosphere. To finish, Detlef serves a local schnapps to aid digestion, the Heiden Geist.
Back in Hamburg, guests can spend the time as they wish or join Loris and Daniel for a gourmet dinner at the Restaurant Jacobs. The traditional Restaurant Jacobs welcomes us with an aperitif on the most beautiful terrace in Hamburg. From here you have a wonderful view of the ships passing by. The weather is on our side again today, so we can enjoy the aperitif under open skies and have time to chat with our dear guests. On the second trip, from 18 to 23 August, we were accompanied by a couple who had celebrated their wedding at the Restaurant Jacobs 50 years ago. Stories like this are always wonderful to hear. There is a tour of the house at Jacobs. We are allowed to look at the rooms, including the one where Max Liebermann once stayed, the artist who immortalised the Lindenterrasse. We are also permitted a look into the kitchen of top chef Thomas Martin. We are personally welcomed by the director, Ms Fuchs-Eckhoff. She tells us behind-the-scenes stories about the restaurant and the hotel, and with her passion for Jacobs she casts a spell over us all. We then enjoy an exquisite menu. To begin there are roast beef rolls of Husum pasture-fed ox with mushroom salad and potato crisps, followed by a very fine velvety celery soup, and for the main course a pink-roasted beef fillet with sauce béarnaise. To finish, we enjoy the dessert variation «Louis C. Jacob». After this successful evening in the best of company, we drive back to the Hotel Steigenberger.
On this fifth day, Bremen, another Hanseatic city, is on the programme. In Bremen we are already awaited by two city guides, who bring this special city closer to us. We learn a great deal about the Hanseatic merchants and their history. In the Schnoor, a small quarter, you feel as if you have been transported back to olden days. After the tour there is still enough time to see the city on your own. For example, to photograph the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians, visit the cathedral, stroll around or simply enjoy a nice lunch. Then it is back to Hamburg and the Hotel Steigenberger for the last time. To brave the rather cool weather, our driver Denise has a brilliant idea! The team treats everyone to a Schümli-Pflümli (a plum schnapps with coffee). This evening there is a buffet dinner at the hotel, and we use the time once more to look back on the best travel experiences with our guests.
The final day is already here. As is so often the case, holidays are over very quickly, and today we too head back to Switzerland. These were eventful and impressive days, and we take home a great many impressions. We cover the just over 800 km. The journey passes in a pleasant atmosphere; besides biscuits and coffee, we also serve sparkling wine with the aperitif, and guests can toast their lovely holiday together. We stopped for lunch today at the Landgasthof Hess in Aua. The staff are very efficient and we can enjoy a pleasant lunch in agreeable surroundings, away from a motorway service station. After the meal, Loris and Daniel offer a little digestif, as on almost every day of this trip. Without any traffic jams and with many lovely memories, we return to Switzerland.
It was an honour to welcome so many guests on board again. We would be delighted to welcome one or another of you at EUROBUS or Car Rouge again soon. Thanks to great demand, the same trip took place a second time, from 18 to 23 August 2019.
