5 Things You Need to Know About Hamburg
Currently seated in a hotel lobby in Berlin, I find myself immersed in my thoughts as I reflect upon my two-day trip to Hamburg. Hamburg is a beautiful city, and I definitely see myself returning to fully experience its rich cultural and local attractions. Though my visit was short, here are five things that stood out in Hamburg.
Before coming to Hamburg, I was expecting an industrial metropolis as Hamburg is a port city known for its manufacturing hub. While this still hold true given its numerous factories, such as Airbus, and the sight of the cargo containers along the harbor, I was surprised by the city’s cultural tapestry. For example, I had the opportunity to explore the oldest coffee shop in Hamburg, the Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei, where I had a sip of coffee and a bite of brownies. I also took a stroll along the riverbank and admired its architectural masterpieces.
From the H&R Ölwerke Schindler GmbH firm visit, I learned that hydrofuel is an innovative and viable step to achieving carbon neutrality. I originally did not know about this type of energy source, and the tour allowed me to gain insights its production processes and environmental benefits. Additionally, the tour guide at the Airbus factory also corroborated on this fact. He explains that hydrofuel may be a worthy alternative to the traditional carbon fuel for flying, mitigating carbon emissions from aviation.
My favorite moment during my trip to Hamburg was the boat tour. It was interesting to view the city from another perspective, and the boat operator provided phenomenal commentary. On the boat ride, I passed by the stacks of cargo containers and rows of ships docked at the port. It was the first time I saw them up close, and I was shocked to hear that these ships can reach a depth of 70 meters. During the ride, I also could not help but contemplate about the global supply chain, especially given the historical blockage of the Panama Canal as the boat tour gave me a perspective about the size of the cargo ships.
I want to give a shout out to Monika Griefahn, a member of the SPD party and one of the co-founders for Greenpeace. Her discussion on the topic of sustainability was insightful, especially the concept “goods as a service” stood out to me. At Babson, I am currently taking a course in sustainability, and I can see myself integrating these concepts into my projects, such as the intersection between design, innovation, and beauty. Nonetheless, I think that “goods as a service” is an innovative way for producers and consumers to think about waste because it encourages the recycling of raw materials. This model explains that the producers retains ownership of a product and merely sells the service to the consumers. For example, when a customer purchases a chair, he is only purchasing the service of sitting, not the chair itself.
Next time I come back to Hamburg, I would love to visit Minatur Wunderland, a popular tourist attraction. I first spotted this attraction while on the boat tour, and it immediately caught my attention as I love all things minature. Unfortunately, by the time I got off the boat, the attraction had already closed. Therefore, the Miniatur Wunderland will undoubtedly be one of the first places I’ll visit when I return to Hamburg.
Overall, I am sadden to leave Hamburg after such a short visit. However, my experience was still enriching, and I gained valuable insights and memories along the way. Until we meet again in Berlin. Tschüss!
