We regularly ask readers to take over The Local Germany's Instagram. Recently, July Rocha from Aracaju, northeastern Brazil, showed us her Hamburg.
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I'm 28 years old. I spend my days creating (I am a travel blogger/writer and photographer) and learning German. I am also a dog sitter.
I love to get out and explore Hamburg, enjoy the events around the town and even find hidden gems such as architecture, graffiti and good vegan foods. There are so many things to see and do in this city!
READ ALSO: Local knowledge - an insider's guide to Hamburg
When and why did you move to your city?
I moved to Hamburg slightly more than two years ago. Me and my husband came to visit this city and fell in love – a bit later we decided to find a job/school and live here. I met my husband six years ago in Brazil a while before when I started working as a flight attendant for executive aviation. After a couple of years living together, we decided to achieve our dream of living abroad and worked on it.
Hi there! ?♀️ This week I'll be taking over this instagram and showing you the best things to see and do in Hamburg, as well as curiosities, videos, food and events. ? My plan for this week is to show you why you must visit Hamburg and help you choose the best season and things to do, based on your taste. . Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany, right after Berlin, and it is known by locals as "schönste Stadt der Welt" (most beautiful city in the world). I've been here for two years and I am in love with this place, so I couldn't agree more. ? . There’s always something happening in the city. For all tastes and interests, there’s an event, a party, a festival, fairs… Hamburg also has A LOT of public spaces. Nature, urban or beach, name it and we have it here. Hamburg is rich in architecture (highly photogenic city, btw), museums, art, music. You can spend an afternoon drinking tea in a Japanese garden and then enjoy the night on sailor pubs, that's how eclectic this city is. . I shared some curiosities on stories today and will answer all your questions from the last story tomorrow! ? Stay tuned! #MyGermanyWithJuly xx @theurgetodiscover ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #MyGermany #thelocalgermany #Germany #thelocaleurope #deutschland #architecture #hamburgliebe #hamburggram #Hamburg #hamburgerhafen #HamburgPerle #localguide #igersgermany #ig_germany #ig_deutschland #alemanha #expatlife #expatingermany #hh #hanseaticcity #travel #meinhamburg #igershamburg #hamburg⚓️ #germany?? #deutschland?? #hamburgcity #040 #travelblogger
A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Aug 23, 2019 at 6:46am PDT
Hamburg is like a hidden treasure in Germany. When you say “Germany” abroad, people think of Berlin or Frankfurt. But for me – and for those who experienced this city – Hamburg is the best city in the world. I was lucky to find this city and explore it enough to fall in love (and you don’t need much for that).
What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?
I love that there’s always something happening in the city. For all tastes and interests, there’s an event, a party, a festival, fairs… Hamburg also has A LOT of public spaces. Nature, urban or beach, name it and we have it here.
Stadtpark. Opened in 1914, the city park Hamburg is a 148 hectare large public park in the district Winterhude. Picnics, kayaking, swimming, stand up paddling, relaxing are just a few examples of what you can do when visiting there. On sunny weekends, this park receives around 200,000 visitors, who enjoy the variety of leisure activities. The park has also a planetarium, cafes, restaurants and, during summer, open-air concerts. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (photo credit: @theurgetodiscover) #MyGermanyWithJuly ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #MyGermany #thelocalgermany #Germany #thelocaleurope #deutschland #architecture #hamburgliebe #hamburggram #Hamburg #hamburgerhafen #HamburgPerle #localguide #igersgermany #ig_germany #ig_deutschland #alemanha #expatlife #expatingermany #hh #hanseaticcity #travel #meinhamburg #igershamburg #hamburg⚓️ #germany?? #deutschland?? #hamburgcity #040 #travelblogger
A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Aug 25, 2019 at 1:29pm PDT
I live in St. Pauli, the heart of Hamburg. Here you can find a huge variety of bars, parties and restaurants (and green areas, too). It is very close to the Port of Hamburg and most of the events happen in this neighbourhood.
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
It may sound strange, but what annoys me is the same thing that I love. The fact that St. Pauli doesn’t stop. Parties, noise and tourists every day may be a bit annoying when you just want to rest or have a lazy Sunday.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
Strolling around the Planten un Blomen park is a great way to start the day. If it is summer, you can have breakfast at the café, enjoying the peace and the beauty of this park.
Which one is your favorite? ? Swipe to see the Japanese garden and the fountain (day and night). ? One of the greenest attractions of Hamburg, Planten un Blomen park invites you not only to sunbathe and relax, but also a variety of attractions to entertain you, like a romantic rose garden, the architectural landscape of the park and a Japanese garden. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There you can find also a Botanical Garden with a Tropical House, which is a very popular destination for those seeking warmth, especially in the winter. The park also has numerous events in the summer for the kids, such as children's parties, children's theater and even a pottery activities. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the evening, visitors can enjoy the magical water light concerts with live classical music at the lake. It is free and happens every day from May to the end of August at 22h, and it goes on until the end of September an hour earlier. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There's also a miniature golf course and a ice-skating rink (this one during winter), Eisarena: Germany's largest open-air ice rink. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For culture enthusiasts, concerts, readings, teahouse events, theatrical performances and chess gardens near the Glacischaussee entrance complete the Park's diverse program.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Opening hours: May to September, 7 to 23h. October to March, 7 to 20h. April, 7 to 22h. Public transportation: U3/bus St Pauli, U1 station Stephansplatz, U2 station Messehallen and S11, S21, S31 station Dammtor station. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Photos credit: @theurgetodiscover) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Aug 26, 2019 at 12:42am PDT
After the park, exploring the Port and the Portuguese quarter is a perfect idea, especially if you love photographing like I do.
From the Portuguese quarter, you can explore the Sternschanze area – plenty of small, local and independent restaurants, cafés and stores for all tastes. Not to mention how rich in graffiti this area is!
And for the night, you can choose between Sternschanze (alternative, trendy) or Reeperbahn (wild and exquisite). At Reeperbahn, you can find the famous red-light and party districts of St Pauli. Bars, sailors pubs, pop, rock, metal, 80’s and modern clubs, everything coexisting and making this area so memorable.
It was a pleasure for me (@theurgetodiscover ?♀️) to take over this Instagram and show you a local's guide to my city. Of course there are many other things to see and do, so I just shared the highlights. ✨ It is time to say goodbye now ? I hope you enjoyed this week as much as I did and that you liked getting to know Hamburg a bit more! Thank you! ❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finishing our week, I want to show you St Pauli, the heart of Hamburg. The second pic is the Große Freiheit street, where The Beatles started their career. Bars, sailor pubs, strip clubs, restaurants, clubs, modern music or 80's, everything for a fun night you'll find in St. Pauli. Here's where most events take place, like the Reeperbahn Festival (live music), food festivals and the Hamburger DOM (pic 1), the biggest funfair of Northern Germany. The Dom happens three times a year and the next one will be the Winter Dom: 08/11 to 08/12/2019 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Photos credits: @theurgetodiscover) #MyGermanyWithJuly ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #MyGermany #thelocalgermany #Germany #thelocaleurope #deutschland #architecture #hamburgliebe #hamburggram #Hamburg #hamburgerhafen #HamburgPerle #localguide #igersgermany #ig_germany #ig_deutschland #reeperbahn #expatlife #expatingermany #hh #hanseaticcity #travel #meinhamburg #igershamburg #hamburg⚓️ #germany?? #deutschland?? #hamburgcity #040 #nightphotography
A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Aug 29, 2019 at 11:20am PDT
In Sternschanze, you can find bars taking over the streets – if there's good weather – , trendy cafés and many cocktail bars. The Rote Flora, a musical theatre, has been hosting artists and presentations for 30 years and is another great option for a night out in St. Pauli.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
There are a bunch of facts not well known about Hamburg, and especially about St. Pauli I have three that are really interesting:
1. The biggest Japanese garden in Europe is located in St. Pauli, at the Planten un Blomen park.
2. The Beatles started their career here, playing at Reeperbahn.
3. There’s a little street closed off by a wall that is only for adults, and women are not allowed to walk through unless they’re sex workers.
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