Hanseatic cities 11 – 16 August 2019

On Sunday morning our trip starts in Windisch. Two of our four new Car Rouge coaches stand ready in their latest splendour for our trip to Hamburg. Full of anticipation, we welcome our almost 60 guests on board. We greet the travellers with our home-baked muffins and fresh coffee from our modern Jura coffee machines. Today a long journey awaits us, with over 800 km to cover. We are driven by our excellent drivers: the young but very skilled driver Denise Eissler and the experienced, even-tempered driver Jens Schuldig. So that the many kilometres and hours of driving can be managed, Daniel takes over from them again and again on both the outward and the return journey. No traffic jam stands in our way, and we make quick progress. We take short breaks again and again, and on board we are always happy to be at your disposal. Coffee, drinks or a little chocolate now and then sweeten the journey. On the way we already get in the mood for the coming days with a video about the Elbphilharmonie.

In the evening we arrive in Hamburg and can check in to our accommodation for the next 5 days. The Hotel Steigenberger is in a prime location, only a few minutes' walk from the Jungfernstieg. The spacious rooms offer plenty of comfort, and for those who have booked Superior rooms, a view of the Alster is included. The dinner buffet is ready for us, and after feasting you can drift off to sleep looking forward to the days ahead.

Today, the second day, is entirely dedicated to Hamburg and its finest highlights. We meet in the lobby with our long-standing tour guide Paul Klein. It begins with a tour of Hamburg, on which we get a first overview of this wonderful city. The tour takes us to the Binnenalster, the Town Hall and the Landungsbrücken. Our tour ends at the Elbphilharmonie, where a boat with a quintessential Hamburg captain is already waiting to explore the harbour. Mighty container ships, but also the Elbphilharmonie, are best admired from the water. And all this is accompanied by amusing and informative explanations of special features from our captain.

After the impressive harbour cruise we have time for refreshments. Around the Elbphilharmonie a modern quarter with many cafés and small restaurants has sprung up, the ideal place for a short break. Fortified, we head into the Elbphilharmonie. We are very proud to be able to offer our customers this tour with a visit to the small and large halls, as organising this tour was something of a challenge. On the tour we receive detailed information about the architecture, the construction, the acoustics and the many small details that make this building so extraordinary.

The evening is at the guests' free disposal, 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 to the main entrance of the Elbphilharmonie. The guests have the chance to relive all the details shown in the afternoon, but above all to experience the excellent acoustics. After this successful evening we take our customers back to the hotel by coach.

The third day leads us in the footsteps of the Hanseatic League. Today's excursion centres on Wismar and Lübeck. On arrival in Wismar, the pirate Störtebeker is already waiting for us and leads us with great passion through the small but very historic Hanseatic town of Wismar. He casts a spell over all of us and we listen to his pirate stories with rapt attention. The free time that follows is ideal for a leisurely lunch, for taking photos in Wismar or for 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 structure. As a little insider tip that we discovered on our reconnaissance trip, we recommend the St Petri tower to our customers. You can reach the top of the tower on foot or by lift and enjoy a breathtaking view over the whole of Lübeck, which helps you get your bearings in this pretty city afterwards. A visit to Niederegger to taste the delicious marzipan is of course a must in Lübeck. Lübeck offers wonderful opportunities for a shopping tour or simply for enjoying time in a small café. With many impressions of these two Hanseatic cities, we head back to the Hotel Steigenberger in Hamburg. The evening is at your free disposal in Hamburg. Perhaps for a visit to St Michael's Church, the original landmark of Hamburg, or something quite different, for example a nightcap on the Reeperbahn.

The fourth day is not dedicated to cities and Hanseatic merchants. We drive to the Lüneburg Heath. On the way there is a stop at the impressive Scharnebeck ship lift. Daniel explains in detail how the lift works and gives interesting background information. After a drive away from 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, with fascinating commentary from the coachman, awaits us. The Lüneburg Heath is said not to have bloomed as it has this year for several years. We are real lucky ones, it seems. In Underloh you can still buy local honey or another small souvenir at the little general stores. 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 an excellent salad from 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 with it. 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 have the option of spending the time as they please or going with Loris and Daniel to the Restaurant Jacobs for a gourmet dinner. 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 passing ships. The weather is on our side again today, so we can take the aperitif in the open air and have time to chat with our dear guests. On the second trip, from 18 to 23 August, we were accompanied by a married couple who had celebrated their wedding at the Restaurant Jacobs 50 years ago. Stories like that are always wonderful to hear. There is a tour of the house at the Jacobs. We are allowed to see the rooms – among them the one where Max Liebermann once stayed, the artist who immortalised the Linden Terrace. We are also allowed a look into the kitchen of top chef Thomas Martin. We are personally welcomed by the director, Mrs Fuchs-Eckhoff. She tells us insider tales about the restaurant and the hotel and casts a spell over all of us with her passion for the Jacobs. We then enjoy an exquisite menu. To start there are roast beef rolls from Husum pasture-fed ox with mushroom salad and potato crisps, followed by a very fine velvety celery soup, and for the main course we are served pink-roasted beef fillet with sauce Béarnaise. To finish we enjoy the dessert variation «Louis C. Jacob». After this successful evening in the best company we drive back to the Hotel Steigenberger.

On the fifth day today, 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 transported back to olden times. After the tour there is still enough time to see the city on your own. For example, to photograph the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen, visit the cathedral, stroll around or simply have a fine lunch. Now we head back to the Hotel Steigenberger in Hamburg for the last time. To defy the somewhat cool weather, our driver Denise has a brilliant idea! Everyone gets a Schümli-Pflümli, courtesy of the team. This evening there is a buffet dinner at the hotel, and we use the time once more to look back over the finest travel experiences with our customers.

The final day is already here. As is always the way, holidays are over very quickly, and for us too it is time today to travel back to Switzerland. They were very eventful and impressive days and we take home a great many impressions. We cover the just over 800 km. The journey passes again in a pleasant atmosphere; besides the biscuits and coffee, we also serve sparkling wine with the aperitif and the guests can toast their lovely holiday together. We made today's lunch stop at the Landgasthof Hess in Aua. The staff are very quick and we can have a very pleasant lunch in agreeable surroundings, away from a motorway service area. After the meal there is a small digestif courtesy of Loris and Daniel, as on almost every day of this trip. Without any traffic jams and with many beautiful 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 other of you at EUROBUS or Car Rouge again very soon. Thanks to great demand, the same trip took place a second time, from 18 to 23 August 2019.