Anyone who visits the Hamburg State Opera during Advent can expect a small concert or a short reading – a cultural Advent calendar.
(Photo: Hamburg State Opera)
Free culture appetizers
In the Hamburg State Opera you can relax a bit in the hustle and bustle of Advent and take advantage of a special cultural offer free of charge. Every day until Christmas Eve, soloists or smaller and larger ensembles perform for about twenty minutes at the “Literary-Musical Advent Calendar” in the entrance area of the post-war modern building. Seat cushions are laid out on the stairs to the cloakroom, so there is space for between 100 and 150 people, many of whom are regulars. The artists are, for example, members of the opera ensemble, the Philharmonic State Orchestra or the “Alsterspatzen”, the children’s and youth choir of the State Opera. As every year, John Neumeier, head of the Hamburg Ballet, will read an excerpt from the fairy tale “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde. There is baroque music, hit movies from the 1920s, and other times Low German poems.
The program works according to the principle of surprise – but if you’re too curious, you can find out what’s on offer this morning on the State Opera’s website in the morning. The performance is at 5 p.m. most days. Admission is free, but donations are welcome – this year they will go to the Hamburger Tafel.
staatsoper-hamburg.de/adventskalender
The Christmas rides on the S-Bahn take place in decorated, historic carriages.
(Photo: Marcel Auktun)
On a train ride with Santa Claus
Another break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas is a ride on the Hamburg S-Bahn. You can drive through the city in decorated historical wagons at certain times on the four Saturdays in Advent: on November 26th and December 3rd from Barmbek to Altona and back, on December 10th and 17th between Ohlsdorf and Blankenese. Coffee, cake and non-alcoholic mulled punch are available on board. Santa Claus also comes along and hands out little things to the children. And on the above-ground part of the route you can admire Hamburg decorated for Christmas. On the journey between Barmbek and Altona, you can get a glimpse of the Binnenalster from the Lombardsbrücke, with the Alster fir shining in the middle.
You can ride with a normal public transport ticket. On November 26th and December 3rd you need a free seat reservation and boarding is only possible in Barmbek, on the following two Saturdays you can ride without a reservation and also board en route.
At the Advent fair in the Koppel66 you can find surprises like this button chain, designed by Miriam Hermsen.
(Photo: Koppel66)
Special gifts
In the middle of the central and colorful district of St. Georg is “Koppel 66”, a house for art, crafts and design. In a machine factory built in 1924 in the Hamburg art deco style, the studios of artists and craftswomen have been located on several floors for 40 years. The Advent fair, which takes place here on the four Advent weekends and offers the opportunity to buy special gifts – from jewelery and bags, crockery and sculptures to tablecloths and greeting cards, has been around for almost as long.
More than 60 craftsmen, artists and designers offer their works, most come from Hamburg and the surrounding area, but artists also travel from Lithuania. The in-house studios can also be visited during the Advent fair. It is open Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is three euros. You can take a break in Café Koppel, which is located in the same building. The menu only features vegetarian and vegan options.