International Tourism Management graduate, Amy Harrington, pens her experiences of living and working in Hamburg, Germany.

I grew up in a small English town with an inadequate selection of leisure activities and a sameness which has plagued most English towns since the 1950s. Every year for a birthday treat my parents would take me into London, where I was confounded by the hustle, bustle and multitude of opportunities that lay before me. Since that first trip, it had always been a dream of mine to move to a city but, not just any – it had to be a foreign city. So when my university offered me the opportunity to live and work in Germany’s second city for 6 months, I jumped at the chance.

The only thing holding me back was my German language ability. The few German words I had learnt in history GCSE were all I had. With only one month to prepare, I left for this terra incognita without being able to string together a sentence, let alone finding a place to stay. What was I thinking?!

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It was cold when I arrived in February. The city had a dystopian feel to it, with its bare trees and monochrome buildings. Eventually, I found a hostel in Altona where I would have two weeks to find a place to live for the remainder of my trip. To avoid hauling my enormous suitcase onto the U-Bahn, I opted to take a taxi to the hostel, which resulted in a clumsy conversation about the weather in Pidgin English. It was nice to know that British small-talk was universal.

For those of you who don’t know, Hamburg is a free-state located in the northern part of Germany not far from Denmark. It is home to some of Germany’s finest architecture, its biggest port and Europe’s largest red-light district. And yes, the Hamburger did get its name from Hamburg.

Interestingly, Hamburg has quite the reputation for Rock ‘n’ Roll, having hosted many bands in the bars of the Reeperbahn during the 1960s. One of these groups was a small, little- known band called The Beatles. Allegedly, one night they performed with a Toilletensitz – I’ll let you translate that – around John Lennon’s neck. As you do. Leastways, he was famous for saying ‘’I might have been born in Liverpool – but I grew up in Hamburg,’’ which is a quote that resonates with me more than any of the band’s lyrics as, this being my first proper solo flight from the nest, I too grew up in Hamburg. But perhaps not exactly in the same way, I never performed on stage using a loo as an accessory, for one thing.

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Despite the language barrier, I was surprised to find that Hamburg was much the same as London, Edinburgh or Bath. The only major shock I had was walking down the Reeperbahn in St.Pauli, the central avenue of the somewhat bohemian port district of the city. The Reeperbahn, also known as die sündigste Meile (the most sinful mile), is traditionally associated with punk-rock, clandestine activities and grubby bars. Instead, I was greeted with neon-lights, flashing signs and a strip lined with restaurants, trendy bars, and niche clubs. There’s no concealment to the overt sexuality of the district; every fantasy or fetish is flaunted and rammed in your face. It reminded me of Soho in its hey-day, or at least how it’s remembered. Rest assured, there is no street like this in the London of today – not one I’ve been down anyway.

Coming from a rather reserved country, it was a shock to see ‘nooky’ flaunted about everywhere. Sex-work and related trades are able to thrive in Germany due to relaxed laws, I was told. The state regulates the industry, however there is still some element of stigma attached to those engaging in it; some feel compelled to lead double-lives to mask their activities. But despite being out of my comfort zone in something I hadn’t experienced before, I never felt safer walking down the Reeperbahn at night, certainly I felt more secure than I do in many of Britain’s cities.

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I was also there when Germany won the World Cup in 2014. I made the mistake of wearing a brand new blue and white maxi-dress, which I soon noticed were the colours of Argentina – the opposing team! Luckily no one made a fuss; I can’t help but think there would be more serious repercussions were I to make the same mistake in my local pub!

The euphoria when Germany won was a feeling I will never forget, for a moment everyone was united as they sang the national anthem and hugged one another. In that minute it didn’t matter where you were from or who you were, all that counted was that you were there. Parties raged on through the night, as even train drivers got in on the act, tooting their horns to our chants while flags waved out of every visible corner. Strangely, the next morning was like every other, it was as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t help but think the party would have carried on for months back in the U.K. I suppose that’s the nature of sustained success in a sport, or is it something that’s culturally ingrained?

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Perhaps the fondest memories I have of Hamburg are in its numerous gardens and vintage markets, and general relaxed nature. Festivities and cultural events colour the city every evening, but there’s no gripe in going straight back to work the next day. I don’t think I’ve been to a place since where artistic expression is encouraged so exceedingly, and where there’s a harmony without prejudice about the people.

Bierhallen, Biergärten and Bierstube are flocked to for a Stein full of, you guessed it… Bier after work. On Saturdays it was always a chore to fit in everything you wanted to do, whereas Sundays were a low-key affair, usually reserved for rest and ‘family time’. By the end of my stay in Hamburg, I was still overawed with the laidback attitude and friendliness of its people. I inevitably made comparisons with Brits, and wished people back home were a bit more approachable and relaxed. Maybe it’s something ingrained, or maybe it’s down to the abundance of green spaces, the room to breathe and live, or the incredible bar culture. Whatever it is, they have found the secret to a good work-life balance, with an even better social life – and the country is happier for it. Maybe there is something that we can all learn here.