Eppendorf

Eppendorf is the polished end of northern Hamburg: wide streets of Wilhelminian-era apartment buildings, concept stores, brunch cafes and a well-heeled, unhurried mood. The quarter's calling card is the Isemarkt, an open-air market held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, under the elevated U-Bahn viaduct between the Hoheluftbrücke and Eppendorfer Baum stations. At roughly two-thirds of a mile long it is considered the largest open-air market in Europe, and it is a browsing and tasting market of fruit, fish, cheese, flowers and delicatessen stalls rather than a bargain hunt. The Eppendorfer Landstraße and the Eppendorfer Baum form the shopping axis, with fashion, design, food shops and upscale restaurants in close succession, plus a second weekly market on the Eppendorfer Marktplatz. The UKE, the university medical center, sits at the western edge and gives the neighborhood a steady professional population. To the east, Eppendorf runs down to the water: the Alsterwanderweg footpath follows the Alster all the way to the Außenalster and the Alsterpark, a favorite Sunday walk. Where to stay: quiet, residential and comfortable, with fast U-Bahn links downtown. A good match for travelers who prefer a real neighborhood to a hotel district, and for anyone visiting the medical center. Getting there: the U1 serves Kellinghusenstraße and Hudtwalckerstraße, the U3 serves Eppendorfer Baum and Kellinghusenstraße. The Isemarkt lies directly beneath the viaduct between Hoheluftbrücke and Eppendorfer Baum.