Hamburg Weather: Between Nolde and “Tolles Wetter” – The North Stays Grim
Morning. If you thought yesterday that spring was finally getting serious, this morning set you straight. Here we go again: the Hamburg weather is showing its rough side. Right on cue for the middle of the week, a proper storm front is rolling over the city – and honestly, I’ve been sitting here for decades, but it’s rarely been this consistently cranky. So: pull your beanie down, pop your collar, and for goodness sake, get the right music on.
Squalls and Showers: What’s Happening Today
The forecasts weren’t exaggerating. If you head out this morning, you’re in for the full experience: a thick, grey blanket, with persistent drizzle that just won’t quit. And then the wind. Not a gentle breeze, but gusts that whip around the buildings on the Elbe and in the higher parts of the city. This low-pressure system seems determined to keep us in its grip all day. Temperatures between 6 and 8 degrees – but with the wind, it feels more like December. It probably won’t dry out until after sunset. That’s the honest truth.
Nolde in Hamburg: Art as a Change of Pace
When the wind is lashing the rain across the Landungsbrücken outside, I know exactly where I’m going to escape. And this time, the escape is particularly tempting: the major exhibition “Nolde in Hamburg” at the Kunsthalle. What a contrast to this foul weather! If you know Nolde, you know this is where the rugged Nordic soul meets pure explosions of colour. Nolde loved the north, but he didn’t copy the weather – he set his own world against it. A visit feels like an act of defiance: outside, the atrocious weather; inside, flowers are blooming in the boldest hues. It doesn’t get much more Hamburg than that.
- What? Nolde in Hamburg – a major retrospective
- Where? Hamburger Kunsthalle
- Why now? Because it’s the perfect antidote to today’s grotty weather.
“Tolles Wetter” at the CCH: The Classic to Warm You Up
And then when you get home, kick your wet shoes into the corner and pour yourself a cuppa, there’s only one way to give the weather some musical cheek. Udo Lindenberg. Who doesn’t remember the recording of “Tolles Wetter (Live At CCH Hamburg, Germany / 1979)”? That exact track, that moment at the Congress Center Hamburg, where Udo connected with the Hamburg audience through the song. It wasn’t just a show – it was a statement. The lyrics capture that quintessential Hamburg feeling: it’s raining, it’s stormy, but we’re not letting it get us down. “Tolles Wetter” is, for me, the unofficial anthem for days like this. When Udo was on stage back then, everyone in the hall was instantly on his side. You can almost picture it: the wind lashing against the windows of the CCH, the lights flickering inside.
The Soundtrack for a Miserable Wednesday
So, dear Hamburgers, here’s my small, completely subjective list of what helps today:
- Morning: Thick jacket, umbrella – even if it turns inside out straight away, the gesture counts.
- Midday: Get yourself to the Kunsthalle, see the Nolde exhibition. Soak up the colour.
- Evening: Put your feet up, tea or a crisp pilsner, and crank the stereo. “Tolles Wetter” by Udo, live from the CCH, at full volume.
The wind is here to stay for a while, and so is the rain. But with the right attitude – and the knowledge that we live in a city that produces artists like Nolde and musicians like Udo – the weather is just a footnote. Let’s stick it out. And don’t forget your brolly – even if it’s just out of principle.