I’m very happy to introduce you to Tatjana Anić, a young inspirational woman that I have recently met on Instagram. Sometimes I truly love this social network for bringing incredible people to my life.
In the near future, Tatjana will show us her special places in the city that she lives in, and, take us on a journey around the world. I am sure that Tatjana’s experience of living abroad will be very interestingly described through her posts on Project: We Travel, and don’t tell her, I can’t wait to read them with you! Her posts will be in English so you, our dear readers, from all over the world, can enjoy her stories.
I am truly honored to have such a partner on the Project: We Travel blog.
Ladies and gents… Tatjana Anić <3
I'm Tatjana from Hamburg, located in Northern Germany. After living in various places around the globe, including the countryside of Pennsylvania, Venice in Italy and finally several years in Berlin, I returned to Hamburg where I grew up and saw the citу through different eyes.
As an architect, I am drawn to every detail. I enjoy discovering and seeing new places as well as finding small pleasures in the already known surroundings. That's where I get my inspiration from.
Living in Hamburg has taught me the importance of water in the city I live in. The river Elbe or the big city lake called Alster are such central elements of the city that increase the quality of life.
On the one hand, Hamburg is one of the biggest German cities and on the other hand, it feels very low-key and familiar with a great community. I enjoy the diversity and the strong cohesion of the locals.
Some of my favorite aspects are the great specialty coffee community, the art scene and the many entrepreneurs in the city who support each other.
Especially this year, since traveling became impossible, I've explored the surrounding areas of Hamburg even more. For example a day trip to Lüneburg, a nearby small town with its beautiful historical buildings, narrow cobblestone alleys and friendly locals.
City I could live in…
One of the cities I could definitely live in is Copenhagen. I've visited the Danish capital a few times and so many aspects of the city offer a high quality of life for me.
I like the progressive architecture, scandinavian aesthetics, the scale of the city, especially that it's walkable and the importance of movement by bike. The international vibe and welcoming feeling of the locals is refreshing. It feels open-minded but also has small structures within the city with its many beautiful cafés, restaurants and small shops.
City that makes me happy…
Hamburg is definitely a city that makes me happy and feels like home. The significance of water is a huge part. When I need to clear my head or feel the wind, a walk or bike ride along the Elbe river with the harbor in the background is all it takes to regain energy.
I love the many farmer's markets, especially the Isemarkt which is the longest outdoor market of Europe and has a fantastic selection of diverse food stalls.
The cultural aspect is another asset, especially since the Elbphilharmonie has been built - the concert hall is the new landmark of the city that locals love as much as tourists do.
The diversity in restaurants and coffee shops makes Hamburg also precious and inviting.
Coffee I always drink…
I love drinking a great flat white since the first time I tried it back in Australia about 10 years ago before it was even a thing in Europe.
My favourite Coffee Shop…
Hamburg has such amazing cafés that serve third wave coffee as well as many coffee roasteries. So this one is hard to pick but a new favorite is the Australian style café called "Marshall Street" which opened this year.
Magazine that I love…
I would always prefer print to digital. Reading in general is a passion of mine. Since living in Berlin, I discovered indie magazines and there are a few favorites I stick with and always look forward to the next issue.
The one that really sums up my personal interests is "Salt & Wonder". From issue one, I loved every detail of it: the written words, the illustration and photography style and of course the topics itself. It's a wonderful combination of slow food related subjects as well as travels. Shortly ago, they published a zine devoted to coffee and everything around the bean - it's very lovely and suits as a great gift for coffee lovers.
About Interior Design…
Personally, I would say that Danish design has the biggest influence on my own living style. I love clean lines within spaces, bright colors, the importance of natural light and warm materials such as wood.
What I cherish about Scandinavian design style is its simplicity without missing coziness and warmth. In my own space, I like to combine modern and design pieces with flea market finds and little treasures from my travels.
Architect who I admire…
Unfortunately he is not alive anymore but I would have loved to have a chat over a cup of coffee with Frank Lloyd Wright. He was such a brilliant architect who had a special sense of space and how to combine it with nature. Not only the materials he used but also the approach of finding a great coexistence between architecture and nature is amazing.
Luckily, I got to see a few of his buildings in person - the architecture icon "Fallingwater" fascinated me the most.
