Tours

Lake Alster

What other city can boast a beautiful 160-hectare lake in its centre? A favourite with locals and visitors alike, the Alster is surrounded by parks, promenades and cafes. It is the perfect place for an energetic jog or a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll. You can actually walk around the entire lake without having to cross a single road. Art fans can admire numerous sculptures in and around the water, while nature lovers will be impressed by the enormous variety of trees including ancient oaks, mighty poplars and conker-filled chestnuts.

Visitors can hire a wide variety of boats (rowing boats, pedal boats or dinghies), but the lake can get very busy on summer weekends, so if you can, come on a weekday. If you don't fancy working up a sweat, then why not board a steamboat and explore one of the many canals that branch off the Alster. These ships are the only motorised vessels allowed on the lake and can also be hired for parties and celebrations. Steamboat tours depart from Jungfernstieg and pass through Hamburg's "living-room," the 18-hectare Binnenalster (Inner Alster) which features a fountain in the middle. The Binnenalster is flanked by luxury shops near Jungfernstieg and Ballindamm, as well as the magnificent five-star Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten.

Passing by lovely parks and splendid 19th century merchants' villas, you can return to the Außenalster (Outer Alster—known by locals as the "jewel of Hamburg") under the Lombard's and Kennedybrücke bridges. If you have the chance, then you should hop off the boat for a snack at one of the lovely lakeside cafes. If the weather is good, you will be rewarded by a glorious view of the Hamburg skyline, dominated by the steeples and spires of the city's major churches, the Rathaus (town hall) and the Heinrich-Hertz-Turm.

Another possibility is to cruise along canals like Feeneich, Isebekanal or Osterbekkanal, where you could be forgiven for forgetting that you are in the middle of a major city. Glorious villas and small boathouses peep out from behind the weeping willows. If you head in the opposite direction, you will come to the Kleine Alster (Minor Alster) which eventually leads into the "Fleete," the canals which link the Alster with the River Elbe and the harbour. Nikolaifleet is Hamburg's oldest canal, but the Herrengraben and Bleichenfleet are also worth a visit. If you continue along the canals, you will eventually reach the Speicherstadt.

Note that when locals say "Alster," they usually mean the Außenalster. However, if you hear the word "Alster" in a bar, it will normally refer to a shandy, one of the area's most popular summertime drinks.

All day excursions leave every half hour from Fähranleger Jungfernstieg (tel: +49 40 357 4240 or http://www.hadag.de). Other possibilities include round trips that last an hour each, short trips, canal trips and fleet trips (each lasting a couple of hours).

The Harbour

If the Alster is Hamburg's soul, then the harbour, pulsating the lifeblood that runs through the city, is its heart. Often referred to as the "gateway to the world," the harbour has expanded a great deal since its founding prior to the 12th century. It is now one of the largest sea ports in the world. Approximately 12,000 ships dock here every year, and over 71 million tonnes of goods are dealt with annually, making it one of the largest industrial areas in Europe. With a circumference of over 45km, the harbour covers an area of 75 square kilometres, almost one tenth of the total area of the city. It also contains 400km of railway track and several million square meters of storage space.

The industrialisation of sea transport has seen the introduction of containers (the container terminal is one of the largest complexes in the harbour), but evidence of the "old days" can still be detected in the historic buildings in the Speicherstadt area. The Landungsbrücken bridge, the Old Elbe Tunnel and one of the city's most recognisable landmarks, the Köhlbrandtbrücke bridge, are all eye-catching symbols of the old harbour. The early 1990s saw the conversion of the formerly derelict Kehrwiederspitze area into a modern residential and business district.

No visit to Hamburg would be complete without a trip around the harbour. There are a number of different tours, departing several times a day from the Landungsbrücken.

River Elbe

The 1165km-long River Elbe winds its way from the sandstone hills of Saxony to Cuxhaven, where it flows into the North Sea. The Elbe was a decisive factor in attracting traders to settle in the Hamburg area. Indeed, without the Elbe there would be no Hamburg, at least not in its present-day form. The river constituted the city's major trading route for centuries, and the 62km long Elbe Canal linking the Elbe and the Trave was constructed in order to improve the supply of salt to Hamburg's fish markets.

The Elbe offers a fine perspective from which to observe Hamburg's many faces. On one side of the river lies one of the most modern and efficient ports in the world, while on the other side, major commercial and industrial plants alternate with exclusive residential villas, a physical sign of Hamburg's wealth, which the city owes in no small measure to the Elbe. The river is spanned by a number of magnificent edifices including the Alter Elbtunnel and several splendid bridges to the south.

The river bank at Blankenese is the perfect place for a romantic stroll, or for simply sitting and watching the ships go by. In the south, you can paddle in the Elbe's tributary, the Dove-Elbe, and peer towards the huge tankers sluggishly embarking on their journey. The river's one failing is that it is not suitable for bathing. The pressure group Save the Elbe and the Elbe Water Quality Monitoring Unit both report that mercury and hydrocarbon contamination have decreased in recent years, but that similarly lethal substances like lead and benzol have taken their place.

There is even a type of headgear named after the Elbe: the "Elbsegler" is a close but slightly flatter relative of the "Prince Heinrich hat," which is popular among North Germans.

There are daily cruises to Blankenese, Schulau and Lühe, as well as from Blankenese to Cranz in the Altes Land. Most of them start from the Landungsbrücken (for more information call +49 (0)40 3005 1300). You can also catch a City Jet cruise to Stade from the various jetties on the river.

Hamburg's Parks

Hamburg is an exceptionally green city, with numerous parks lending themselves perfectly to leisure and recreation. The Outer Alster, for example, is blessed with the idyllic Alsterpark. The Neustadt (New Town), the Wallanlagen and Planten un Blomen park offer plenty to do, with roller blading tracks, an ice rink, a rose garden, a Japanese water garden, botanical gardens and the "Wasserspiele" (Water Show)—a brilliantly choreographed orgy of light, sound and water.

Once the private hunting grounds of a famous Hamburg banker, the Stadtpark is now a popular place with locals who come for a jog around the park, a swim in the lake, a game of football, a picnic or a visit to the Planetarium. Nearby Hayns Park is another good place to hire boats and canoes.

Hamburg's largest park, and certainly one of the most beautiful, is the Friedhof Ohlsdorf, a former cemetery dotted with sculptures and mausoleums, and which also has its own museum. In the south-eastern district of Wandsbek, the River Wandse meanders through Eichtalpark, where you can admire the water plants and marvel at the exhibition of flowers, bushes and poisonous and medicinal plants. The nearby Öjendorfer Park was opened in the early 1960s, as was the adjoining Öjendorf cemetery, which is perfect for spending a meditative moment or two. The park has a large lake with beaches, bathing and sporting facilities.

The district of Rothenburgsort in Hamburg's south is home to one of the city's oldest parks, Trauns Park, inspiration for many a manor house garden in the 19th century. Another pretty area in the south is Harburg's Schwarze Berge (Black Mountains), a hilly area with a highly recommended Wildpark Schwarze Berge (deer park).

In Altona, a long, green chain of lovely parks spreads along Elbchaussee. Jenischpark offers great views over the Elbe and is home to two museums, Jenisch-Haus and Ernst Barlach Haus. A bit further north, the Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden) in Klein Flottbek is a feast for the eyes, while Hirschpark will astonish you with its spooky old trees and popular deer reserve. Passing by Baurs Park and Hesse Park, with its open-air swimming-pool, you will soon come across the Römischer Garten (Roman Gardens) which boast of a wonderful amphitheatre with fantastic views of the river. Sven Simon Park in Falkenstein is home to the Puppet Museum. Tierpark Hagenbecks in the north-west of the city is not just a zoo, but also yet another lovely park. Further down to the west, the huge Volkspark Altona boasts spacious lawns, which are perfect for sunbathing, barbecues, sports and other leisure activities. The attractive Niendorfer Gehege offers horse riding, hiking and recreational areas for the entire family.

Other fine parks in the greater Hamburg area include Klövensteen in the north-west, where you can go riding and enjoy some first class food, and Duvenstedter Brook, a nature reserve with game watching facilities and diverse flora and fauna.

Tour of the Old Town

Many companies offer guided walks through the city centre. The following tour is intended to provide you with a rough idea of the main sights to see in the Altstadt (Old Town). The whole tour will take about an hour and a half.

Beginning at the Hauptbahnhof (central station) and heading in the direction of Alster you pass by the beautiful Hamburger Kunsthalle before reaching the beautiful Inner and Outer Alster lakes, which are spanned by the Lombardsbrücke bridge. If you turn left and walk down Ballindamm, you will see the gorgeous Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten on the other side of the lake. Passing Jungfernstieg and heading along Reesendamm (which faces the wonderful Alsterarkaden), you will soon reach the Town Hall and Stock Exchange. Hamburg's famous shopping street, Mönckebergstraße, takes you to St. Petri Kirche, the oldest of Hamburg's main churches. The lovely Hulbehaus is situated next door to the church, and if you walk down Kreuslerstraße, you will stumble across another church, this time St. Jacobi, which is close to the Museum of Art & Commerce and the cafe Destille. Walking down Klosterwall in the direction of Deichtorplatz, past the Markthalle & MarX, Kunstverein and Kunsthaus, you will eventually reach Deichtorhallen. Rearing up on your right are the mighty Sprinkenhof and Fritz Höger's architectural showpiece, Chilehaus. The warehouse complex to your left contains numerous notable buildings, such as the Zippelhaus.

After admiring the impressive statues of Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama on Kornhausbrücke bridge, walk along Zoll canal to the Speicherstadt, where you can take a look at the Deutsches Zollmuseum, the recently-opened Hamburg Dungeon, Speicherstadtmuseum and the 750-year-old St. Katharinen. It's also worth taking a small detour into the Cremon to have a look at Nikolaifleet and Hohe Brücke. Standing proudly at the end of Kajen is the Schaartorschleuse, a sluice gate which serves to protect the city against floods. Retracing your steps and strolling along Deichstraße, you can admire several historic buildings and a number of sophisticated restaurants before you get to Ost-West-Straße, which is dominated by the black, sooty steeple of what used to be St. Nikolai Church. To take a closer look at Nikolaifleet, cross Zollenbrücke bridge and return over Trostbrücke bridge to admire Laeiszhof und Globushof before heading to the Gebäude der Patriotischen Gesellschaft at the other end of the bridge. Börsenbrücken and Adolphsplatz will then take you back to the town hall, where the tour ends.

Tour of the New Town

The following walk will take you past most of the major sights in the Neustadt (New Town) and will take about two hours.

Beginning at Gänsemarkt and heading down Dammtorstraße, you will pass the State Opera House, Museum für Kommunikation and Planten un Blomen botanical gardens. Continuing along Dammtorwall, past the CinemaxX Hamburg-Dammtor cinema and Dammtorbahnhof, you can climb the steps to get a good view of the Esplanade. Walk through the Colonnaden, where you can do a bit of window-shopping, to Jungfernstieg and turn right into Große Bleichen, past the old post office, and follow Gerhofstraße back to Johannes-Brahms-Platz, where you can admire the Musikhalle - Laeiszhalle, Justizforum and DAG-Haus (home to the Kellertheater). Doubling back down Bäckerbreitergang, you will pass numerous historical buildings, the Hummelbrunnen fountain, Hokkai Japanese restaurant and end up at Großneumarkt. With the Cotton Club just around the corner and Schwender's Weinlokal on the square, this is a good spot to return to later, especially for the wine and/or jazz lovers among you.

Continue down Steinweg and Neanderstraße to Peterstraße, an old street which is home to the Johannes-Brahms-Museum and which culminates at Holstenwall. Turn left to see the Wallanlagen and the Museum of Local History, or pop into Cafe Fees if you fancy a drink or a bit to eat. Passing Neues Theater am Holstenwall, turn left into Ludwig-Erhardt-Straße and walk towards St. Michaelis Church. From the church square you can already see the ship-shaped headquarters of Gruner & Jahr publishers. Walk towards it and take Neuer Neustädter Weg from Schaarsteinmarkt to get down to Vorsetzen. Climb the steps in front of you to get a grand view of the Kehrwiederspitze and the Sporthafen harbour with the Feuerschiff, Elbreederei Abicht and Museumsschiff Cap San Diego. You can either walk or take the metro from Baumwall station to the Landungsbrücken. There is a lot to see and do here, such as visiting Rickmer Rickmers (a maritime museum), going on a cruise, a guided tour of the city, or even exploring the Old Elbtunnel. Right above the metro stop there is a steep flight of steps which leads up to Jugendherberge auf dem Stintfang. This little bit of exercise is a must because the view over the harbour from the top is absolutely priceless! Continue on to Seewartenstraße, past the Bismarck Memorial, and round off the walk with a fish sandwich at Landungsbrücken.