10 Ways to Discover the Elbe

Beach Hang Out "Strandperle"

(Strandperle / ThisIsJulia Photography)

The Strandperle, Hamburg's popular beach Café, is directly located at the beach of the river Elbe. You can enjoy the maritime atmosphere and experience the giant passing container ships sounding their horns in the gentle breeze.

Oevelgönne 60

www.strandperle-hamburg.de

Club Barge Frau Hedi

(Hedi's Tanzkaffee / ibid.)

The club barge “Frau Hedi” enjoys a cult status in Hamburg. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the barge is turned into a concert venue, and during the remaining days of the week several clubs launch rotating music programmes, where DJs pull the punters to the dancefloor. The barge docks hourly.

St Pauli Landungsbrücken, Brücke 10, on the inner quay
Tel: +49 (0)176 83 06 10 71

www.frauhedi.de

HafenCity Riverbus

(HafenCity Riverbus / Sven Mainzer, Hamburg)

Since mid April, tourists are able to go on an amphibious tour of Hamburg port with the HafenCity Riverbus now that the Hamburg Port Authority has officially approved the vehicle for travel on land and sea. Up to 36 passengers and three crew members can go aboard the river-bus on a land and waterborne tour beginning in Speicherstadt and onto the Landungsbrücken.

Start: Brooktorkai 16 in the  Speicherstadt (warehouse district)

www.hafencityriverbus.de

Speed Boat

(Vorsetzen / ibid.)

Take a professional rigid inflatable boat right in the port of Hamburg and speed past some of Hamburg’s most beautiful sights – pure adrenaline is guaranteed, and an expert boatman is included.

Vorsetzen (City Sporthafen)
Tel: +49 (0)172 27 14 004

www.rib-piraten.de

Stand-Up Paddling

(Stand-Up-Paddling / Mediaserver Hamburg)

Stand-up paddling is the latest wellness trend on water. Barefoot on a surfboard, just paddle away to your heart’s content from the Wedel beach. SUPco has the exclusive stand-up paddle licence and guarantees a real SUP adventure through Hamburg's lakes and canals.

Hakendamm 2
Tel: +49 (0)163 16 37 888

www.sup-co.com/supco-elbe

Biking Along the Elbe River

(Bike Tour Elbe / imagefoto.de)

Passing the Altonaer Balkon viewing platform and the Alter Schwede rock at a relaxed pace, you take the cycle path along the banks of the Elbe via Teufelsbrück all the way to the Wittenbergener Heide and Elbwiesen nature reserves.

www.hamburg.de/contentblob

The Elbe Island of Kaltehofe

(Wasserkunst Kaltehofe / ibid.)

The “Wasserkunst Elbinsel Kaltehofe” is one of Hamburg’s most recent cultural and natural attractions. Located right in the centre of the industrial port, the former Kaltehofe waterworks have been transformed into a beautiful industrial monument. The Elbe island of Kaltehofe also includes a nature park rich in species and a waterworks museum.

Kaltehofe Hauptdeich 6-7
Tel: +49 (0)40 78 88 49 99-0

www.wasserkunst-hamburg.de

The Island of Neuwerk

(Neuwerk Isle / Bernd Schlüsselburg)

The island of Neuwerk is located about 100 kilometres to the west of Hamburg just outside the Elbe estuary in the Wadden Sea, the tidal flats of the North Sea. Neuwerk has an area of three square kilometres and is accessible via a horse cart ride through the tidal flats.

www.insel-neuwerk.de

The Island of Heligoland

(Helgoland / Kurverwaltung ibid.)

Take a ferry straight to the island of Heligoland from the port of Hamburg, Wedel or Cuxhaven. Here you can visit the colorful “lobster shacks”, marvel at paintings and crafts of the island’s artists and enjoy the fresh breeze and the natural scenery. After a four-hour stay on the island, it's back to the mainland again.

Norderhofenden 19-20
Tel: +49 (0)461 86 444

www.helgoline.com

Raft Trip on the Elbe

(Alster by boat / Roberto Kai Hegeler)

Experience the natural and cultural landscape between Hitzacker and Bleckede from the water on motorised wooden rafts. In good weather, the trip takes about two hours on the Elbe – quiet, relaxed and calm.

Rosengartenweg 1
Phone: +49 (0)388 41 61 155

www.elbe-flossfahrten.de

Elbe Dyke Route: Winsen/Luhe

(Harburg-Winsen / imagefoto.de)

The largest part of this 50 kilometre bicycle route runs south of Hamburg along the Elbe dyke through the Winsen marshes. When looking over the opposite bank of the Elbe, you can see the city of Hamburg. There are many bike rest points along the way, especially in the town of Hoopte with its fish restaurants and snack bars.