A beach holiday in the city of Hamburg

Hamburg exudes the beachy air of the sea – that’s what you will find when standing on the Elbe shore, looking at the gigantic container ships as they make their way down the river to the sound of seagulls. As you feel the soft sand under your feet, you get that special holiday feeling – a beach holiday feeling in the very heart of the city. Digging your bare feet into the sand, you watch the ships pass by, with the sun on your skin, palm trees swaying in the summer breeze, a cool caipirinha in your hand, and relaxing music in the background. All this can be experienced in the three beach clubs at the St Pauli Landungsbrücken: directly on the Elbe in the middle of the port, the beach clubs “Strand Pauli”, “Hamburg del Mar” and “Dock 3” create an unparalleled holiday and club experience. All those who prefer a more contemplative experience can simply walk over to one of the beachy stretches on the Elbe. Thanks to water quality improvements in recent years, you might also consider taking a dip in the water. Be mindful, though, of the tides as well as the currents created by the passing ships. Oevelgönne with its many beachy stretches used to be the home of seafaring captains and belongs to the district of Altona. Especially during the summer months, this is where locals enjoy the sun and the view of the 24-hour container port opposite. The Strandperle, which is also located here, is a real institution and is considered to be the “mother of all Hamburg beach clubs”. The nearby eateries and the Oevelgönne beaches are popular places for enjoying a mild summer evening. During the day, you can view the historic vessels of the Oevelgönne museum harbour or take a long walk along the shore to the Ice Age granite boulder “Alter Schwede”. Further to the west, the Blankenese beach with its small hotels, pontoon restaurants
and bathing spots is a surprisingly quiet place for a large city. The former fishing village exudes an almost Mediterranean atmosphere and is ideal for a mix of relaxing beach holiday and inspiring city break.

Using the S-Bahn, Blankenese can be reached in only 15 minutes from Hamburg’s city centre. The promenade above the beach is shaped by its petite wooden buildings that are typical of Northern Germany. Some of these host small beach hotels, restaurants with Hamburg specialities or beer gardens where you can enjoy barbecued fish, draughtmbeer, and much more. Extending your journey even further to the west, towards the district of Rissen, you will reach Falkenstein shore, a wonderful place to go for a recreational walk at any time of the year. The Geesthang, a steep slope overlooking the shore, offers a beautiful panoramic view over the Elbe. The path along the sandy banks of the Elbe gives you a foretaste of the North Sea and is somewhat reminiscent of the Frisian Islands. Only a few metres further on, Wittenbergen beach with its shallow water is a popular destination for local families. The Wittenbergen landing stage juts several metres out into the water and offers ideal conditions for sunbathing or for watching the giant container ships passing by.