Two rivers characterise Hamburg, one arouses longing, the other is home: the Elbe, with its sleepless harbour, is the city's lifeline; the Alster, dammed to form a lake, forms the heart of the metropolis. They are somewhat in competition for the favour of the citizens: "Alster or Elbe?" is a kind of question of faith – and all Hamburg residents have an answer ready.
Alster or Elbe, a contrast between business location and place of recreation: the rough Elbe shows the industrial and economic side of Hamburg – thanks to the tireless harbour and the hustle and bustle of the heavy barges, tugs and harbour ferries. The Port of Hamburg is not called the "Gateway to the World" for nothing – gigantic container ships from all over the world or returning cruise ships from Scandinavia regularly pull up to the city. At night, the lights of the harbour cranes twinkle in the harbour, the dull hum of the cranes providing the soundtrack to the city.
While the Elbe never lets the harbour come to rest, the Alster in the heart of Hamburg gives the city an idyllic centre. Quiet and beautiful, the small Binnenalster lined with its promenades, offers a sweeping view of Hamburg's most magnificent office blocks and star hotels, while the larger Außenalster with its neighbouring villa districts, promenades and tree-lined parks invites you to take a stroll or go sailing. As a local recreation area, the Alster is also one of the city's favourite Jogging routes in the city.
But as great as the contrast may seem, there are also quieter neighbourhoods along the Elbe that invite you to take a stroll, such as the Blankenese district, Hamburg's most expensive residential area, with its beautiful Treppenviertel directly on the banks of the Elbe. The Alster is also anything but quiet in summer, as the banks are lined with popular restaurants such as the Alsterperle where the whole city meets on nice summer days – all levels of life, all ages – to have a drink together, talk and enjoy the view. Apart from that, there is perhaps even a little more traffic here on the water in summer than on the Elbe, with all the sailors, rowers and stand-up paddlers.
The port of Hamburg
Modern container or cruise ships are giants, often several hundred metres long. Their spectacular manoeuvres off the quays and harbour basins are precision work on a gigantic scale. The size and draught of the ships have brought about a structural change in Hamburg in recent years. The Container port, the third largest in Europe and one of the most important in the world with a throughput of around nine million standard containers, has moved down the Elbe and to the southern bank of the river. On the quays near the city centre, which have become too small, the HafenCity Hamburg – a new, inspiring district that celebrates its location on the waterfront. Flats for 14.000 people and workplaces for 45.000 people are being built on 155 hectares. Large parts of it have already been completed. The open spaces and riverside promenades as well as the modern buildings, which include the Elbphilharmonie, already make HafenCity a centre of attraction for walks. The neighbouring historic warehouse district offers a charming contrast to the modern architecture Warehouse district whose brick architecture has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, as well as the neighbouring Kontorhaus district with the famous Chilehaus.
