Hamburg: Wind, water, and wide spaces

Wind, water, and wide spaces

One of Germany's greenest city & one of the greenest worldwide

No other city in Germany offers more green spaces and more water surfaces when measured against the number of residents. And even on a global level, Hamburg is ranked in the top ten greenest cities of the world: in 2018, TravelBird, a tour operator, compiled a global ranking based on square metres per person as well as cities’ efforts to preserve natural green spaces and create new ones. Featuring 114.07 square metres of green spaces per resident and with 1.82 million inhabitants at the time, Hamburg came in ninth.

With 88.10 square metres per resident, the German capital Berlin was ranked 18th, and with 72.49, Munich only took 24th place. Providing 410.84 square metres of green space to each of its 123,200 residents, Iceland's capital Reykjavik was at the top of this global ranking. Next in line were Auckland (New Zealand, with 357.20) as well as Bratislava (Slovakia, with 332.99).

In a 2019 survey by Spotahome , a housing company, Hamburg scored even better: in the “green spaces and parks” category of the Healthiest Cities Report, which included 89 cities worldwide, Hamburg came in first, followed by Vilnius (Lithuania) in second place and Geneva (Switzerland) in third place. Coming in next were Vancouver (4), Stockholm (5), Ljubljana (6), Canberra (7), Adelaide (8), Auckland (9), and Brisbane (10).

Facts & Figures

• 19 percent of Hamburg's municipality consists of designated protected landscape areas, and nearly 10 percent of Hamburg’s municipality is made up of water surfaces – including the port, the 164-hectare Alster Lake in the heart of the city as well as countless canals, fleets and river courses.

• Hamburg features as many as 36 nature reserves, and as a result, nearly 10 percent of the city state’s area is protected under strict nature conservation. With a national average of 3.6 percent, Hamburg is once again taking the lead.

• A unique destination awaits you at the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park in the North Sea. The area on the western Elbe estuary is home to more than 2,000 species of animals and has been identified as one of the most bird-rich areas in Central Europe. The Wadden Sea can best be explored from the island of Neuwerk, which is legally part of the City of Hamburg – despite being located more than 100 kilometres away from Hamburg

• Right in the centre of Hamburg you can find the popular “Planten un Blomen” park, which includes e.g. a beautiful botanical garden with a tropical house as well as Europe’s largest Japanese garden.

• With an area of more than 150 hectares, the Stadtpark in the district of Winterhude is one of the largest inner-city recreation areas and is widely used by young and old alike. Designed by the influential urban planner Fritz Schumacher and completed in 1914, the park was setting the bar in terms of landscape architecture at the time.

• Comprising an area of almost 400 hectares, the Ohlsdorf Cemetery is the largest park cemetery in the world. The premises are characterised by a combination of historical buildings and monuments and are also visited by many guests to the city.

• Providing ample opportunities for sports and recreation and surrounded by the Alsterpark, the Outer Alster Lake in the city centre is one of the most popular urban destinations for Hamburg's locals.

A walk around the Alster - with wide views and culinary stop-overs

Can you think of any other city in the world that treats itself to a 165-hectare artificial lake at a premium location in the city centre? Granted, back in1235, when the Inner and Outer Alster Lakes were dammed, property prices in Hamburg were more modest. But today, the areas around the Alster are among the priciest and most sought-after residential locations. Thanks to the thoroughly democratic mindset of Hamburg’s citizens, these lakeside locations have long since ceased to be privately owned, offering the opportunity to circumnavigate the Outer Alster as part of a picturesque 7.4-kilometre-long route. On a Saturday morning, this route is a popular place to see and be seen for runners and cyclists. For a more laid-back experience, however, we would recommend that you embark on an anti-clockwise walk with many (culinary) breaks – perfect views of the silhouette of Hamburg's city centre included.

Your outing starts at the central station right in the city centre. From here, it is only a five-minute walk to the elegant Hotel Atlantic on the Alster. Before you leave, you might want to pop over to Lange Reihe with its small shops to stock up on picnic food. Arguably the best cake can be found in the Café Gnosa under a rainbow flag. Those who start early in the morning will have a rich, inspiring breakfast a little further down in the Literaturhauscafé on Schwanenwik. If you have less time on your hands, you can grab a cappuccino and a croissant at the Alsterperle just opposite, both with a fantastic view of the city. Further north you will pass Hamburg’s time-honoured rowing clubs, the Hamburg Senate’s guest house, where e.g. Queen Elizabeth II and the Dalai Lama have stayed, and the Feenteich, a pond that is lined with some of Hamburg’s priciest villas. You will then walk past the Blue Mosque, a fine piece of oriental architecture featuring minarets, Arabic calligraphies on tile mosaics and a sky-blue dome.

After a short detour to Winterhude – you are welcome to walk all the way to Mühlenkamp and immerse yourself in the urban life of Hamburg's “Notting Hill” quarter – you will reach the northern end of the lake, offering a wonderful view of the city from the bridge.

If you are in the mood for some healthy exercise, you can rent a canoe at “Bobby Reich” and explore the Alster and its many branches from the water – which is also an ideal way of peeking into the back gardens of the elegant villas along the way. Passing the Egyptian Consulate, the tour continues south again. Perhaps have a coffee or Alsterwasser (that's what Hamburg’s locals call their shandy) on the jetty of the AlsterCliff or a little nap on one of the coveted white chairs. The final leg of your journey will take you to past the villa of Jil Sander, the Hamburg School of Music and Theater, the new luxury hotel The Fontenay with its terraced roof as well as the Lakeside restaurant with its spectacular view over the Alster. And once you are past Hamburg’s “White House”, the former Consulate General of the United States, you will find yourself back in the old town.

This tour can be done comfortably over the course of one morning or one afternoon. However, if this seems like too much work, we recommend that you take one of the nostalgic ATG Alster steamers. Boat trips depart from Jungfernstieg and allow you to hop on and hop off at many of the spots mentioned.

For even more distance and solitude, you may want to explore the Alster using a rented sailboat. Please note, though, that this option is for experienced sailors only: wind conditions can be very challenging especially in the city centre, and the wind tends to change constantly. The first port of call for sailboat rentals is “Käpt'n Prüsse” just outside the Hotel Atlantic.

Exploring the Alster from the water: Canoeing, SUP & sailing in the heart of the city

With more than 2,400 bridges, and thus more than Venice (400) and Amsterdam (1,200) combined, Hamburg actually holds the European record for bridges. Little wonder, then, that the city features numerous waterways, offering ideal conditions for exploring Hamburg in an active way. Whether you are an ambitious athlete or more on the recreational side, there are suitable options for every level. When visiting Hamburg, at least one water sports experience should be on your list as it allows you to explore Hamburg from a unique angle.

On a more tranquil note, canoeing on the Alster and on the countless side canals is suitable for beginners too, since there are no currents or rapids here. And all those who can’t swim don’t have to worry either, because life jackets are always available on request. To turn this into a romantic journey with your better half, you can equip yourself with a bottle of wine and a picnic basket, paddle along the canals to the Stadtparksee and find a cosy spot there. Or stop over at the Café Canale – probably Europe's only drive-in café for canoes, where your takeaway coffee is handed to you through a window hatch.

To combine your boat tour with environmental protection, you should watch out for the logo of GreenKayak, an initiative that turns waste hunting into an enjoyable experience, providing boats for free paddling tours at six rental stations along the Alster. The robust green kayaks accommodate two people and can be used without any prior experience. On board you will find two life jackets, a bucket and two rubbish grabs, a local map of the waterways as well as a leaflet with tips for protecting birds and plants. After the tour, the waste collected is weighed – a fun way of helping the environment.

Stand-up paddlers have long ceased to be a rarity on Germany’s coasts and inland waterways. In Hamburg, the fairly shallow and calm Alster and the many canals offer numerous great routes for an inspiring SUP experience.

More recently, another water sport has developed from stand-up paddling: SUP yoga. To practice SUP yoga, no special athletic skills are required. With the SUP Club Hamburg, you can learn to explore your own limits in a fun way while enjoying the calming effect of the water, the sun and the lush greenery. With SUP yoga, water sports enthusiasts can experience the unique interplay of strength, balance and lightness.

All those who prefer a less contemplative water sports experience can practice their sailing skills on the Alster. However, these waters are for experienced sailors only: especially in the city centre, wind conditions are challenging and the wind tends to change constantly. Less experienced sailors can embark on a spacious keel dinghy under the guidance of a Hamburg City Sailing instructor. Or you can refresh your skills at the “Käpt'n Prüsse” sailing school, where you can also book taster lessons.