Hamburg’s HafenCity

Blogging from A – Z

Good friends from Washington are staying with us this weekend and yesterday we took them to Hamburg. It’s not their first visit, and we decided to have a look at a newer part of my favorite city. Surrounded by canals and the river Elbe the HafenCity has been developing since about 2001 on not used area of the Hamburg’s harbour. Until 2020 there shall be new flats for 12 000 people and office space for 45 000.

The HafenCity is known for its interesting architecture and the ‘Elbphilharmonie’, Hamburg’s new music hall. The building is 110 meters high and building has been going on since 2007. The opening has been postponed more than once and the costs have rocketed into astronomical heights.

Here are some impressions from yesterday’s trip:

North German Impressions: Sunday afternoon at the River Elbe

Last Sunday we had a spell of early spring weather and it was impossible not to go somewhere nice. We decided on take a trip to the River Elbe, using mainly local roads. Typical for the marshland are water ditches running parallel to the road.

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We didn’t meet many cyclist, as we had just 5°C, but the moment it gets warmer you have to drive very carefully as it is popular to go on trips by bicycle. It is also quite normal that children cycle to school. Therefore I find it understanding that the locals are angry about not having a bicycle path. Their creative way of expressing their demand impressed me. All along the street they had placed old bicycles right next to the road, and every now and then a bigger reminder like the one below.

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It is mainly locals that use the beach at Kollmar. In summer it is also possible to bath here and it is fun to watch the ship traffic to and from Hamburg.

Like everywhere in Germany you will find a café and restaurant for coffee and cake. This one has a great view onto the river. In summer it is also a popular meeting place for bikers.

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North German Impressions: View across some of Hamburg’s harbour

If you visit Hamburg it is worth climbing the stepts onto the roof of this office building, Dockland. It is build to look like as ship, and you get a phantastic view across Hamburg’s harbour. The building itself is fascinating, when you google Dockland Hamburg you will come across many really great photos of it to get an idea what it really looks like.

It was a very cold and windy day when I went up there with a friend visiting from the South, and since we had planned to go out afterwards we were not dressed for the weather and freezing terribly. So these photos are just a glimpse into what there is to see when you climb the 142 stairs up.