Regardless of your age, there's a good chance you'll recognise some of the playgrounds listed below. After all, who doesn't remember his or her favourite play area fondly? All across Altona, Eimsbüttel, St. Pauli etc., beautiful facilities for endless outdoor playing can be found. Your kids will thank you for taking them there and you can relax wih a coffee in hand or get to know other Hamburg-based parents.
Whether you wish to revisit your old stomping grounds or just plan on taking your kids to a new playground every once in a while, here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the city’s most unique and beloved play areas.
Altona - Zeisespielplatz
In the calm, family-friendly neighbourhood between the Holsten brewery, the Holstenstraße and Max-Brauer-Allee, one of the most beautiful playgrounds in the city can be found. The area was renovated in recent years and now offers plenty of equipment for playing out in the open. Due to its hidden location, it is usually less crowded than other playgrounds - despite also being a popular meeting place for local families. The HausDrei e.V. initiative is also part of this playground. It offers afternoon entertainment for kids aged 6-14.
Eidelstedt - Wiebelstraße
This playground was created from scratch in cooperation with local residents, and it now offers many different facilities, such as a huge climbing rock. See this German-language article for more impressions.
Eimsbüttel - Lindenpark
Hamburg’s city centre can feel like an anonymous urban jungle to some. Few would expect to find themselves on a veritable tropical island, let alone in the densely populated parts of Eimsbüttel district. Yet this is the idea behind one special playground in the beautiful Lindenpark, located only minutes away from the neighbourhood of Schanzenviertel. The area is divided into two different parts, one where the younger kids can roam freely and one for the older ones, with lots of climbing opportunities as well as streetball and football courts. For addiional information, see this link (German only).
Eimsbüttel - Wassermannpark
Remodelled in 2016, the Königskinderweg playground in the neighbourhood of Schnelsen can be found in the middle of a vast 2,600 square metre green lawn. The various opportunities for play and exploration leave nothing to be desired. See this link for more information (German only).
Eppendorf - Baui
Every kid in Eppendorf knows the Baui. Considering that they can pet animals like guinea pigs and goats, this hardly comes as a surprise. Plus, children can try out lots of different vehicles (no motors, of course), climb, or play ball games. As the name suggests, there is also a large focus on building and creating things (bauen = to build). Afternoon entertainment and even organised holiday trips make this one of the greatest playgrounds in Hamburg. Please mind opening hours. Baui is free of charge.
HafenCity - Piratenspielplatz
This pirate-themed playground next to HafenCity’s UniLever-Haus has been a big hit with little wannabe sailors since it was remodelled in 2013 and is always worth a visit. The rigging of the wooden ships is perfect for climbing like a real pirate, while the water fountains provide the necessary spray of water in the faces of young adventurous seafarers. Parents can relax on the benches, have a picnic and enjoy Grasbrookpark.
Hoheluft - Geisterspielplatz
Tucked away behind an old tobacco factory, this playground is one of the best-kept secrets in the Hoheluft neighbourhood. Albeit small, this former racetrack depot is full of adventure… and also a wee bit spooky. After all, the place is literally called the Ghost Playground. A wooden locomotive as well as a climbing structure and a tower with several slides help kids forget about the eeriness quickly, however.
Lurup - Volkspark Altona
There are lots of good playgrounds in Hamburg for climbing. Few of them offer as much action as this spot on Vorhornweg in the neighbourhood of Lurup. A massive tower overlooks the surrounding grounds of the Altona Volkspark. Here professional boulder installations of varying difficulty levels offer lots of fun for beginners and experienced climbers, both young and old alike. See this link for more impressions (German only).
Neustadt - Planten un Blomen
This unique playground is the setting of many a fond childhood memory for Hamburg natives, and it’s one of the most well-known playgrounds in the city to boot. After all these years, it is also still the largest and most popular playground in Hamburg - and it shows: expect lots of fun and lots of children on the central climbing rock, the swings, slides and pools. Restrooms, a kiosk and a separate area for toddlers can also be found. See this link for additional information.
Osdorf - Hans-Christian Andersen Park
The fairytales of Danish writer Hans-Christian Andersen are still popular with many German kids. In Osdorf, his stories serve as inspiration for the Hans Christian Andersen Park. Sculptures there are modelled after characters from his work. Areas for ball games round out the beautiful concept.
Rissen - Rissener Kuhle
To most older residents of Rissen, this area is still known as a former gravel pit. While most of these pits were flooded and turned into ponds, this particular spot was creatively turned into a vast area for all sorts of freetime activities. While kids can enjoy the many different parts of the playground, adults can grill or set up a nice picnic here. Click the link for further information (German only).
Stellingen - “Stellinger Schweiz“
It is unclear, why this part of Stellingen is literally called ‘Switzerland’, but the idyllic green area does have a hilly and rural feeling to it - so much so that in winter, this beautiful playground doubles as a perfect place for taking your toboggan or sled on a downhill race. More information can be found here.
St. Pauli - Walter Möller Park
On first thought, the Reeperbahn nightlife district may not seem like the ideal location for a playground. However, this perfectly lovely and clean spot offers everything a kid could wish for: fountain, climbing structures, swings, ropeways and an enormous slide.
