If you’re lucky enough to live in Eppendorf, you’ll have plenty of water, greenery, architecture and urban lifestyle. It comes at a price though: Hamburg’s oldest neighbourhood isn’t exactly a bargain. All the more reason to envy the Alster swans: around 130 of the majestic aquatic birds spend the winter in Hayn’s Park. Their secondary residence comes with a pump that keeps the Eppendorfer Mühlenteich pond free of ice year round — and the swans don’t even pay rent.
Eppendorf Recreation
Swans in winter are not the only attraction Hayn’s Park has to offer. In summer, the green area by the Alster is especially popular with Hamburg’s residents. People meet around the classical temple-like garden gazebo for a picnic, some sunbathing or to exchange parenting advice on the playgrounds. The park has been open to the public since 1931 after former mayor Max Theodor Hayn had abandoned his summer residence there.
First and foremost, Eppendorf was historically a recreational destination for Hamburgers. The promise of better groundwater was enticing to many inside the Hamburg city walls. In 1841, the village was connected with the city via bridge and the neighborhood’s main artery was paved soon after. Today, the name still bears witness to this development: the Eppendorfer Landstrasse street translates to ‘Eppendorf country road’. At the time, only a few small cottages lined the road, but since then the street has grown into a busy shopping destination as well as heart of one of Hamburg’s most popular neighbourhoods. The grandiose multi-storey buildings with their alcoves, turrets and stucco date back to Wilhelmine times. On the ground level, chic boutiques and small delicatessen shops offer everything from luxury items to everyday basics. Once a year, the Eppendorfer Landstrasse Street Festival takes place. The lively party offers live music, flea markets and gastronomy.
Getting married at St. Johannis
The St. Johannis Church still recalls the day of the Eppendorf village. The formerly Romanic chapel was first mentioned in a document in 1267. Its characteristic copper roofing was added in 1751. Wedding parties hold the comparably cheerful sacral building in high regard, as it combines tradition with urban location. After all, just a stone’s throw away from the church, the Kellinghusenstrasse station is used by a whopping 15,000 commuters and other passengers every day. The striking St. Johannis monastery by the river can be seen from the U1 trains. It looks back on almost 800 years of history and houses a high-demand nursing home for women.
Oldest Canoe Club in Germany
Peace and quiet can be found in the parks along the Alster and the canals surrounding it. All kinds of water sports can be practised here as well. In fact, the country’s oldest canoe club was established in Eppendorf in 1905. And it is not the only sport that can look back at a long tradition in the neighbourhood: inaugurated in 1907, the SC Victoria arena was Hamburg’s first major football stadium. Long before HSV and St. Pauli, even international matches and national championship finals were held in Hoheluft.
Historical Holthusenbad
The prominent architect Fritz Schumacher was responsible for many iconic buildings in the Hamburg cityscape. In 1914, he designed the splendid Holthusenbad indoor pool with its red-brick facade. Today the public bath also comprises an all-year outdoor pool, saunas, and a spa.
Eppendorf - Medical Groundbreaker
To many people, Eppendorf is known mostly as the home of northern Germany’s largest hospital. The Universitätsklinikum Eppendorf was built in the late 19th century. It followed a brand-new scheme, after which many separate buildings would contain contagious diseases. Today, the UKE is a highly modern hospital that conducts heart, liver and bone marrow transplants. More than 10,000 employees work ceaselessly to keep Hamburgers happy and healthy.
To learn more about shopping in Eppendorf, visit Hamburg Tourism.
