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Autumn in and Around Hamburg

Apple Picking

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From common apples like Boskoop and Elstar to ancient varieties found nowhere else, there are plenty of fruit farms in and around Hamburg where you can pick delicious fruit yourself.

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IMAGO / agefotostock

1. Obsthof Lehmbeck (Winsen (Luhe)

The Obsthof Lehmbeck fruit farm is located in the south-east of Hamburg, directly on the Elbe dike. There are various dates between September and October when visitors can pick apples and pears themselves. The trees are not that high here, so children can also reach the fruits easily. The apple varieties include Elstar, Jonagold and Boskoop. Different types of pear are also available. The farm shop has their own apple juice and fruit for sale, as well as a selection of antique books. Just bring containers for your harvest and off you go! 

Harvest time: apples: end of August to beginning of October
Address: Hoopter Elbdeich 41, 21423 Winsen (Luhe)
More information: Obsthof Lehmbeck

2. Im Apfelgarten (Hamburg-Neuenfelde)

At the Apfelgarten apple orchard you can pick apples and pears starting with the early apple varieties Gravensteiner and Delbarestivale as early as August. The Finkenwerder Herbstprinz, which has a mildly sour taste and can be stored for quite a long time, is also grown here. The varieties Gravensteiner and Finkenwerder Herbstprinz are also suitable for those who suffer from allergies. Here’s how fruit picking works: visitors report to the farm shop, receive information and materials about the apple orchard and then they can get started. 

Harvest time: apples: mid August to November
Address: Neuenfelder Fährdeich 18, 21129 Hamburg
More information: Apfelgarten

3. Der Herzapfelhof Lühs (Jork)

There’s something special about the apples from this farm in Jork: when the fruits are still green, they are all hand-finished with a small heart template so they develop a characteristic heart motif on the peel as they ripen. The ‘heart apples’ can be purchased in the farm shop. From mid-August to mid-October you can also pick organic apples yourself here every day and from mid-July to September you can also harvest organic plums. Registration takes place on site at the farm shop and then you're ready to go. Picking baskets are available and if you have children with you, you can also take a handcart. 

Harvest time: various kinds of plums available daily from mid-July to mid-September; apples from mid-August to the end of October
Address: Osterjork 102, 21635 Jork
More information: Der Herzapfelhof Lühs

4. Obstgarten Haseldorf (Haseldorf)

Germany’s largest publicly accessible collection of fruit varieties is located in the beautiful Haseldorfer marshland. More than 180 different types of apples, pears, plums and cherries (some of which are no longer available in stores) can be found here, and no fertilisers or chemical pesticides are used in their cultivation. The garden is fully accessible and all visitors can harvest up to 10 kilogrammes of fruit free of charge. And be sure to keep your eyes open for the sheep that are used to graze the area when you visit!

Harvest time: mid-July to October/November
Address: Hafenstrasse, 25489 Haseldorf. From the Hafen Haseldorf car park, walk across the Elbe dyke and inland dykes and follow the path on the left-hand side of the Randgraben (lit. ‘edge trench’). The orchard is 700 meters away.
More information: Obstgarten Haseldorf

5. Obsthof Bey (Jork)

The Bey family's fruit farm is located in the middle of the Altes Land region south of Hamburg. Once you have registered at the apple terminal, you can start harvesting apples. From the beginning of September to mid-October you can pick Elstar, Boskoop or Braeburn apples from the trees. If you want to know more about the apple harvest, you should also visit the farm’s Apfel-Wissens-Pfad (lit. ‘apple knowledge path’). 

Harvest time: early September to mid-October
Address: Groß Hove 136, 21635 Jork
More information: Obsthof Bey

6. Obsthof Lefers (Jork) 

The Obsthof Lefers fruit farm has existed since 1777, providing fruit to the surrounding regions ever since. In late summer and autumn, the plum and apple harvests attract visitors to the farm, while in winter you can come to cut Christmas trees. Another popular attraction is the farm distillery and, since 2016, a farm shop. Starting in mid-July visitors can pick delicious plums, including the mirabelle plum harvest, which begins in August. Apple harvest begins in the late summer. Visitors will find suitable harvest baskets and information about picking one site. 

Harvest time: berries (e.g. strawberries) from May, plums from July, and apples from August to mid-November
Address: Osterjork 140, 21635 Jork
More information: Obsthof Lefers

7. Apfelpatenhof Axel Schuback (Jork)

The Apfelpatenhof farm in the Altes Land region is for people who want to get a bit more out of harvest time. They specialise in Patenschaften, which means sponsorships. In other words, apple-lovers can ‘sponsor’ a tree, which guarantees them a total of 20 kilogrammes of fruit per harvest. Sponsors aren’t limited to picking apples from their tree alone and can choose from four apple varieties. A one-year sponsorship costs €55. The farm shop also lets visitors stock up on delicious plums, cherries, pears and of course apples. 

Harvest time: only possible with a tree sponsorship
Address: Hinterdeich 172, 21635 Jork
More information: Apfelpatenhof Axel Schuback