HafenCity, Hamburg's most recently developed quarter, is as ambitious as it is beautiful. Spectacular modern architecture meets old red brick warehouses. Nowhere else in Hamburg can you find old-timey and modern architecture so close together in one place.
Start at U Meßberg
The Meßberg station can be conveniently reached by U1 trains and is your perfect start for this walk through Speicherstadt and HafenCity Hamburg. Across the canal, you can spot the Zollmuseum (customs museum) after which you turn left and follow the picturesque "Bei St. Annen" street over the waterway.
Keep heading south across St. Annen square and through the newly-built Überseeboulevard shopping street until you reach the Westfield shopping centre. Turn right and cross Grasbrook park to pass the Unilever house and reach the Mediterranean-style Marco Polo terraces on the waterfront. Enjoy an ice cream and get ready for even more exciting HafenCity architecture.
Head for Elbphilharmonie
From Vasco da Gama square you'll head straight for Hamburg's most recent attraction: the impressive Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Find out for yourself why this enormous glass-and-steel structure is unparalleled in the World and take the escalator to the plaza to marvel at the wonderful view over the Elbe river.
Just north of the monolithic music house, you can find the historic Sandtorhafen museum harbour with its many old sailors, steamers and towboats. A pontoon bridge leads you along many staples of maritime culture in Hamburg, some of which may even be stepped on to and visited. A particular gem is Harry's Hafenbasar, a swimming museum that has the oddest novelty items from every corner of the world on display.
Enter the Speicherstadt
Leaving Sandtorhafen to the north, you will find yourself in the Speicherstadt warehouse district, Hamburg's UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sight of these impressive redbrick warehouses alone is worth the trip, but the many attractions inside make this part of Hamburg a must-see. The Spice Museum, the Hamburg Dungeon and the Kaffeerösterei (lit. coffee roast house) are among the city's most popular attractions and the enormously detailed Miniature Wonderland model railroad museum has recently (and rightfully) been awarded the most popular attraction in the whole of Germany.
From a former coffee warehouse a little further east you can enjoy a beautiful view over the bridges and canals of Speicherstadt and the place doubled as a scenery for Hollywood blockbuster 'A Most Wanted Man'. Further down the canal you will be rewarded with a picture perfect view of the Wasserschloss castle. After the Spiegel tower that hosts Germany’s eponymous weekly magazine, you will arrive back at the Meßberg U1-station.
Tip: A stroll through HafenCity and Speicherstadt is also an experience in the evening: at dusk, the Speicherstadt warehouses are beautifully illuminated by light art installations. If you would like to see one of the many attractions in the Speicherstadt, you may benefit from the HAMBURG Card discounts.
Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
