Sail boats, cruise ships, tugboats and other seaworthy vessels of all varieties come from far and wide to be on display at Hamburg's annual Port Anniversary festival. Taking in the majesty of so many proud ships in such a sort amount of time is a truly unique experience — one that the Hafengeburtstag (lit. 'harbour birthday') is all about. Smaller vessels swarm around gigantic cruise liners until the entire Elbe river is full of boats and ships from all over the world. Every year, an estimated one million people come to watch this one-of-a-kind ship parade, which is the crowning glory of the weekend-long Port Anniversary.
Open Ship Events
Another popular highlight of every Port Anniversary is the opportunity to take a closer look at the various ships, for instance at the museum ports in HafenCity and Oevelgönne. Large sailing vessels like the Russian Kruzenshtern, Sedov and Mir or the German three-masted sailer Alexander von Humboldt II have cast anchor in years prior, opening their doors to the public. The masts of these impressive ships reach up to 60 metres in the air. In addition, tugboats, fire ships, frigates, as well as many modern cruise ships, have granted visitors a look below their decks.
As a special treat, Europe's most modern fire ship, the Branddirektor Westphal, introduces itself to the masses.
See this link for an exhaustive list of ship arrivals during PORT ANNIVERSARY.
