With its 151 hectares, Hamburg’s Municipal Park in the district of Winterhude is almost as big as the principality of Monaco and for locals it is more than just a green open space. As well as regeneration and relaxation in nature, the park provides festival grounds, barbecue areas, sunbathing lawns, paddling pools, a playground for dogs, a football field, a volleyball court, a garden for the blind, a rose garden and a library. The Municipal Park Lake is a public open air baths with a beach that invites visitors to swim and relax in summer. “Schumacher’s” is Hamburg’s only proper beer garden, where every now and then in summer patrons can put on their dancing shoes. A highlight of the Municipal Park is the open air stage where a number of famous musicians hold concerts every year.

A further feature of the Municipal Park is its planetarium. It is located in a monumental brick structure built in 1912 and originally used as a water tower. A few years ago the planetarium was completely renovated and today it is the most modern planetarium in Europe.