Nature and Parks

The Hamburg Stadtpark or „Municipal Park“ is a centrally located park in the district of Winterhude. Especially in the summer months, the park is used by Hamburg locals, who take advantage of its barbecue areas and its lawns perfect for sunbathing, lying about and picnicking. There are a number of playgrounds for children, and in the Stadtpark Lake there is a public swimming pool. Athletes can look forward to jogging trails as well as sporting grounds and public fitness equipment. In summer, there are regular open-air concerts and comedy events on the Stadtpark stage. On a rainy day it is worthwhile visiting the Planetarium, which is situated in the north-west of the park in an old water tower.     

"Planten un Blomen" is located in the middle of Hamburg’s inner city. Visitors to this famous park in the former “Wallanlagen” fortifications can enjoy its many lawns, flowers and plants as well as a number of entertainment events. In the summer months, the largest Japanese garden in Europe and the park’s greenhouses sweep visitors and locals away into a sea of flowers. A number of playgrounds, a mini-golf course, trampolines, water playgrounds and in winter an ice-skating rink ensures a lot of fun for young and old.
   

Jenisch Park in Klein Flottbek in Hamburg is a 42-hectare park near the banks of the Elbe and the Elbchaussee. Alongside expansive meadows, that invite guests to picnic, play football and sunbathe in the summer months, there are also a number of significant architectural features. These include Jenisch House, which was built in the 1830s in a classicist style by the architect Franz Gustav Forsmann, where today home decor items from the past are exhibited. From here you have great views of the Elbe and the rest of the Jenisch Park.   

The largest public park in Hamburg is the Altona Volkspark. Neighboured by the Bahrenfeld trotting course, the Autobahn A7, the Imtech Arena, Volksbank Arena and O2 World, it stretches over an area of 205 hectares. It is criss-crossed by a comprehensive network of paths and trails and offers guests a number of opportunities to while away the day. These include fitness equipment, a large meadow for sunbathing or grilling, a mini-golf course, a beer garden, a nature trail and a Dahlia garden, which with over 40,000 plants is a wonderful tourist sightseeing attraction.  

With over 2500 bridges, Hamburg has more bridges than Venedig and Amsterdam combined. The reason for this is its innumerable waterways that criss-cross the city. The canals that flow into and between the Elbe and the Alster have to be crossed at a number of sites, in order to get from A to B.

The various waterways are attractions for locals and tourists alike, who want to relax and enjoy a bit of nature in the middle of the city. The Alster is very popular with joggers, and a number of meadows on the banks of the lake are popular sites for walks, picnics and barbecuing. If you are looking for a little peace and quiet, you should walk along one of the canals leading out from the inner city, where you will find a number of lovely, less crowded areas.

Boating watchers should not pass up an excursion to the Elbe. Take a walk from the Landungsbrücken to the west of Hamburg. If you have enough endurance for a long walk along the river, you will be able to see the famous Blankenese Steps on the banks of the Elbe. And if you keep walking, you will get to Wedel, which welcomes ships to the harbour city. If you don’t have enough perseverance to go the mile, you can also take the S-Bahn train to Blankenese or Wedel too enjoy their wonderful natural surroundings.