Hamburg is one of my favorite cities in Germany, not only because of the beauty of it but also because it’s fun and having so many options of activities to do and interesting places to visit.
One of the good things about Hamburg is the abundant green areas, the proximity with nature, and the presence of the rivers Elbe and Alster make it an ideal city to enjoy walking and doing outdoor activities during the whole year, but especially during the warmer months of the year.
Find here some of my favorite activities to do at open-air in the city, restaurants, and cafes with nice terraces to enjoy during the summer, and areas to explore walking during the whole year.
I was visiting Hamburg last time in the month of August together with Hamburg Tourism Board and it was great to do a short trip while feeling safe thanks to all the measures taken in hotels, restaurants, and public transportation regarding the current pandemics.
So, if you don’t have any risk condition you will be safe to explore this amazing city during 2020.
What to do outdoors in Hamburg
Germany in general is a very green country contrary what I always though, you find in most cities several green areas and parks to relax and refill your energy. Hamburg is not the exception and is one of the greenest cities in Germany and Europe, with more than 100 square metres of green areas per resident.
Hamburg has 36 natural reserves making a total 22% of landscape and water protected areas, including the Alster lake located right in the middle of the city, making Hamburg a great destination to enjoy time shopping and visiting historical and cultural places, but also making the most out in nature.
Did you know Hamburg has more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam combined? With more than 2,400 bridges, Hamburg holds the European record for the number of bridges with ideal conditions for exploring the city actively from a different angle than the usual.
Some of my favorite things to do in the city are listed below, what are yours?
1. Explore the historical and cultural neighborhoods
Altstadt
This area located in the city center is a good way to start exploring from the train station. You can go shopping and enjoy the busy area of
The Rathaus -Hamburg’s city hall- and the Kontorhaus District, including the Chilehaus are some of the landmarks of this area and nice photo spots, but my favorite is near and around the Nikolaifleet one of the few original and oldest canals in the Altstadt.
Hafencity
This is the area where the former Hamburg Port was operating. Located in the Grasbrook island on the Elbe river, this area has been redesigned from an almost abandoned area to host today’s new hotels, office buildings, and residential areas.
The Hafencity includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Speicherstadt, where you find the old Warehouses and it is in this quarter where you will find one of the most iconic buildings of the city, the Elbphilarmonie, one of the largest and most advanced acoustically concert hall worldwide.
St Pauli
One of the best areas for going out, including lively bars, nightclubs, and theaters. If you love shopping you can head to the Karolinenviertel to find hip local fashion boutiques and very nice cafes.
If you head towards the Elbe, you will find the St Pauli piers where the boat tours can be taken to see the city from a different point of view.
It’s in St Pauli where the famous Reeperbahn or red-light district is located, but be aware women are not welcomed to walk around in the night here.
2. Explore the Alster while doing water sports
The Alster is one of the most beautiful places in the city and the ideal for relaxing and enjoying life near the water. The 165-hectare artificial lake is located right in the middle of the city and the Inner and Outer Alster Lakes provides the options for everyone to do water sports or exploring the lakeside locations by foot or bike.
The most fun way to explore it is directly from water and having the chance to see the back gardens of the most expensive and beautiful villas in the area is a nice extra feature.
You can either rent a canoe, a stand-up paddle, do some SUP Yoga and even sailing and there’s an area for everyone, from very calm waters for the less experienced to windier for the water sports experts.
It was my first time to try stand-up paddling and I dare you to try if you never did before! Despite being a bit hard the first minutes (even falling into the water the first 5 seconds) when I could stand up and paddle things turned so much fun! We explored the canals for over one hour and I just want to do it again.
3. Enjoy the “Garten der Gegenwart”
If you are reading this before November 8th you can still enjoy this unique place featuring some of the best artists from Hamburg and also from other areas. A unique art exhibition in a beautiful garden will be your perfect plan for a quiet afternoon in the Eimsbüttel Area of the city.
We met with the creators of this project, Margarita and Christian Holle who put together this unique and top-class sculpture exhibition.
4. Eat outside and enjoy the view!
AlsterCliff
If you want to have a great view during the sunset, this restaurant’s terrace is simply perfect!
You can even get a table near the water and get a real holiday feeling while grabbing your food or drinks. When we visited the place was very busy so service took a bit, but nothing that the atmosphere of the place could not beat.
Address: Fährdamm 13, 20148 Hamburg, Germany
SupperClub
Right after finishing your SUP ride along the Alster you can grab a healthy lunch in the SupperClub, where we rented the SUPboards.
They offer unbelievably delicious bowls with healthy and tasty ingredients and refreshing lemonades between others, but those were by far my favorites here. If I was living in Hamburg this place will be my must-go every month.
Address: Isekai 13, 20249 Hamburg, Germany
Liberte Hamburg bar
How many times have you been in a floating bar directly connected to the ferry service?
The Liberte is one of those unique places I wish we had in my cause I would go every week just to enjoy a sunset and the view while zipping a delicious cocktail.
Address: Große Elbstraße 9a Anleger, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
Süßwasser
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Elbe area and is the perfect spot to end your day in their terrace overlooking the beach.
The food is really good, featuring local dishes and products and the service was exceptional!
Address: Deutschland Park möglichkeiten an der, Elbchaussee 183, Övelgönne 38, 22605 Hamburg, Germany
5. Go to the beach!
The area around the Elbe is by far one of the best to enjoy during the warm months. If you love to spend some time in the beach, you can do it right in the city in the northern bank area from Övelgönne’s historic vessels to Teufelsbrück wharf, or in Blankenese, a lovely place with beautiful Mediterranean style houses located up-hill.
You will not only find sand beaches but some very cool bars and restaurants like the Strandperle, a classic for beach lovers in Hamburg.
Don’t miss watching the sunset in the Elbe from the sand or while riding the ferry!
How to move around the city
It’s very easy to move around Hamburg using the public transport with the Hamburg Card you can use every S-Bahn (trams), U-Bahn (metro) or bus. The ferries are also included, and they are by far my favorite way to move around the Elbe river.
You can get up to 50% discounts on entrance fees to museums and tourist attractions, port cruises, city tours and musical tickets. With the 10,50€ cost of the daily card you can even get a discount on bungee jumping from a harbor crane or on go-kart racing!
You can also rent bikes with the StadtRAD company or the new trendy Escooters to move around the city at your own pace.
Where to stay in Hamburg
My favorite area to stay is either near St Pauli or the HafenCity because they are quiet and still close enough to other areas I usually like to go.
The good thing in Hamburg is the mobility is very easy and it allows you to see different areas in the city within minutes.
The location of the Superbude is perfect and quiet. It’s close to the U-Bahn and the hype area full of restaurants, bars, and designers’ shops to get you busy during the day and night.
The concept of the hotel is a very friendly and hostel-style location, with a common area near the reception where you can grab breakfast and socialize.
The rooms are designed in a modern style and they have everything you need for a comfortable stay.
All the measures necessary are taken during Covid19 times to keep everyone healthy, including hand-sanitizer on every floor and entry, wearing masks rule in all common areas, and a very nice bag for getting your breakfast as a takeaway to avoid too many people sitting in the restaurant area.
With rooms starting at $70 USD You can check their current prices and availability HERE at Booking
Conclusion
If you are still planning to visit Hamburg for the first time or you are heading there to explore more, these activities to do outdoors are the perfect excuse to see more of a really interesting, fun, and beautiful city.
Now you must have a new bucket list item now and you enjoy Hamburg at its best.
Have you already been to Hamburg during the summer?
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What a fun time Gloria. Excellent job on this post too. Well done. I laid over for a moment last year when traveling through Germany but need to do a proper trip. Hamburg will be high on my list.
Ryan