Dare to imagine Hamburg without its green spaces. Eight percent of Hamburg’s land is parks and gardens. Today, we explore one of them. We are here at the Heidegarten.
Hamburg is a green metropolis. It was voted “European Green Capital” in 2011. Hamburg hosted the International Garden Show in 2013. The city has many parks and gardens. They contribute to Hamburg’s unique charm.
Hamburg is a city and a state. It is located on the Elbe River in northern Germany. Hamburg is Germany’s largest port and commercial center. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is the second-smallest of Germany’s 16 states.
Hamburg has maintained its individuality. Its culture has resisted standardization. The city is cosmopolitan. Hamburg has many dealings with other nations. It hosts more consulates than any other city except New York City. Shipping and trade have been Hamburg’s lifeblood for centuries. The harbour remains the city’s most important feature.
Hamburg has canals. They are reminiscent of Amsterdam. There are lakes, parks and gracious houses. Elegant shopping arcades and museums also call Hamburg home. All these contribute to a growing tourist industry. Despite damage during World War II, Hamburg retains its old-world grace. It thrives as a commercial hub.
Hamburg stands at the northern end of the Elbe valley. The Elbe splits into two branches southeast of the old city. These are the Norderelbe and Süderelbe. They meet again opposite Altona. The Unterelbe flows into the North Sea. The Alster and Bille rivers flow into the Elbe at Hamburg.
The Altstadt is the city’s nucleus. It is the old medieval settlement. Roads follow the old fortifications. Few great buildings remain. The five principal churches stand. These are Sankt Jacobi, Sankt Petri, Sankt Katharinen, Sankt Nikolai, and Sankt Michaelis. None are in their original condition. Fire destroyed older residences and warehouses. Some older buildings survive. The layout of the old city center remains. Ancient street names and canals reveal the past. The canals connect the Alster with the docks on the Elbe. The Lombardsbrücke offers one of the best views of the inner city.
At Hamburg’s heart is a lake. It measures 455 acres. The Lombardsbrücke divides it into the Binnenalster and Aussenalster. Elegant suburbs surround the Aussenalster. Pleasure boats navigate many waterways. They run into the Aussenalster.
Traditional Hamburg architecture remains in the Deichstrasse. Tall, narrow houses resemble those of Amsterdam. They were built from the 17th through the 19th century. The devastating fire of 1842 started in one of these houses. The houses were rebuilt in the old style. The street is now protected. Restoration has been extensive. Many traditional restaurants are located here.
Another example of older architecture is the Krameramtswohnungen. It is near Sankt Michaelis. Two half-timbered brick buildings surround a courtyard. It was built as dwellings for shopkeepers’ widows. It is the only surviving 17th-century construction of its kind. Restored in the 1970s, it houses a restaurant, shops, and a museum branch.
Sankt Michaelis is the most imposing of Hamburg’s five great churches. It is an 18th-century Baroque-style Protestant church. Its interior is white and gold. It was destroyed by fire, rebuilt, damaged again in World War II, and restored again.
The years 1890–1910 brought fine architecture. Spacious patrician houses surround the Aussenalster. Many now house consulates. In the 1920s and 1930s, architects revived the use of dark red brick. Fritz Höger’s Chilehaus is a prime example.
Hamburg has modern buildings. The Congress Centrum and Fernsehturm are examples. Renovation of old houses is favored over demolition. Hamburg’s townscape has a human quality. This is lacking in many German cities. We see this reflected here in the Heidegarten. A beautiful green escape in the city.