Whispers of the Elbe carry tales of a hidden gem. This is Elbpark Entenwerder. Once a customs port for inland vessels, Elbpark Entenwerder now offers a tranquil escape. Especially after Hamburg joined the German Customs Union. Then the Hamburg Free Port was established in 1888. Every ship coming from the Upper Elbe into the free port area was checked here.
After World War II, the customs port declined. Traffic on the Elbe decreased drastically due to Germany’s division. Until the 1990s, showmen used 1.8 hectares as a caravan site. They also used it as a winter storage area. A new area was found for them in the Bergedorf district. The Elbpark Entenwerder was then prepared and opened to the public in 1997.
Elbpark Entenwerder gained notoriety beyond Hamburg in 2017. This was due to clashes surrounding a protest camp against the G20 summit. Organizers dismantled the camp. They stated they no longer wanted to be harassed by police and justice officials.
Today, Elbpark Entenwerder offers green spaces and recreational activities. Lawns are interspersed with wooded areas in the east of the peninsula. The Alexandra-Stieg provides access to the peninsula. The traditional Entenwerder Fährhaus restaurant sits on the eastern edge of the green space. There are also barbecue areas. You will find a beach volleyball court, football goals, and a playground. A sunken rondel for events is at the peninsula’s western end. It is bordered by pyramid poplars.
The “golden pavilion” sits on a ten by 60-meter pontoon. Hamburg fashion entrepreneur Thomas Friese and his daughter Alexandra Friese brought it from Münster. Architects Jan Kampshoff and Marc Günnewig designed the pavilon. They are from “modulorbeat”. They created it for the “Skulptur Projekte Münster” exhibition in 2007. The walk-in sculpture has three levels. It is 16 meters high and eleven meters long. The outer skin consists of golden, perforated brass. The pavilion opened in September 2015.
Initially, the pontoon was accessible only via a jetty. Since 2014, the historic steel bridge “Wassertreppe 51” connects it to the peninsula. Thomas Friese also procured the bridge. It features two arches weighing over 40 tons. Previously, it was located at a former inland waterway waiting area on the Bille. The city of Hamburg supported the construction measures with one million euros.
In 2015, a café called “Entenwerder 1” opened on the pontoon. It is housed in two pink shipping containers. The pontoon is also the base for the non-profit “Entenwerder Elbpiraten”. They teach sailing skills to children from Rothenburgsort.
Construction began in January 2023 on a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. It will connect Entenwerder with the western HafenCity. The bridge will also connect to the Elbbrücken S- and U-Bahn station. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2025.
Elbpark Entenwerder is east of HafenCity. It is also east of the Elbe bridges and the A 255 motorway. It sits on the southern edge of the Rothenburgsort district. This former customs station became a park around 1997. The peninsula offers views of the Elbe bridges. You can also see HafenCity to the west and the industrial backdrop. Especially enchanting is its location on the Elbe. Because only inland vessels can travel on this section of the Elbe, one might imagine being on the Rhine or Danube. All this while dangling your feet in the dark gray-blue water.
Two large green spaces were created during the park’s construction. They are well-maintained meadows, not lawns. The selection of plants and trees created a natural character. Despite its wildness, the park offers tranquility away from the city. The easily accessible banks of Elbpark Entenwerder provide a special quality. It is in the middle of the city. Yet, it seems far away.
The park’s rounded tip at the western end is particularly special. Here, a sunken rondel shaped by pyramid poplars forms part of the park. It resembles an amphitheater.
Around the turn of the millennium, even residents of the nearby district did not think of seeking recreation there. Meanwhile, the once-overlooked city park has become an insider tip. In 2015, the “golden pavilion” was built on a ten by sixty-meter pontoon. People from all over the city meet here for coffee and cake. Cars increasingly occupy the designated parking spaces. The journey there by public transport is not straightforward.
You can cycle from Hamburg city center. Cycle through HafenCity on newly built cycle paths along the Elbe. Go under the freeway directly into the heart of Rothenburgsort. Choose to go directly to the Elbpark Entenwerder for a cappuccino by the water. So, take a moment to breathe. Let the Elbe’s whispers soothe you in Elbpark Entenwerder’s embrace.