Urban hiking: Lake, river, canal and harbor walks through Hamburg

Inner Alster Lake (Binnenalster) with TV broadcasting tower (Fernsehturm)

Hamburger Kunsthalle 
(Art exhibition hall)

The city of Hamburg in northern Germany has the perfect cityscape for urban hikes. The Alster Lakes (Binnenalster and Außenalster), the Alsterfleet canal with its arcade hallway and the historic Ellerntorsbrücke  over the Herren-grabenfleet in downtown Hamburg are all within short-hike reach from the Central Railway Station (Hauptbahnhof). The HafenCity and the historic warehouse district (Speicherstadt) with its elevated walkways between imposing red-brick buildings also are nearby. Wherever you hike to, you will find an area subway station to catch a train that takes you back to the central station or other places of interest.

In case you like to top your outdoor strolls, walks or hikes with museum visits, a sculpture hunt or spray-paint exploration, here are a few selected suggestions:

• Museum of Arts & Crafts,
• Hamburger Kunsthalle (see picture above),
• International Maritime Museum,
• Small Cyclops metal sculpture,
• Young Horseman bronze statue,
• Heidi Kabel bronze statue of an actress,
• Claas Störtebecker bronze statue of a pirate,
• Landscape and portrait wall art snapshots.

Hamburg is always good for surprises and always worth visiting—all year round.