Hamburg for Explorers #1: A City Walk round the outer Alster

Whenever I come to a new city, no matter for how long, first thing I do is to go exploring. Either I take the bus, go for a run or for a really long walk. This weekend I moved to Hamburg. Guess, what I did? Come with me on one of the nicest Sunday afternoon walks the big German cities have to offer – walk around the Außenalster with me!

The great thing about this route is that you can start it wherever you want. The Außenalster, a lake-like expansion of the river Alster, is in the middle of the city and the walking path around it only leaves the shore for about a stretch of about ten minutes in between. This clearly is something extraordinary in a huge and expensive metropole like this. All in all, the walk is about 8 Kilometers long – the perfect distance for runners, but also great for a long afternoon walk. Just make sure you bring some time, as it’ll take you between 90 minutes and two hours until you arrive again at your starting point.

Eight kilometers – perfect for runners but also for an extended afternoon walk!

20151101_161911 — Enjoy magical views on your walk round the Außenalster

20151101_170509 — Try to catch the sunset on the Western shore: Lots of little pools and bridges make it a prefect place for mystic pictures and romantic moments together.

20151101_163217 — Even the short stretch leading you away from the water offers interesting things to see!

Expand your walk and include the smaller Binnenalster

The river Alster’s origin can be found in the municipality of Henstedt-Ulzburg and forms two lakes, their shores shared between several quarters like for example Rotherbaum, Harvesterhude, and Saint Georg. In case you got the time, make sure, you walk underneath the Lombards Bridge to have a look at the smaller lake, the Binnenalster which is surrounded by grand Hanseatic city buildings all along its shore. The bridge is exactly where the old city wall once stood. Of course you can even expand your tour around both lakes, the wide Außenalster, where even can learn how to sail, and the smaller Binnenalster, where countless shopping opportunities are close by.

20151101_154812 — Have a quick peek at the smaller Binnenalster with its famous fountain!

20151101_154941 — On the Außen- and Binnenalster you can go sailing, kayaking and even go out on the water with your Standup-Paddleboard!

Whatever route you chose, you can look forward to walking along prestigious and underneath old willows in Pöseldorf, counting seagulls and sail boats in Winterhude and there is really good news for your extended afternoon walk: You don’t have to walk the full circle in one go! There are plenty of bars and cafés right on the way with great views of the lake!