One of the main tourity attractions is the fish-market in the early hours on the week-ends.

However, this is not where you get the fresh fish. For that you need to continue down the road on Große Elbstrasse (along Elbe river away from down-town). You will see rows of low “bunkers” not looking much to the world but there you can get fresh fish. I usually go to Hummer Pedersen (the first one on the right hand side) on Tuesday and Fridays, when they get their delivery.(Opening-hours: Mo-Fr 6 - 16:00, Sa 6- 12:00) Their neat bistro offers see-food.

A 100 meter further away is a fine food store called “Paradise” that is a pleasure/paradise for any fine food lovers to shop.

This large area is in the north-e- of town. Its long pawed roads are brilliant for roller-blading and biking and the many trails for walking and horse-riding. There is place for dogs to meet and run around in too.

You get to the main entrance “Eichberg” taking S 4 to Rahlstedt, then continuing by bus 268 to bus-stop Eichberg.

Hamburg has many many large zones where dogs can run unleashed.

If you have done and carry a “Gehorsamsprüfung Zertifikat” then your dog can also run unleased in  parks, on paths, trails and on lawns in all public parks and recreation areas in Wandsbek and Harburg but for where its explicitly says “no dogs”.

There is more info around the freetime with your dog; where you get doggy-bags for free etc. etc.

Or if you have questions call the dog-hotline Hamburg: Mo-Th 8-16 Uhr, Fr 8-14 Uhr
Tel: 428 28 - 0

The reserve of “Wittenberger Heide” is in the west of town by the Elbe. It is an really unique retreat where you can swim and sunbathe on its sandy beaches that stretch along the shore-side and walk the 3km long round trail in the mixed forest. Either or both are an exiting discovery tour.

Another reserve just close by (east of the pier) is called “Wittenberger Elbwiesen”, also a beautiful walk, ca. 1km long. Its takes you along the beach and around a marsh area.

You can get there by HADAG ferries from Landungsbrücke to the pier in Wittenberger on week-ends and public holidays.

By car, you pass Blankenese and continue to Rissen. Then you take off to Wittenbergen and go all the way south towards the Elbe and to the end of Rissener Ufer where you’ll find a parking lot.

Bus 189 takes you to “Tinsdaler Kirchweg” from there you will need to walk down the Wittenberger Weg and go right on the Rissener Ufer that takes you to the beach and reserves.

The S-bahn takes you to “Rissen”, from there you’ll have a bit to walk.

Other nature reserves:

North of these reserves you have a moor/marsh land reserve “Schnaakenmoor” that offers a 4 km round-tour.

There are lots more! Click this link and choose the ones you are intersted in with the mouse. You will find all the infos you need (in german).

Wish you an exiting day of exploration!

The great public transport network stretches throughout town. It takes you almost everywhere!

Last week-end I biked from down-town with the picnic-bag on my back to try the Boberger (swimming) lake that is by Billwerder/Boberg, i.e. east-southish. It took about 1 hour. You can also go there by S21to Mittlere Landweg and Bus 330 to Billwerder Kirche.

The nature is varied with beautiful large sand-dunes in the forest and pieces of open landscape. The lake attracts many people - the embankment with sand seemed to be preferred by families. You can swim everywhere but for one corner where the water plants dominate. A “Kaffee-garden” by the Billwerder Deich (embankment) offers refreshments.

Further swimming-lakes in Hamburg are (all in the east or s-e but for Bredenbecker Teich in the n-e); Allermöher See, Eichbaumsee, See hinterm Horn, Öjendorfer See, Hohendeicher See and Bredenbecker Teich.

Closer down-town in the “Stadtpark” (Central Park) you find the swimming lake “Stadtparksee“. There is a small “beach” there for children to play and grown-ups can freely swim lengths of 100-meter .  You have to pay a small entry fee. There are warm showers and a coffee and ice-cream shop.

Have a nice swim!

There are many groups of “foreigners”. Recently I came across the E(nglish)-Stammtisch, a mixed group of jolly people who speak english meeting up. You can send David Bergmann an email over the website (see hyperlink) if you like to be on the mailing list. This group is meeting a couple of times a month and you are free and welcome to join in whenever you like.

David mastered the “die, das..”, check his book. It proofs learning German and getting the deklinations right is not impossible and can really be a much fun journey.

There is a quite large expat community called InterNations where you-

• Experience the international way of life together with other global minds
• Connect, exchange and meet with trusted people who live abroad like you
• Find reliable information and tips from other members about your local living environment

You need to be invited, i.e. send the administrator an email saying you would like to join. On acceptance you’ll be invited to your local community. There are also many groups to join like; German Language Learning Group, the Expat Women’s Life, InterNationalFamilies, Photography, Fishing the World, Sailing… all very interesting initiatives.

Try it - so far its all for free!

This may be the most touristy thing you can do BUT you’ll hardly get a better crash-course to Hamburg;

Go to the central station (Hauptbahnhof) and exit direction Kirchenallee. Along the street you will see the busses. You can choose between a few different tours and there is always a buss waiting for passengers. During the tour you can get on and off the buss as you like.

By the way, at the central station you’ll ofcourse also find the tourist office.

My first blog entry is a small homage to the uniqueness of this town - water - and the environmentalism of the Germans i.e. public transports by water!

You can zig-zag your way by ferry on the Elbe for a day-trip or getting from a to z. See for schedules. (Depending how far out you will go you need a 1-5 zone ticket.)

If you like to make a day-tour than take your bike (or rent one) on the ferry and go all the way to Finkenwerder for a wonderful tour to the “Alte Land”, a paradise for leisure bikers on paved roads along the fields and among the many apple-trees. Get a guide from the bookstore (e.g. Thalia on Spitaler Straße by the main station) or see the Elbradweg website for tour and bike-rentals.

Enjoy the unique way of travelling!