Hamburgs suburbs on the Elbe

Blankenese and the suburbs on the river Elbe

If you drive along the 8-9 km of the Elbchaussee, known to be one of the most beautiful roads in Europe, high above the banks of the river to the west of Hamburg, you reach the so called "Elbvororte" (the suburbs on the Elbe). In the old days, this was the area where wealthy citizens of Hamburg spent their summer holidays what to our days is easily to recognize.

Jenisch-Park
On the fringes of the Elbchaussee at "Teufelsbrück" along Baron-Vogt-Straße is situated the Jenisch-Park which distinctly reminds you of English Landscape Gardens. Through this park of 45 ha runs the "Kleine Flottbeck" (a little stream). Here you can also visit the Jenisch-House. The architects Franz Joachim Forsmann and Karl Friedrich Schinkel built this house, today an annexe of the Altona museum, for Senator Jenisch 1832 in a classic style. It is a patrician residence and an example of Hanseatic Savoir vivre in the last but one century.

Ernst Barlach-House, Jenisch-House and Jenisch-Park

Near the Jenisch-Haus is situated, quite hidden away, the Ernst Barlach-Haus. In this contemporary building, only completed between 1960 and 1962, you find an impressive collection of the works of the artist Ernst Barlach. (1870-1938).

Blankenese
Going along the Elbchaussee for another few kilometres you will reach Blankenese. This pretty part of Hamburg where large villas and little fisherman's cottages intermix is situated on the slopes that here form the riverbank. The district that lies directly at the Elbe was a fisherman and pilot village in the past. While the rich merchants were building their spacious country houses above the slope, the fishermen, pilots and captains built their little houses directly to the slope. Many of the white thatched cottages remain at the steep slope and give an idyllic, almost southern atmosphere to this part of town.
But of course new larger houses have been built here in the course of time. Here we are in the “Treppenviertel” and should definitely walk up one of the stairs.

Houses on the steep slope

Wedel
Further west, already in Schleswig Holstein, lies Wedel. There, from a station by the river called "Willkommhöft", you can watch the ships coming from or going in to Hamburg harbour. National flags of each ship are hoisted and the national anthems are played for all of them coming and going.

Finkenwerder
There are several ways of going to the former fisherman island. However, the most beautiful is without doubt by ferry, (HADAG ship line 62) which from St. Pauli Landungsbrücken (Jetty 3) will take you across the Elbe to the island "Finkenwerder".
A visit to this district is not only of interest to those keen on aircraft construction, because apart from the Airbus construction yards there are more attractions for the visitor.

At the Finkenwerder jetty - Airbus celebration 2005 - A380 flight over the Airbus terrain

Photos of the airbus area and A380: Werner Landt www.leoland.de

After a substantial fish dinner (like e.g. Finkenwerder Kutterscholle, a plaice prepared in the local way) in one of those cosy restaurants, you may feel like going for a walk through the idyllic old part of Finkenwerder, where little houses stand close together, only separated by narrow paths. On our way back to the ferry, we pass the cutter jetty and use the opportunity to admire the old fishing cutters.

Finkenwerder links

Café and Restaurant - Finkenwerder Landungsbrücke

From Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder - Schedule Information

Here you can buy „Finkenwerder fishermen’s shirt” - www.finkenwerder24.de

Altes Land - Why not going for a visit to the “Alte Land” at the lower stretches of the Elbe...
Germany’s biggest fruit plantation lies between Hamburg and Cuxhaven.

Vier- and Marschlande Hamburg' vegetable garden
Far and wide across Hamburg's borders the "Vier-und Marschlande" are renowned for their vegetable farming, gardening and, last not least, their excellent gastronomy.

The Walddörfer