Northern Hamburg

Northern Hamburg is divided into four boroughs. They are Altona, Eims-Buttel, Nord and Wandsbeck, all located to the north of Mitte (central Hamburg) and of the the river Elbe.

In 1920, Berlin’s ambition to create a great, powerful city in northern Germany resulted in the 1937 Law of Greater Hamburg, which aimed to integrate several surrounding areas into the port city. Thus, in the same year, many old towns and cities around Hamburg became part of the city.

Nowadays, they are merely boroughs in a big city, but each conserves its own heritage and character from the time when it was an independent town. In this article, we look at the districts that lie to the north of central Hamburg.

Altona

Altona is one of Hamburg’s most fascinating neighbourhoods. It stretches from Sankt Pauli to the far west of Greater Hamburg, to the boundary with the state of Schleswig-Holstein, along the northern bank of the Elbe. This former independent city retains its centre, industrial areas, smart residential suburbs, and beaches on the shores of the Elbe. Altona belonged to Denmark until 1864.

Nowadays, Altona is a social and cultural melting pot, with points of interest including the Fischmarkt (the old fish market), the Altonale festival, and various beaches on the banks of the river.

It is very interesting to explore the history of this former city through buildings such as the old Town Hall (Rathaus), the adjoining Platz der Republik, the old port buildings, and the exclusive Blankeneze district with its long beach at the western end. Along the way are parks, countless family homes, and little seaports along the river Elbe. It is well worth following the entire course of the river.

Eimsbüttel

Eimsbüttel is one of Hamburg’s northern boroughs. It became part of Hamburg in 1884, one of the first old cities to be incorporated into Germany’s northern capital. That hasn’t prevented Eimsbüttel from preserving attractions such as the Rothenbaum Museum, with its worldwide ethnological collections, or the University of Hamburg’s Mineralogical Museum. And part of the University of Hamburg is located in this very area.

Eimsbüttel also has a thriving Jewish community, currently enjoying a full social and cultural revival with synagogues and other cultural institutions.

Today, Eimsbüttel is one of Hamburg’s most sought-after residential areas. At its epicentre is the Osterstrasse shopping street, where the annual Osterstrasse festival is held. There is also a plethora of restaurants, wine bars and delicatessen shops in the the Eppendorfer Weg area.

Hamburg Nord

Hamburg Nord covers the area from the northern shore of the Auseen-Alster lake to Hamburg airport, on the boundary with the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Although the airport takes up much of the space, Nord does also contain affluent residential areas and large parks.

One of these is Stadtpark, one of Hamburg’s most spacious parks, with a lake, an amphitheatre and the famous Planetarium, along with recreational and leisure facilities.

Not far away is the Ohlsdorf cemetery, the largest cemetery in the world, and the final resting place of many of the city’s famous figures. It covers almost 400 hectares, and houses the tombs, mausoleums and chapels of thousands of people.

Wandsbeck

At the far north-eastern end of Hamburg lies the district of Wandsbeck, the city’s second-largest borough. It consists of large expanses of low-density residential areas surrounded by forests and parks.

This area holds the least interest for visitors, although it does have Hamburg’s largest shopping centre, the Alstertal-Einkaufzentrum.

We hope you’ve found lots of ideas for exploring these fascinating districts in the city of Hamburg!