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REVIEW OF THINGS TO DO
from the blog entry Day 1 : Hamburg , Germany ( The Garden City of Europe ) by Tanmoy
Review of Alster Lake,
a thing to do in
Hamburg, Germany
Date of experience: Jun 08 '06 Author: Tanmoy |
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“The Alster lake is one of the things making Hamburg unique.” |
The body of water which gets the Hamburgers most misty-eyed and nostalgic is the Alster lake. Created when the river was dammed some seven hundred years ago, it finds itself divided into an outer lake and an inner inner lake by the Kennedy bridge and the Lambardsbrücke.
The Alster lake is one of the things making Hamburg unique. It is also reinforcing the maritime feel of the city, already present through Hamburg's large inland seaport on the Elbe river.
To me, the expensive buildings on the waterfront pretty much sum up the Hanseatic character: Classy, solid, showing wealth and power without bragging about it. There is a promenade currently under reconstruction and several opportunities for lake cruises/boat rentals. The Alster is connected to the Elbe port through a number of parallel running canals.
The northern part of the lake beyond the Kennedy bridge features a wonderful park-like promenade and behind this one of Hamburg's most expensive neighbourhoods. Again, most of the buildings are very Hanseatic -- displaying wealth, but never losing etiquette and common sense.
Hamburg Binnenalster is like a big lake just in the center of the town. Around the "lake" are office buildings, hotels, coffee bars and restaurants. From the south end you have a beautiful view, here the boat tours on the Alster also start. But the best (in my eyes) is to enjoy this place in winter when the lake is frozen and you can do ice skating on it and several sales booths are on the lake. A great ambience, especially in the evening.
The Außenalster is a paradise for sailors, rowers and canoeists. It is 160 ha in size (and only 2.5 m at its deepest)! This artificial lake was created as early as the 13th century out of the Alster river. Hamburgers and visitors to Hamburg like to stroll around the Alster, because a walk around the Alster is one of the most rewarding things that the green city has to offer. In addition, parks and green spaces all around the Alster provide plenty of space to hang out, relax and play or sit in one of the plenty cafés and restaurants!
Living near the water affects life in the Hanseatic City more than almost any other metropolis. A dense network of waterways and open water shape the city's appearance and make up 8% of its total area. Hamburg has even more bridges than Venice! After a day's work, many residents simply set sail on the Alster and go boating right in the middle of town.
Boat riding on the Alster ("Alsterschippern") or on the larger canals (known as "Fleeten") is a great way to see much of town. The port of Hamburg itself is no less intricate. On a big harbor tour smaller launches ply the narrow canals of the historical Speicherstadt, where the aroma of tea and spices will tantalize you, evoking nostalgia for world of trade at the turn-of-the-century.
The nicest and most convenient way to explore the Alster is to take an Alster tour by Alster steamer!
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