Image by Kyra Garske

The early bird catches the worm: For everybody who likes to take a long walk or to jog along the Elbe river in the early morning, take a Nordic breeze here:

The big stone, erratic boulder, is the oldest and probably first immigrant of Hamburg. During the Kansan glaciation (around 400.000 years ago) or the Wolstonian Stage (around 135.000 – 200.000 years ago) it came from East-Småland in Sweden to Germany and “slept” on the ground of the Elbe river in the valley till September 17th, 1999.

When they tried to deepen the Elbe river to increase the turning circle of big container ships, the stone became a dangerous obstacle. Divers prepared the Alter Schwede with steel-nets to lift it out of the water. A massive crane singled it out of the water, shortly after it came out it suddenly fell back into the river. Only 5 days later they tried it again, with hundreds of curious onlookers – it worked!

The 217 tons Småland-granite was baptized June 6th, 2000 with Elbe water and given its name: Alter Schweder (old Swedish). Between “birth” & “baptism” are 1,7 or 1,8 million years. The measure is 19,7 meter and 4,5 meter high. For geologists it’s very interesting to see the striation of the glaciers.

In the summertime it’s a nice spot for couples to watch a bit separately the sunset or making a fire with friends.

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Der alte Schwede | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Hans-Leip-Ufer | Harbour
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Gängeviertel Hamburg (by: http://das-gaengeviertel.info/)

In the middle of Hamburg, in one of the countless office districts made out of glass and steel there is the Gängeviertel. Between Valentinskamp, Caffamacherreihe and Speckstraße are 12 houses with historically worthwhile, extensively original old building substances.

Many artists squatted the district and live and work there. Almost every night there are events like concerts, readings, exhibitions, installation and performances – all for FREE! You can visit the buildings from inside daily from 13:00 (except Mondays). The people there are very friendly and open-minded, can give you loads of information and tea.

Discover the different houses and rooms: Puppenstube (dollhouse), Butze (cubby), Tischlerei (carpentry), Fabrik (factory), Druckerei (printing house), Kutscherhaus (coachmen house), Kupferdiebe and Speckstraße.

The Gängeviertel is not only AGAINST everything, they have a new concept, a new use zoning plan. You can find very in detail on www.gaengeviertel.info (click on Nutzungskonzept).

I stop here to explain more about that beautiful, creative place – KOMM IN DIE GÄNGE – get on with it – get your own picture of it – your own view – ask and talk about what you think.

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Gängeviertel | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing, Theaters | Free
Caffamacherreihe 43 | City center | +4915789119142
Tue – Sun from 13:00 (special events check on website)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Photoautomat Hamburg (by: Kyra Garske)

Do you remember the times when we sat together on laps in that old photo booths and made memories while we made faces?? Well, get back to past in the present and take it for future.

Let’s say: you’re at the flea market on Saturday morning or just for a walk through the Schanze or on your way home after dancing the night away – you definitely need to stop at Photoautomat (photo booth) just right beside the place Alter Schlachthof. You need 2 Euro to get 4 monochrome photos of you (and your friends) – depends on how many there are of you and how many fit in the box. Nothing more to say! Try it!

Please send me your pictures so we could collect them online for a small “We love Hamburg” exhibition.

BTW: There’s another one right beside Haus III&70 [Schulterblatt 73, 20357 Hamburg] and beside the CentralPark beach club [Max-Brauer-Allee 277, 22769 Hamburg].

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Photoautomat | Art & culture, Relaxing | 4 monochrome photos € 2.00
Neuer Kamp 32 | Schanze
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

The Strandperle has since many years been the only simple snack stall at the beach. Under the sunshades, the free chairs or at the sandy beach you can sit down and relax.

Sometimes it seems all Hamburgers (from students to seniors) are here standing in line for drinks & (the best!) french fries from the fast and friendly service. The atmosphere is easy-going and relaxed.

At the beach you can listen to the rushing Elbe and to the seagulls. The container-dockyards from the opposite are still working day and night. Listen to the deep, hard sound. Ships from all over the world loaded with containers, no one can guess what’s inside, the ships will turn around in front of you.

There are 3 options to get here: (1) bus nr 36 from city center or St. Pauli to “Liebermannstr.”, then steeply downhill, across very luxurious mansions, back into the Strandperle or (2) take the ferry nr 62 from Landungsbrücken to Övelgönne/Neumühlen or (3) bus nr 112 from main trainstation or St Pauli or Altona to Övelgönne/Neumühlen (final destination).

PS: Surprisingly I heard that in former times the Strandperle was a milk stand and people came here for a glass of milk after bathing in the river Elbe. It closed during the WWII & reopened 1949 as a restaurant. The owner changed in 1973, so the Strandperle (as we know it) was born. 2006 the owner changed again but kept the idea.

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Strandperle | Bars, Relaxing | French fries around € 2.00
Övelgönne 60 | Harbour | +49408801112
Summer (Apr – Oct) 11:00 – 23:00 daily (weather-dependent) | Winter (Nov – Mar) Sat – Sun from 11:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

The Philosophenturm, short Philturm, is one of the (not really beautiful but) biggest buildings on the campus of the University Hamburg. In 1960/61, the Philturm was built by Paul Seitz for the studies of arts and humanities.

After a really affordable lunch in the canteen (Mensa) in the first floor (check menu and prices on this website), you could go to the top by elevator or by feet (uff!) and have a nice break and watching the beautiful city from above FOR FREE. Take a coffee with you and relax in between students running e.g. from room 267 to room 865.

Take the elevator to the highest floor (I think it’s 12) and take the steps for the last two ones. It’s a bit irritating that there are no signs for the stairway but at least you could find it out by yourself. You need to go through glass doors and corridors to find the last step. There you can sit on the steps, let your legs dangle.

You can see the main train station, the Binnenalster (inner Alster Lake), the inner city (see picture), on the other side you can see the campus, the TV tower, the St. Michaelis Church (short Michel), the port of Hamburg, everything!

I love it & it’s free.

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Philosophenturm | Relaxing | Free
Von-Melle-Park 6 | Grindelviertel
08:30 – 19:00 daily (not sure about weekends)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

Less tourists, more St. Pauli’er!

Park Fiction is a collective project by active residents from St. Pauli. It’s a green oasis in the middle of Hamburg with a nice view of the harbour with Blohm & Voss‘ dockyard 10 and 11 . This small (only 1500 m2) artificial park is an absolute insider tip.

The lawn was created in waves and equipped with artificial palm-trees. Lots of bike performers and skaters are around. For children, there is a tartan playground with big tulips on the ground and also (very hard to find in Germany) a dog park.

I really love this small recreational park for reading a book and drinking a sparkling rhubarb juice from the Amphore Café (see the Amphore article) beside.

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Park Fiction | Art & culture, Relaxing
Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse | Sankt Pauli
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

This is one of my favourite places in Hamburg. Till last week I thought you could only reach it by car, but that’s actually not true. Before I start to explain how to get there, I’ll give you an idea of the place.

Actually it’s just a normal bridge called “photographers bridge” close to the airport Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel. The first time, I was there, it was in the middle of the night and I saw many landing strip lights and some air-crafts landing late at night.

During the day with good weather, it’s a great choice for watching air-crafts taking off and landing. There is a small Café where you can get affordable Latte Macchiato for 2,40 Euro or a Beck’s beer for 2,30 Euro. Snacks like Sausages, hotdogs and donuts.

Coffee-to-Fly is open 365 days a year – spring, summer, autumn, winter – always. Have a small holiday while watching other people going by on the hundred of planes that pass here daily.

Give it a try, you won’t regret! And the best of ALL: it’s for free!! If you’re on a short budget, don’t drink anything in the Café, but bring your thermos flask or cold coke with you.

How to get there: Take bus #24 from Langenhorn Markt [U1] or Niendorf Markt [U2] or bus #193 from Poppenbüttel [S1] or Langenhorn Markt [U1] to Station “Wrangelkoppel”, follow the sign “Aussichtsplattform” for around 15 minutes, there you are!

PS: thanks 4 all the wonderful mails I got – it’s wonderful you liked it there.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Coffee-to-Fly | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Latte Macchiato € 2.40
Holtkoppel 100 | Hamburg North | +4917623487017
Daily when aircrafts take off or land

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

An amazing place for starting the day, best with relaxing breakfast in sunshine and with a great view over the Elbe river!

Inside it is hip and cozy, if you find a place to sit. To brave the cold weather, just go outside (especially in wintertime) – it is unbeatable – here you’ll find warm blankets. It is not very cheap there (fresh orange juice for 2,90 Euro), it no-frills, and not alternative.

It is one of my favourite breakfast points in this town. It’s a great spot for staying after long breakfast/lunch, sipping slowly and thoroughly enjoying your latte and trying the cake in the afternoon. Talking, watching and staying for the first wine and taking the day to the blue hour, the night comes, the harbour lights shines – that’s like a visual soundtrack of the Hamburg harbour!

By the way 1: There is also a big playground for kids in front of the Amphore Café.

By the way 2: Here I always bought my sparkling rhubarb juice to go to Park Fiction (see the Park Ficton article).

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Café Bar Amphore | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Orange Juice € 2.90
St. Pauli Hafenstr. 140 | Harbour | +494031793880
From 10:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

After a long day in university or city daytrip it’s one of the best places to relax. Similar to Zoë Bar (check the Zoe Bar article) it is filled with many couches, but they are separate. That makes you feel like you are in a friend’s house.

Good for relaxing with an old friend or serious talks. The wine is awesome there and costs around 3 Euro. An Astra Beer is under 2 Euro. The staff is like the music; veeeeery laid-back and easy-going. It’s perfect for a little break between day and night. In summer they’ll open the big windows again and so you’ve the feeling of sitting outside on a couch!

The atmosphere is a bit oriental, maybe because it is located in a former Turkish culture center. Not as crowded as it is in the Schanze or in the Kiez (St. Pauli). Alternative and simple, thus great!

Bar Roosen installed security cameras, as many other bars did in St Pauli.

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Bar Roosen | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Wine € 3.00
Paul-Roosen-Str. 28 | Sankt Pauli | +494076975926
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sun 12:00 – open end

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

“Have you never been to a private party in Hamburg? Welcome in our 3-Zimmer-Wohnung (3 room apartment).

The first room: here is our quirky living room with the big cosy couch. Just sit down and relax! Oh, first of all you wanna see our nice apartment? Ok, I’ll show you around: we have a second living room, because many friends come for drinks every day.

Feel free in our colorful rooms with the awesome lights. Here we go, this is our bedroom – if you want, just lay down on the bed, pssssst: there is a PlayStation (with projector!!) in the bedside cabinet, if you are feeling bored play some games or check out the table soccer (kicker). The small corridor is great for smalltalk.

In our open kitchen beside the cooker and fridge, you will find the bar, where you’ll get all drinks and beer. It is always crowed there like in every private party in Hamburg – the kitchen is the place to be. Feel free and have fun, I have to take great care of all my other guests.

Nice to have you here! Cheers!”

BTW: Downstairs you’ll find another room, sometimes with private parties, table soccer champions league or electronic parties (cost entrance fee). In former times it was a dildo factory in the redlight district.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
3-Zimmer-Wohnung | Bars, Relaxing | Beer € 2.50
Talstrasse 22 | Sankt Pauli | +4916090361519
From 20:00 daily (in summer from 21:00)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg