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 Kyra Garske

Sometimes after exercising (my sport club is nearby) I meet friends in Aurel for a sparkling rhubarb juice or caipirinha (happy hour daily till 21:00, Caipirinha €4,00 and Mojito €5,50).

Especially around 18:00 it becomes very crowed and often too loud for profound talks. After work people let the day fade away in a cozy gold-red atmosphere. They have a very uncommon but tasty beer called “Große Freiheit” (great freedom) for €1,50 (small) to €2,50 (big). If you are with your wine lover friends, this is the first place I found for ordering a bottle (0,75l) of really good wine for only €11.00, last time it was even an 1-l-bottle!

The ambience is retro and mainly red, good music, mixed people, free pretzel sticks on every table. A big self-service bar, an amazing room with coloured windows in the back of first room. Beside that there is a cozy booth for only two people (in love?). Cute!

Don’t be surprised or afraid on the toilet. First of all it is volitional! Cheeps of whales in the ocean. Cute!

In summertime you can sit outside, if you can find a chair – if not: many people sit on the most frequented (of Hamburg?) road kerb with their drinks and immerse themselves in the vibrant life of Ottensen.

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Aurel | Bars, Coffee & tea | Small beer € 1.50
Bahrenfelder Str. 157 | Altona & Ottensen | +49403902727
Mon – Thu from 12:00, Fri – Sat from 10:00, Sun from 11:00

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 Kyra Garske

Well, how to describe a hall which looks like an old, over-years-unused barn or abandoned freight depot which is fairly new built during shooting a film “Soulkitchen” by Fatih Akın? In 2009 the movie “Soulkitchen” was the best German movie of the year. As a kind of lovestory to my beloved city Hamburg, it is about people around a restaurant which is threatened to close.

Now the filmcrew is gone and the Soulkitchen hall is still there. A non-commercial place for art, culture and come together. It is open during events like swing-dance-workshops, concerts, board game parties and many more. Volunteers from Hamburgs district Wilhelmsburg are working there for free.

A small bar with beer, wine, coke and juice you’ll find there beside a cozy couch area for chilling. If it’s not crowded you can rummage in the vinyl collection to be a DJ for a time.

It’s a very nice and very alternative place with loads of good and active people – the opposite of the posh in-crowd.

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Soulkitchen Halle | Art & culture, Bars, Music
Industriestr. 101 | Harbour
Check website for events

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

As Hamburg is full of construction sites, street barriers and excavators, you’ll sometimes find a small oasis of art and neighbor initiative. Like the Fiese Hecke (in English: meany hedge) with is basically just a construction fence around the old Astra-beer-Tower (attention, sometimes cullets fall from above, that’s why the fence is there).

Usually neighbors would say: GET RID OF THE FENCE, but here they say LET THE FENCE STAY. Why not us the fence as a platform for fun, art exhibiton or a regularly “for free”-shop?

Have fun and stay tuned to what more will come (check website otherwise you’ll only see a fence)!

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Fiese Hecke | Art & culture | Free
Gebrüder wolf platz | Sankt Pauli
24 hours daily

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 convivial welcoming place is always very crowed, because you’ll get really good food. More important for a few people: real big portions for little money during the whole day.

Breakfast from 09:00 and lunch from 11:30. Actually I could recommend everything on the menu. My favourite is Pasta Marco Polo with fried chicken slices, broccoli and tomato sauce for €6.90. The French Fries there are the best in the Schanze. If you wanna go for breakfast, they have student breakfast with bread, butter, jam, honey, cheese, sausage, orange juice, fruit salad and (all you can drink) coffee.

Sometimes you cannot find a place. Ask the super friendly staff if there will be a free table soon and just wait few minutes.

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Oma’s Apotheke | Bars, Snacks | Main meal from € 4.00
Schanzenstraße 87 | Schanze | +4940436620
Sun – Thu 09:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 09:00 – 02:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg