Altes Land Hamburg – Idyllic vacation from the city

When springs comes and all the flowers and trees start to bloom, one of the activities I enjoy a lot is going on a bike tour on the other side of the river Elbe, into the area that is called Altes Land (old country). It is an important area for fruit-growing, therefore you will find huge fields of apple or cherry trees, which is especially beautiful during spring time. When you ride your bike along one of the numerous bike lanes, you will see sheep, cows and horses, farm houses and tiny little villages. It really is like a short vacation from the city! To make it even more perfect, just bring a picnic basket and a blanket and relax on one of the fields.

One way to get there is to take the HVV ferry from Landungsbrücken (Brücke 3, line 62) to Finkenwerder. From here, go into the direction of Alte Süderelbe and follow it westwards or simply explore the area. 

You can also take a ferry from Blankenese to Cranz, ride along Elbdeich towards the town Borstel, from here go into the direction of Steinkirchen. Then you can pass Jork and the road Obstmarschenweg and ride back to Cranz. 

Either way – enjoy the nature and the wonderful countryside!