The route from the Övelgönne museum harbour to the lower part of the stairs quarter has a length of 8 kilometres. Ascending through the stairs quarter, it is another 1.5 kilometres to Blankenese station, but you want to plan an extra bit of time for the ascent of the stairs quarter. The route along the Elbe is also well suited for bicycles, even though it can be fairly busy on sunny weekends.
Your journey starts at Övelgönne museum harbour, where you can view the picturesque little harbour on the edge of Hamburg’s Elbe beach. Next, you can choose between two options: you can keep left and walk directly along the beach, watching the hustle and bustle of locals with their dogs and digging your feet into the sand as you walk along the water. Alternatively, you can keep slightly to the right and follow the small path called Övelgönne, which will take you past historic captain’s cottages with delightful front gardens.
It won’t be long until you get to the Strandperle, Hamburg's iconic bar right on the Elbe beach at Schulberg. Here, Hamburg’s locals like to relax on the sand or on deck chairs, while sipping a glass of cool shandy (“Alsterwasser”) and watching busy tugboats help up to 400-metre-long container ships manoeuvre the port. You can enjoy a perfect panoramic view of the port and marvel at the large container terminals just opposite, with their impressive gantry cranes for loading and unloading ships.
As you walk further towards Hans-Leip-Ufer, you will also come across Hamburg’s most famous expat, the “Old Swede” – a huge erratic boulder with a weight of 217 tonnes and a height of 4.5 metres. During the Ice Age, the boulder once “migrated” from Sweden to Hamburg and was discovered, and painstakingly recovered, in 1999 when the waterway was deepened.
After a 4-kilometre walk, you will reach the Teufelsbrück ferry terminal. For a little detour to beautiful Jenischpark, you will cross the Elbchaussee to the right and quickly find yourself in the middle of meadows, ancient trees and a scenic little stream. The hillside location of this English-style landscaped garden also provides for a wonderful view over the Elbe and the port. Culture lovers can take the opportunity to visit the Ernst Barlach House, the Bargheer Museum or the Jenisch House and explore the diverse range of art, music and cultural offerings available there.
At Teufelsbrück, you continue along the Elbwanderweg trail towards Blankenese. Just opposite, on the far side of the Elbe, you will see the extensive premises of Airbus, the French-German aircraft manufacturer. The assembly plant has the size of nearly 500 football pitches and is the place where ultra-modern passenger planes are built. The premises even include a runway on-site. Several times a day you can spot a Beluga – the whale-shaped Airbus cargo aircraft – landing or taking off from here.
Stretching over a length of 9 kilometres, the Elbchaussee runs parallel to your Elbwanderweg trail. One of Hamburg’s most prestigious streets, the Elbchaussee, is lined with imposing villas – many of these were built in Wilhelminian style and are listed as historic buildings. Here you can also find the stately premises of Louis C. Jacob, Hamburg’s traditional luxury hotel on the Elbe slope. The hotel’s beautiful linden terrace offers a magnificent view of the Elbe and invites you to rest.
From the increasing density of sailing boats in small marinas you will notice that you are slowly arriving in Blankenese, a beautiful residential area that used to be a fishing village. Many sailing clubs are based here, as boating plays an important role to this day.
However, before you make your way up the hill, we recommend taking a deep breath on the banks of the Elbe. Right in the middle of the water, at the level of the Strandweg stairs, you will see the Blankenese Lighthouse, which is over 32 metres high. A staircase leads you to a little platform that provides a wonderful view of the Elbe and the Elbe slope.
On the adjacent Blankenese ferry pier, you can check out the “ Ponton op'n Bulln” eatery and try authentic Hamburg specialities such as labskaus or a fish roll alongside tea, coffee, cake and currywurst. Surrounded by water, you will notice a slight swaying feeling as you enjoy your refreshment.
Now that you’ve gathered your strength, you are ready to climb the stairs of the Elbe slope with its predominantly white facades, charming fishermen’s houses and captain’s cottages. Winding alleys and a total of 5,000 steps take you up the slope past these historic buildings with their enchanting gardens – accompanied by a stunning view of the Elbe. All those who are not up for such a climb can use the 488 bus. The so-called “mountain goat”, a small electric bus operating at fairly short intervals, offers a round trip through the stairs quarter from and to Blankenese station.
The stairs quarter takes you directly to Hessepark, a well-kept park that invites you to relax on one of the benches surrounded by lush greenery. Passing the Blankenese farmer’s market (each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday), you will quickly spot the Blankenese church, which was built in 1896 in neo-Gothic style. So why not enjoy a moment of contemplation and perhaps visit the bronze baptismal font from the 13th century. Now you are in the very centre of this noble suburban quarter. Here at Blankeneser Bahnhofstrasse you can watch the young and old from the locality who come here to stroll, shop, chat or dine.
From Blankenese S-Bahn station, the S1 will take you straight back into Hamburg’s city centre.
As a route planner, we strive to put together particularly diverse routes through Hamburg's most beautiful areas. Did you like our Elbe villa route? We look forward to receiving your feedback. To discover even more unique places in Hamburg, take a look at our city map.
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