Cycling reporter Lara on the road in Hamburg Hamburg's network of routes for cyclists
Bike reporter Lara is on the road in Hamburg on her bike and tells you about the most exciting stories, projects and people who are committed to cycling in our city. Go on a discovery tour with Lara and find out why Hamburg is twice as much fun from a bike.
Every day, Hamburg's cycle routes can make our lives a little bit better. Instead of standing in traffic jams for ages in the middle of countless other tin cans, looking for a parking space and getting annoyed because we've already set off too late, we can whiz to work in a flash on well-maintained cycle paths. No stress, no traffic jams, no bad climate conscience. Instead, invigorating fresh air, a green backdrop and a little exercise that really wakes us up.
To ensure that we can all enjoy this, work on Hamburg's cycle route network has been underway since the 1990s. This is a network of routes that gives cyclists more space on the road. For the most part, they run off the main roads, along cycle lanes and sections of roads that can be used by cyclists without hesitation - speed limit 30 zones, for example. The cycle routes are intended to make cycling suitable for everyday use and to be usable in all weather conditions and at all times of day. Construction is still underway in many places, but the majority of the network has already been completed. That's why cycling reporter Lara has already tried out how quickly she can get from A to B with it.
Hamburg now has 14 cycle routes. Twelve of them run in a star shape from Rathausplatz to the outer districts. An inner and an outer ring connection link the cycle routes and residential areas with each other. The cycle routes already have a total length of 280 kilometres and are for the most part perfectly passable. By 2025, the last sections are to be upgraded and signposted to make them safer and more comfortable.
On her foray through Hamburg, Lara notices that many cycle paths have already been completed. She is particularly enthusiastic about the conversion of the cycle path on Krugkoppel along Veloroute 4, which not only has a wide pavement, but also a 2.25-metre-wide cycle lane where cyclists can travel unhindered in both directions.
Commuters in Wandsbek and Marienthal will soon be able to enjoy this as well. The Pappelallee is to be planted in 2022 in accordance with its name and supplemented with bicycle lanes on both sides. In addition, the railway bridges around the Ferdinandstor will be renewed - in the same course, separated bicycle lanes will be created, which will provide more free space for walkers and cyclists.
The focus of the expansion of the cycle routes is clearly on the many commuters who whiz through Hamburg on their bikes every day. However, many cycle routes also offer a beautiful view. For example, cycle route 4 runs between the Alster lake and the city park, and route 12 offers cyclists the most beautiful views of Hamburg harbour.
The cycle routes are therefore also suitable for bicycle tours or short jaunts. For example, on the longest route, the outer ring route, which is 42 kilometres long, you can cycle for two hours through the districts of Othmarschen, Schnelsen, Niendorf, Poppenbüttel and Billstedt, which are otherwise neglected by many, and get to know them from a completely new perspective. The cycle routes can also be used to reach important Hamburg attractions - such as the Speicherstadt, the Landungsbrücken and numerous museums.
