Escaping the City
No matter how much you like living in Hamburg, or any large city for that matter, there will come a time when you need a break. A place to go to find respite from the noise and stresses of the large metropolitan currents that are almost constantly and incessantly pushing and pulling you throughout your daily life. It may sound paradoxical, but these currents can simultaneously give you life and drain you of that very same life. Youâll want to escape, if only for a while. Hamburg provides a myriad of places to retreat and find this escape in the form of public parks and nature preserves. Iâm going to talk about a few of my favorite such oases where I go when I need to get away from it all. If you ever find yourself here youâll already know where to go when the city gets to be too much.
Perhaps the most well-known city park in Hamburg is the âHamburger Stadtparkâ, simply called âStadtparkâ by locals. Situated slightly northeast of the city center, it provides citizens of the city with over 365 acres of green space to relax and escape. As a bonus, it also has a lake, part of which is open for swimming in the summer. Whether you want to come with a group of friends and grill, or have a nice quiet walk by yourself, Stadtpark is always a good choice. Because it is so well known, it can get relatively full, especially on the weekends.
If you want to avoid the masses, I recommend you go during the week or a little bit earlier in the day on the weekend. Stadtpark is also easy to get to with public transport. You can take the U1 to HudtwalckerstraĂe and walk just a bit, or take the U3 to Borgweg or SaarlandstraĂe, both stops practically drop you directly in the park. Stadtpark is also dotted with several restaurants and cafĂŠs, so you can grab a bite to eat or a coffee while enjoying the peace and quiet. Due to the fact that Stadtpark is often relatively full of people, it is not generally my favorite park to go to, but I highly recommend everyone who visits or lives in Hamburg check it out at least once.
Although perhaps the most popular park in Hamburg, Stadtpark is only the second largest by area. The title of the largest park in Hamburg belongs to Altona Volkspark located in western Hamburg. With a whopping 507 acres of green space, Altona Volkspark is a wonderful and peaceful place to go to find some much-needed solitude. You can easily get to Volkspark by public transport by hopping in the S3 or S21 and getting out at the Stellingen stop. From there, itâs only a short walk into the depths of the park and away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Unlike Stadtpark, which is a bit more rigidly designed, Volkspark has massive swaths of relatively untouched nature, with paths crisscrossing through small hills and large trees. Volkspark is also relatively peaceful, even on the weekends. Some of the only times Volkspark is crowded or hectic are game days when the HSV soccer team is playing, whose stadium is located directly adjacent to the park. I recommend coming to Volkspark when you want to feel a bit more in ânatureâ and a bit less as though you are in a city park. Bring a book, find a bench deep in the park, and simply lose track of time for a while as you let the singing birds and wind through the trees put your mind at ease.
If youâve got a little bit more time on your hands and want to visit my favorite green space in the Hamburg region, hop on the S3 and get out at Neuwiedenthal. Itâs a bit of a ride from the city center, about 30 - 40 minutes, but it is worth it. After taking the south exit from the train station, proceed south along Rehrstieg, then cross CuxhavenerstraĂe, and follow it east until your next right, which will be Scharpenbargsweg.
Follow Scharpenbargsweg until you come to a bit of a cul-de-sac formation, and take the dirt trail in front of you and slightly to your left. If you want to be sure you are in the right location, you should be right next to âParkplatz ScharpenbargshĂśheâ on your maps app of choice. Now, follow this dirt trail. Welcome to my absolute favorite green space in Hamburg, called Harburger Berge. This sprawling nature preserve provides a plethora of trails and peace. One could spend hundreds if not thousands of hours just exploring and admiring the nature contained within the bounds of the Harburger Berge. Yet this preserve is great even for a short wander through the woods after work. At the Regionalpark Rosengarten website you can find details for all the different trails.
During the week I rarely make it out to the Harburger Berge, instead opting to walk the short 20 minutes to Wohlerâs Park. Itâs small and often quite full of other people enjoying the green space, but somehow no matter how full Wohlerâs Park is, it still feels peaceful. Perhaps this is due to the litany of trees or the fact that it used to be a graveyard, which may invite its visitors to a certain kind of reverent relaxation, as opposed to revelry.
These parks and preserves are simply a small slice of the numerous green spaces available to you as a visitor or resident of Hamburg. If you find yourself here, I encourage you to simply walk out of your door and explore by foot. I can almost guarantee that youâll discover wonderful green oases around the corner.