Park route

Your route starts at the eastern entrance on Saarlandstrasse, where an information board will draw your attention to the Rhododendron Trail – a path of approx. 500 metres that stretches in a westerly direction and offers a dazzling backdrop of rhododendron bushes in various colours and sizes. Along the path you will find small ponds and watercourses that exude an almost mystical atmosphere as well as benches that invite you to linger. You will be enchanted by the huge rhododendron bushes with a height of up to three metres and a sea of blossoms in various colours, from white and delicate pink to intense shades of red and purple. For those interested in botany, there are several information boards along the way with details about the different rhododendron species.

Not far from the trail, the park’s rose garden is dedicated to the queen of flowers. Created in 1925, this geometric rose garden is divided into four square-shaped smaller gardens. Overlooking bubbling water fountains amid the beautiful backdrop of roses, the secluded lawns are particularly popular on warm days. This corner of the park also features chess courts, a reading café and a number of art sculptures that have been installed over the years through donations.

While exploring the sculptures, you will probably end up in the south-eastern edge of the park. Here you will find a model-boat basin, where people of all age groups remotely control their small ships and boats or simply stand by and watch. But the real highlight is the unobstructed view from the all the way to the imposing water tower, which gives you an idea of the vast dimensions of this park – just as intended by those who once created it. All through the summer, the Stadtpark lake, which you now overlook in a westerly direction, invites you to swim and splash in natural, filtered water in a lovely landscape. On the south side of the lake you can find the Liebesinsel, a small island that can be reached via a nostalgic clinker bridge. Adjacent to the bridge there is a boat rental place including a kiosk with snacks and drinks. From here, you can embark on a paddling trip to the Alster Lake via the connecting Goldbek Canal, enjoy picturesque views along the way and even peek at private gardens on the shores. The island itself is a romantic little place with ornamental Japanese cherry trees.

On the west side of the lake you will find the Festwiese, a large open space that is regarded as the very heart of the Stadtpark. This is where everything happens; it is the place where locals stretch out on the spacious lawn and watch the action going on, meet up for a barbecue, play football or just sit back on their blankets or camping chairs while listening to performing street musicians. From here, you can also listen to concerts taking place in the summer months on the adjacent Stadtpark open-air stage.

As you continue your stroll, you will now walk towards the 70-metre-high former water tower on the west side of the Stadtpark. This cultural monument attracts more than 300,000 visitors annually and has served as a planetarium since 1930. The building’s observation deck offers a wonderful view of the park as well as large parts of Hamburg. This “theatre of stars” allows you to dive into the depths of the universe. The centrepiece of the planetarium is the domed hall with a height of 21 metres. Thanks to highly specialised projection technology, visitors can experience the starry sky and other astronomical phenomena as part of different shows and events. The programme ranges from scientific lectures to music concerts and spectacular laser shows and also includes a great choice of children’s events.

And there’s yet another highlight for children in the Stadtpark: if you walk back in the direction of the Festwiese, you will find the park’s largest playground to the left. At its core, there is a huge paddling pool surrounded by a fine sandy beach that is about 10 metres wide. There is plenty of space here for roaming around, building sandcastles and, of course, bathing and swimming. The adjacent meadow area with its soft hills offers further play and sports facilities for children and young people, and the local café makes sure that nobody goes hungry.

From the nearby Alte Wöhr S-Bahn station, the S1 will swiftly take you back to the city centre. Alternatively, you can rent a StadtRad bike at one of the many stations around the Stadtpark.

As a route planner, we strive to put together particularly diverse routes through Hamburg's most beautiful areas. Did you like our Park route? We look forward to receiving your feedback. To discover even more unique corners of Hamburg, take a look at our city map.