Hamburg in Autumn: Top 5 Places to See Autumn Colour
Although I have my favourite places to walk amongst fallen leaves, I always like to visit somewhere new during autumn. It’s the season when our landscape turns all shades of orange, red and gold and I just love it! Three years ago I discovered how Amsterdam does autumn. Two years back it was the turn of England’s Herefordshire woodlands, in particular Queenswood Country Park and Arboretum. Then last year I found myself in Hamburg in autumn; I just never got around to writing about it at the time. While I was there, I certainly witnessed Hamburg’s autumn coat in fine fettle. So without further ado, here are my top 5 places to see the best autumn colour in Hamburg.
Wallanlagen Parks and the Botanical Gardens
When I first looked at a map of Hamburg, I was intrigued by the expansive green corridor that links the Alster lake to the River Elbe. The green corridor is made up of several parks, all navigable by a network of paths. Starting at Landungsbrücken, overlooking the River Elbe and docks, the Alter Elbpark and Wallanlagen parks stretch north towards Alster Lake. At the northern end, you’ll find the city’s botanical gardens (Alter Botanischer Garten). This is one of my favourite places for seeing the gorgeous autumn colours.
Overlooking the lake are the Mediterranean terraces which feature a zig-zagging myriad of paths and plenty of seats to relax and enjoy the view. Make sure you visit this area of the garden as it’s gorgeous. With leaves showered everywhere at this time of year, the paths aren’t always obvious. However there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore and around each corner, steps lead to another garden surprise. There is still plenty of colour amongst the Mediterranean plantings and a beautiful autumnal canopy frames the lake nicely.
The Japanese landscaped gardens are full of exotic plants and are so vibrant and colourful. The Acers are fiery red and stand proud amongst all other shades of autumn. Glinting golds give way to rich ochre, through the buttery browns and on to deep mahogany. This will be the first area of the gardens you’ll see when arriving from the nearest underground station at Stephansplatz. It certainly gives a warm welcome!
Finally, stop by the south-western entrance to the gardens where they join the Kleine Wallanlagen as there is a beautiful water feature and terrace overlooked by a stunning mixture of colourful trees. The reflections are truly dazzling!
Planten un Blomen
If you have a limited period of time in Hamburg in autumn and only time to visit one of the places on this list, then without a doubt make it the Planten un Blomen. This translates as ‘Plants and Flowers’ which is a very apt name for this wonderful parkland area.
In October the ‘blomen’ are of course limited, though you may well catch the end of the rose garden season where late roses amongst the 300+ different varieties still bloom amongst fallen leaves. The trees and plants come into their own however making a very vibrant and attractive autumn garden.
Unfortunately at this time of year, it is likely that the park lake will have been drained for repair following the summer long program of water-light concerts that take place from May until early October; so this will look a bit of a mess. But the good news is that the cascades water feature will more than make up for it. Its impressive design brings water gently down a set of cascades in the shadow of the 272m high iconic television tower, Heinrich-Hertz-Turm. This is Hamburg’s tallest building and you can get super views of it from many areas of the Planten un Blomen. My favourite spots for a photo are along the path edging the lake and from the stepping stones at the base of the cascades.
The cascades were built in 1935 and are amongst the oldest attractions in the park. It is also my favourite spot to sit and relax. There is something about gazing at water that I find so calming and mesmerising that I could sit here all day, perhaps just moving position along the water’s edge for a different view from time to time.
There are many other attractions in the park, from a water-play area for children to a Japanese Tea House. However, by mid October they will either be closed or running reduced opening hours, as will be the toilets. Despite all this though, the Planten un Blomen is worth visiting just for the impressive autumn colour alone.
The Binnenalster (Inner Alster Lake)
The tree-lined Binnenalster covers an area of 44 acres and has a footpath right the way around. It makes for a lovely walk at any time of year but is particularly attractive in autumn. Together with the much larger Außenalster (Outer Alster), the lakes were created by the damming of the Alster river. The Alster fountain which is located in the centre of the Binnenalster provides a great focal point. It shoots water over 150ft upwards which is an impressive sight to behold. It operates from 9am till midnight, March to November, so you won’t miss seeing it when visiting Hamburg in autumn.
Behind the tree-line you’ll find some of the city’s finest architecture in the form of beautiful hotels and office buildings. I think it is one of the most charming areas in Hamburg and shouldn’t be missed on any trip to the city. My favourite spot along the Binnenalster is easily the northern corner where you get a lovely view of the fountain and the various church towers.
The Außenalster (Outer Alster Lake)
The Außenalster is considerably bigger than its neighbouring Binnenalster, measuring 1.8 miles in length. Far quieter than the Binnenalster due to it being further from the shopping district and other major tourist attractions, it provides a relaxing oasis in the middle of the bustling city.
It attracted the wealthy classes who built their white villas and mansions along the banks of the lake. The park which borders its western edge is the perfect place to go for a jog and the lake itself is favoured by watersports enthusiasts for swimming, sailing and canoeing.
The best and easiest way to see the wonderful autumn colour along the Außenalster is by taking a circular boat excursion from the southern edge of the Inner Alster Lake (accessed from Jungfernstieg). You can choose a hop on, hop off cruise should you wish to take advantage of the various cafes and beer gardens around the lake. There are a couple of particularly quaint spots where tributaries join the lake and the bridges over them are highly photogenic. You also get a super view of the Heinrich-Hertz Tower from the Außenalster too. It really is a charming place to visit in Hamburg in autumn.
The Speicherstadt
As Hamburg’s warehouse district, the Speicherstadt is not an obvious choice to place on a list of best autumnal locations. Built in the late 19th century, the Speicherstadt warehouses were built in the Neo-Gothic style and were uniformly constructed in deep red brick and adorned with copper turrets and intricate gables. Rising between 5 and 8 stories directly out of the canal, the imposing warehouses took delivery of precious commodities such as coffee, tea, tobacco, spices and oriental rugs during the time that Hamburg operated as a free port (from 1888). Since the 1980’s these warehouses have undergone transformation into offices and museums and now form part of the new HafenCity business district.
So, why is this area particularly great to visit in autumn you might ask? Well, if you walk along the tree-lined Zollkanal, the picture could not appear more harmonious. The coppery tones of autumn leaves compliment the uniform jigsaw of statuesque red brick buildings. The sinuous tree shapes and fallen leaves are a direct contrast to the geometric architectural lines, but all brought together by the mirrored colours of autumn. And that’s why it’ll remain one of my favourite places to go for an autumn stroll in Hamburg.
So, those are my top 5 places to visit during autumn in Hamburg… but what are yours? Do you have some suggestions to rival mine? Please let me know in the comments below.
If you haven’t yet visited Hamburg in autumn, I hope this has given you the inspiration to do so in the future. Happy travels!
Further autumn travel inspiration for the UK can be found here!
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Ravin | 3rd Dec 19
one of my fav destinations, wish i could there this winter, but i missed the trip.
Thank you for sharing such beautiful post and photos.
Tilly Horseman | 13th Jan 20
Thank you for reading and getting in touch. Glad you enjoyed it. It’s certainly high up there amongst my favourite European cities. I would so love to return one day!