HafenCity

The HafenCity, in Hamburg

The HafenCity is the great modern district of Hamburg, built on former port wastelands by the Elbe. The Hamburg audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this vast urban project, one of the most ambitious of Europe, which mixes contemporary architecture and water.

The great modern district of the port

The HafenCity, literally the town of the port, is one of the largest projects of urban development of Europe. This vast modern district was created on former port land and basins that had become unused, by the Elbe and near the Speicherstadt, considerably enlarging the town centre of Hamburg. Since the beginning of the 2000s, spectacular buildings of contemporary and bold architecture have been built there, which shelter dwellings, offices, shops, restaurants, universities and cultural institutions, including the famous Elbe Philharmonic Hall. The district stands out by its intimate link with the water: the buildings line the old basins and the canals, linked by bridges and promenades, and the protection against the floods of the river has been carefully integrated there. Mixing bold urbanism, public spaces and port heritage, the HafenCity illustrates the Hamburg of the twenty-first century. A showcase of the modern town, the HafenCity is a must-see stop of the discovery of Hamburg.

What to see

Here you discover one of the largest urban projects of Europe, created since the 2000s on former port basins by the Elbe, with its spectacular buildings of contemporary architecture sheltering dwellings, offices and cultural institutions including the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, linked by bridges and promenades by the water. The HafenCity illustrates modern Hamburg. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The HafenCity lies by the Elbe, near the Speicherstadt, in Hamburg, reachable on foot and by public transport. It is an open-air public district, freely accessible; the shops, restaurants and institutions have their own hours. The promenade along the basins is particularly pleasant.

What is the HafenCity of Hamburg?

One of the largest projects of urban development of Europe, created since the 2000s on former port land and basins by the Elbe; this vast modern district mixes contemporary architecture, dwellings, offices and cultural institutions, including the Elbe Philharmonic Hall.

Where is the HafenCity of Hamburg?

By the Elbe, near the Speicherstadt, in Hamburg, in Germany.