The Speicherstadt

The Speicherstadt, in Hamburg

The Speicherstadt is the largest district of historic warehouses of the world, an ensemble of brick buildings on stilts listed as world heritage. The Hamburg audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this spectacular site, crisscrossed by canals, emblem of the port and the trade of the town.

The warehouse district listed by UNESCO

The Speicherstadt, literally the town of warehouses, is the largest ensemble of historic warehouses of the world and one of the most emblematic sites of Hamburg. Built between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, on thousands of wooden stilts driven into the marshy ground, it is composed of magnificent red brick buildings, high and slender, of neo-Gothic style, crisscrossed by a network of canals where the barges formerly circulated. These warehouses served to store the goods from all over the world that transited by the port: coffee, tea, spices, tobacco, cocoa and above all the famous oriental carpets, of which Hamburg was a great place of trade. Linked by bridges, bathing in the water, these buildings compose a unique urban landscape, particularly spectacular at nightfall when the illuminations are reflected in the canals. The Speicherstadt is today listed as UNESCO world heritage. An architectural masterpiece and a witness of the port power of Hamburg, the Speicherstadt is a must-see stop.

What to see

You admire the largest ensemble of historic warehouses of the world, built on thousands of stilts between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, magnificent neo-Gothic red brick buildings crisscrossed by canals, where coffee, tea, spices and oriental carpets were stored, listed as UNESCO world heritage, spectacular at night. The Speicherstadt is a masterpiece of Hamburg. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Speicherstadt lies between the old town and the HafenCity, in the heart of Hamburg, reachable on foot. It is an open-air public district, freely accessible; the museums and attractions that are there have their own hours. The district is particularly spectacular illuminated at nightfall.

What is the Speicherstadt of Hamburg?

The largest ensemble of historic warehouses of the world, built on thousands of stilts between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century; these neo-Gothic red brick buildings crisscrossed by canals, where the goods of the port were stored, are listed as UNESCO world heritage.

Where is the Speicherstadt of Hamburg?

Between the old town and the HafenCity, in the heart of Hamburg, in Germany.