Beautiful lakes near hamburg. Hamburg. Lake Alster. Old city. Alster Fishing Guest Ticket

Lake Alster (Hamburg, Germany) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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Lake Alster is the real pride of Hamburg. Here, as for an outlet, many Hamburgers strive after working days. The lake is located in the center of the metropolis on 160 hectares and is completely surrounded by parks, trees and alleys.

Despite the constant development of Hamburg, the lake remains untouched by civilization.

The history of the Alster Lake began in the 13th century, after a dam blocked the inflow of the Elbe. Since then, this area has always been under the scrutiny of local residents and authorities. Despite the constant development of Hamburg and the construction of industrial enterprises and numerous residential complexes, the lake remains untouched by civilization.

On the Alster lake

Today, the Alster is a mass vacation spot for citizens and tourists. The so-called health path is laid around the lake, 7 km long. No time for jogging and other healthy lifestyles? Then you can just sit in the shade and admire the lake and the fountains gushing out of it. Fortunately, there are benches on the embankment almost every two meters.

By the way, two years ago, a giant sculpture of a bathing girl was installed in the center of Alster Lake. From the first days, the sculpture, more than 4 m high, has become the most popular attraction in Hamburg. You can get to know it better by renting a boat or a catamaran. Here, tourists are vying to offer tickets for pleasure boats, taking a ride on which you can enjoy the view of the city's attractions from the water.

The cost of trips, depending on the tour and its duration, starts from 12-18 EUR per person.

For the convenience of tourists, boats and steamboats leave every hour.

Prices on the page are for November 2018.

The Alster Lake was created artificially in the center of Hamburg and is something akin to a magnet for the richest residents of the city. Everyone tries to live closer to this attraction and have a property with a view of the Alster.

There is also something that attracts ordinary residents of the city and tourists. First of all, this is a green area for recreation around the lake, as well as a 7-kilometer-long jogging trail, where you can also just take a walk and breathe fresh air, escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and the noise of Hamburg.

It is also understandable why these places are called the coast of millionaires. Every wealthy resident of the city tends to settle in the first strip to the Alster. But only a few lucky ones were lucky, who took possession of the villas on the coast, with beautiful green spaces around.

Despite the large number of luxurious villas, numerous tourists and travelers, as well as the residents of Hamburg themselves, have unhindered access to the park area, with many beautiful trees and places to relax, benches and picnic meadows. Walking along the trail around the lake, you can admire the most interesting sights of Hamburg, including museums, buildings and monuments. As a result, it becomes clear why this city was called the Venice of the North.

The real pride of the inhabitants of the city of Hamburg is considered to be an artificial, but very picturesque Alster lake, surrounded by a beautiful park, where quite original sculptures are installed, and the paths are strewn with gravel. It is here that many residents and tourists tend to come to enjoy the fresh air and just relax. Here you can look at futuristic houses, which are the result of an extraordinary imagination of architects.

Lake Alster is located in the center of the city, it was created in 1190, when such an order came from Count Adolf III. In order for such a wonderful place to rest to appear, it was necessary to divert part of the tributary of the Elbe River. The lake itself consists of two parts: an internal lake with an area of ​​​​18 hectares, and an external one with a size of 164 hectares.

The Alster even has a relatively small navigable channel, as well as a 200 meter long tributary. It is also called the Little Alster, small boats and sailing ships pass through it every day. Not far from the canal there is a stele dedicated to the memory of those who suffered during the First World War.

Around the outer Alster is a natural park of the same name of amazing beauty. In the spring, this place attracts special attention, because during this period the cherry blossoms begin, which is considered a real holiday for the Japanese community of Hamburg. It has been celebrated since 1968 with fun and fireworks.

The coastline of the lake is a public recreation area, where there are not only pedestrian, but also bicycle paths. It is here that the townspeople like to spend their free time, as well as play sports, for this reason this place is called “Health Paths”. And once you are near a small lake, you can admire a beautiful fountain 60 meters high.

In a tourist trip it is very important to observe the rule "rest above all else". I did not always succeed in this to the right extent, but on a trip in August 2012, I mostly succeeded. For me (and not only for me) rest is a change of impressions and activities. Active movement - and static activities (like gatherings on the embankments and in other beautiful cozy places); cognitive activities - and calm contemplation. And so on. In this entry, I want to talk a little, in order to draw attention to two places for a quiet holiday in Hamburg. This is the Planten un Blomen park and the lake (more precisely, there are two lakes) Alster.

Park "Plantin un Blomen"

A visit to the Plantin un Blomen park can be combined with a visit to the Hagenbeck menagerie, since the distance between them corresponds to about half an hour's walk. You just need to figure out the route using the map, but this is not difficult, since you need to go not along some lanes, but along large wide streets. I did just that - in the morning, and in the middle of the day I ended up in the Hamburg kingdom of flora. The day was sunny and hot, so I strove to be in the shade of the trees as soon as possible, away from the highways.

In general, I always try to visit parks and gardens in large (and not only large) European cities. I like this art, which invariably causes admiration and, one might say, a feeling of bliss. Which is deepened by the fact that in the parks I have the opportunity to stay away from the hustle and bustle of people.

"Planten un Blomen" (in the Low German dialect) translates as "Plants and Flowers". Why flowers are not classified as plants, I don’t know, this is a whim of the inhabitants of the first half of the 19th century. The park was laid out in November 1821, with the first plant planted being a plane tree. It is interesting that in Hamburg you can plant plants in November - this fact clearly characterizes the local climate. But in the place where I live, now, in November, I observe a snowy landscape outside the window, and the indicator on the thermometer has long since dropped below zero.

The first thing I saw after entering was some kind of construction of continuously moving balls:

It looks like a perpetual motion machine. For some reason I like this kind of stuff.

There are several fountains in its hydraulic system:

In the evenings, the fountains participate in a water and light show accompanied by music; who likes such shows can take note.

Another element of ponds is cascades:

The sound of easily flowing water, by the way, has a surprisingly healing effect on the nervous system.

The park has a rose garden with an area of ​​50 acres, where historical roses, English, species, park, flower bed, hybrid tea, and climbing roses are presented - about 300 varieties in total:

In the center of the rose garden there is an open pavilion where you can read information about roses:

The view of the gardens is somewhat spoiled only by the television tower named after Heinrich Hertz located next to the park:

To me, in its shape, it resembles the capless giant leg of an exotic grebe; it is a pity that the name of the great physicist turned out to be mixed with this object, exuding streams of information turbidity. Therefore, it is better not to look too far into the distance, but to admire the flowers:

Or trees (I personally like conifers the most):

An interesting feature of Plantin un Blomen is a section called the Pharmaceutical Garden. It is arranged as a series of separate garden rooms separated from each other by walls. In each such room, plants are collected for the treatment of certain organs (nerves, heart, kidneys, stomach, and others - all this can be read on information stands, however, only in German; although there are also pictures depicting these organs). Quite curious. I remember one funny detail: in one sector I saw nettles and for some reason I wanted to touch it (I'm not a masochist! It was just like that). To my great surprise, this nettle feels like velvet to the touch; not the slightest sign of a burning function. However, it is obvious that species such as, for example, the New Zealand nettle tree, the burn from which can be fatal, would not be grown here.

In the Planten un Blomen park there is also a beautiful Japanese garden with a Tea house:

It is a pity that it was not possible to make a tea ceremony "sado" there. If someone really wants to do this, you need to find out the schedule of the ceremony lessons.

In the spring, ornithological excursions are held in the park.

The park is very large in area (about 47 hectares), and it is unrealistic to get around it at a time. I entered it from the northwestern entrance and exited through the northeastern one (the Japanese garden is just not far away). And if you go south for a long time, where the park extends very far, you can go to.

Entrance to the park is free. It opens at 7:00 am and closes from May to September at 23:00, from October to April at 20:00.

Alster lake

From the Planten un Blomen park, I set out on foot to the Alster lakes, visiting the Old Botanical Garden at the university along the way, albeit briefly. It is also interesting there, but the emphasis on tropical flora and the corresponding climate made the stay in the greenhouses extremely short. In Hamburg, the 30-degree heat has just begun to subside. That's not why I came to this city north Germany to suffer from the heat. Therefore, he strove for large urban reservoirs.

The Alster is actually a river, a tributary of the Elbe. But in Hamburg, human activity created two artificial lakes on its bed - the Inner Alster (Binnenalster) and the Outer Alster (Außenalster). Together they are called Lake Alstersee. I have visited these lakes twice; the first time on the day of arrival, when he cruised them. But then I was tired from the road, and somehow the features of the lake landscape were not very well deposited in my head. And the photographs, taken with weakened hands and half-asleep eyes, had to be deleted later.

Inner Alster

The Inner Alster is so called because in the Middle Ages it was located within the city walls. In addition, it served as a source of water for the mill. Since 2008, the walls no longer exist, and the Alsters are separated by two bridges - the Lombardsbrücke (road) and the Kennedy Bridge (road and rail).

A complex engineering structure - a combined street and railway bridge that separated the Inner and Outer Alster. The bridge is extremely important for the entire urban transport system. It received its name as a “legacy” from a pawnshop located here in ancient times.

The lake is surrounded by mighty buildings, as it used to be expressed earlier, big capital. One of them (in the center, the largest and brightest) is the office center of the famous shipping company GAPAG-Lloyd.

In the left part of the picture rises, near which a small water nook is separated from the main part of the Inner Alster - the Small Alster, chosen by swans and ducks. Farther away, away from the Alster, a canal system stretches through the body of the city all the way to the Elbe. The Jungfernstieg is always full of people; the white domes belong to stalls that sell, for example, tickets for tours in Germany and neighboring countries. True, without knowledge of the German language there is no point in going there. They also sell fast food (where, if not in Hamburg, sell hamburgers!) And non-alcoholic beer.

And on the embankment there is a pier, from which cruise ships depart. They are traditionally called Alster steamers. By the way, I want to draw your attention to the fact that cruises are extremely popular in the summer, and you should not be completely sure that you can easily buy a ticket for the next flight. I tried to book a canal flight between Alster and Elbe but they were sold out 2 days in advance. And they do not happen every hour (several times a day). So I cruised both Alsters.

The nominal border between the Alsters are, as I said, the Lombard and Kennedy bridges. The oldest of the two bridges is the 1868 Lombardsbrücke stone bridge. Its cast-iron candelabra, crowned with glass balls, is very popular with tourists. And me including:

Outer Alster

And now I return to the story of how I got from the Platen un Blomen park to the Outer Alster. I set myself a rather ambitious task - to bypass the lake around the perimeter. Not all, of course, but the main reservoir, which has many winding lateral appendages. Bridges allow you to do this, although it should be borne in mind that the distance is still rather big (about 7 and a half kilometers). But I like to walk, and besides, I expected (correctly, of course) that there would be an opportunity to sit and rest from time to time. The kind of runners stimulated the campaign (running around the Outer Alster is very common); did not stimulate - the view of vacationers lying on the grass.

The banks of the Outer Alster abound with green tree caps:

Numerous small yachts crowd near the shore, and huge houses rise behind the trees:

In some places, floating islands stretch along the coast (I don’t know why they arise) and placers of surface stones that birds like:

In addition to high-rise buildings, you can see a large number of modern residential and business buildings, quite nice (in my opinion) look:

Naturally, cruise ships come across from time to time. They run not only from the Jungfernstieg embankment, there are other marinas:

In these pictures there are not very many lovers of water walks, since it was a weekday.

I would like to summarize the entry with the consideration that the culture of recreation is just as important a part of human existence as the culture of creativity, work or service. And it is very good when appropriate highly developed conditions are created for a decent level of recreation culture.

Lake Alster (German: Alster) is a part of the river of the same name in the central part of Hamburg, in northern Germany.

The lake arose in the river bed under Count Adolf III. 1190. Then the Alster was blocked by a dam for the operation of a water mill.

Today, the Alster lake is one of the main attractions of Hamburg, it is a favorite vacation spot for all citizens - they walk here, run along the paths of the park, do all kinds of sports, including water sports, as well as shop and ride a boat.

Three Alsters

From 1616 to 1625, during the construction of the city wall, the lake was divided into two parts - the Outer and Inner Alster. To prevent unauthorized entry into the city, the flow of the river under a wooden bridge was blocked by a large log.

In the 17th century, the Lombardsbrücke bridge was built on the site of the wooden bridge, and in the 20th century, another bridge, the Kennedybrücke, was built to the north of it.

Note: Lake Alster is divided into three parts, unequal in size and dissimilar to each other: Outer (largest), Inner (middle) and Small Alster, the distances between them are large - up to 5 kilometers.

Outer Alster

The outer Alster (Außenalster) got its name in the 17th century, as it turned out to be part of the lake, remaining behind the newly built city wall. And although the fortress wall is long gone, the historical name has been preserved.

The Outer Alster is the largest part of the lake and covers an area of ​​approximately 164 hectares. Its depth reaches 4.5 meters. The place is especially popular during the warm season. Yachting is traditionally practiced here, there are several yacht clubs. In addition, boats, water bikes, boats, canoes ride on the lake. Recently, a new sport has been gaining momentum - stand-up paddleboarding, standing on a board with a paddle.

There are numerous villas on the coast of the outer Alster, especially in the Harvestehude district in the west of the Alster, along the Bellevue streets in the Winterhude district, and Schone Aussicht in the Uhlenhorst district in the north of the lake. This area of ​​the Alster is therefore often referred to as the "millionaire's coast".

On the southeast side of the outer Alster is the famous and fashionable Atlantic Hotel, today part of the Kempinski hotel chain.

Alster Park

Around the Outer Alster is the Alster Park, which is today a favorite place for the townspeople to relax. The western side of the park was created especially for the International Garden Exhibition (IGA) in 1953.

In 1968, 1000 Japanese cherry trees were planted in the park, received as a gift from Japanese firms operating in Hamburg. Since then, every year during their flowering, the “Cherry Blossom Festival” is held with a grandiose salute.

The Alster Park has 7.4 kilometers of hiking and cycling trails. Adherents of an active lifestyle run here in the mornings, evenings and weekends.

Inner Alster

The Inner Alster or Binnenalster is a much smaller part of the lake - about 18 hectares.

In the center of the Inner Alster, a pontoon is installed, from which the Alster Fountain shoots to a height of 60 meters. The fountain was financed by a private investor in 1987 and has already become one of the symbols of Hamburg. Enrichment due to the work of the Alster water fountain with oxygen has led to an improvement in the quality of the water in the lake. In the pre-Christmas time, a decorated Christmas tree replaces the fountain.

Located in the city center, even with the existence of the city wall, Binnen-alster has always been a bustling trading place. On the south side, the lake closes the Jungfernstieg street, which is the city promenade.

Around Binnen-Alster today there are various shops, offices, hotels. Among them are the historic hotel, today belonging to the 4 Seasons hotel chain, the traditional Alsterhaus shopping center, as well as the famous Alster Pavilion cafe. In 2006 a new shopping center Europe Center was built on the Inner Alster.

On the southern coast of the Inner Alster there is a pier for the "White Flotilla" - this is the name of the boats that sail along the Alster in the mode of river trams, as well as pleasure boats.

Every year in late August - early September, the Alster fun, Alsterfegnugen festival is held on the Inner Alster with folk festivals, attractions and fireworks.

Small Alster

Small Alster (Kleine Alster), as the name implies, is the smallest part of the lake. Its dimensions are only 200 meters long and 40 wide. It is aligned with the Inner Alster tunnel running under the Jungfernstieg. On the south side it is limited by locks. Beyond the locks, the Alster flows into the Elbe.

There is a memorial stele Grieving mother with a child in her arms, made in 1931 by sculptor Ernst Barlach, in memory of those who died in the First World War. During Nazi Germany, the relief was removed as "degenerate art" and restored again in 1949.

The west side is decorated in the style of a Venetian square, and is called the Alster-arcaden. There are cafes, restaurants, shops here. Swans, geese, ducks live in the waters of the Little Alster in summer. In the warm season it is always full of tourists.

In cold winters, which happens about once every five years, the Alster lake freezes over. Then a skating rink is arranged on the ice for everyone.

Fishing on the Alster lake

In the waters of Lake Alster there are carp, pike perch, grayling, eel, trout, pike and other fish.

In Germany, in order to obtain the right to fish, you must obtain a fishing license. It's like a driver's license to drive a car. Without such a document, it is impossible to fish either on the Alster or on the Elbe.

If you are the owner of a fishing ticket issued in Russia, you must purchase an additional fishing permit in Hamburg in the Alster, the so-called guest "Angelnkarte" (Angelnkarte), "Fisherman's Ticket", it is sometimes called the Fischer Karte, but not "Fishkarta" (fishkarte).

An angel card for tourists is available in several versions - for the weekend, for one day or for one month.

Working mode

All areas of the Alster Lake and the park are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pleasure boats on the Outer Alster:

• From April 1 to October 6 - from 10.00 to 18.00 every half an hour,
• from 7 to 31 October - at 10.00, 11.00, then until 16.00 every half hour, the last ship - at 17.00. The duration of the trip is 1 hour.
• Departure is from the pier on the Jungfernstieg.

Japanese cherry blossom festival:

• held annually in May on the Jungfernstieg.
• In 2019, fireworks on May 31, 2019 are planned at approximately 22.30.
• From May 22 to May 26, 2019, the Japanese Film Festival will be held.

Fishing permit on the Alster lake

• Weekend Fishing Permit: Valid from Friday 18.00 to Monday 06.00.
• 1 day ticket (Tageskarte): valid for 24 hours.

A guest ticket for fishing on the Alster lake can be bought:

• Angelsport-Verband Hamburg Geschäftsstelle, Hansastrasse 5 20149 Hamburg (Tuesday, Thursday from 14.00 to 18.00),
• Adventure Fishing, address: Reismühle 5 22087 Hamburg,
• Angelshop Brüggen, address: Mundsburger Damm 44 22087 Hamburg,
• BAC - Bergedorfer Angler-Centrum, address: Curslacker Neuer Deich 66 21029 Hamburg,
• Angelsport Marco-Fisch, address: Bremer Str. 56 21073 Hamburg-Harburg,
• Sportfischercenter Langenhorn, address: Langenhorner Chaussee 184 22415 Hamburg,
• Mega-Angelcenter, address: Rahlstedter Str. 154 22143 Hamburg,
• Angelparadies Norderstedt, address: Alter Kirchenweg 1 22844 Norderstedt,
• Go-Fishing GmbH, address: Georg-Sasse-Str. 47 22949 Ammersbeck.

Prices

Walks on the Alster Lake and the park are free for everyone.

Pleasure boat on the Alster:

• adults - 16 euros, children under the age of 16 inclusive - 8 euros,
• family ticket (2 adults plus up to 4 children) - 40 euros,
• group ticket (from 20 people) - 14 euros.

Alster Fishing Guest Ticket

Adult ticket:

• 1 day (Tageskarte) – 15.00 euros,
• weekend ticket (Wochenendkarte) – 25.00 euros,
• ticket for 1 month (Monatskarte) - 60.00 euros.

Child ticket (for children under 18):

• 1 day (Tageskarte) – 4.00 euros,
• weekend ticket (Wochenendkarte) – 10.00 euros,
• ticket for 1 month (Monatskarte) - 30.00 euros.

How to get to the Alster lake

The Alster lake is located in the heart of the city. It is easily accessible by any means of transport.

By public transport

The Lesser and Inner Alster can be reached by metro, train or S-Bahn.

• Metro- line U3 to the stop Rathausmarkt (Rathausmarkt) or line U2 to the stop Jungfernstieg (Jungfernstieg), then about 5 minutes on foot.
• City train S-Bahn- lines S1 or S3 to the Jungfernstieg stop.
• By train- all regional, intercity and international trains stop at the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof). From there heading west for about 5 minutes on foot to the Outer or Inner Alster.

To Outer Alster:

• By bus: lines 6,17, 607 to the Graumannsweg stop or 6,17, 37, 607 to the AK St. Georg stop, as well as lines 109, 605 to the Dammtor station stop.
• city ​​train- route A1 or S11, S21, S31 to the stop Dammtor station (Bahnhof Dammtor).
• Metro: Line U1 to stop Hallerstraße or Stephansplatz.

By car

There are several car parks in the Lesser and Inner Alster area.

• Adolphsplatz - ground parking for 19 places, you can park for free for 2 hours, from the parking lot to the Little Alster - 2 minutes on foot.
• Alsterhaus - underground parking for 92 places, fare: 3 euros for 1 hour, to Alster - 5 minutes on foot.

In the Outer Alster area, all parking lots are paid:

• Ibis Hamburg Alster Centrum, surface parking for 110 cars. Tariff: 1 hour - 3 euros, to the Outer Alster - 5 minutes on foot.
• Alsterterrasse - ground parking for 60 places, from Monday to Saturday from 09.00 to 20.00. Rates: 6 minutes €0.20, 1 hour €2.00, maximum 3 hours €6.00.

By taxi

The Alster Lake is conveniently accessible by Uber or MyTaxi via the app.

View of the Alster lake on Google panorama:

Video about Alster lake: