Bicycle tour in Hamburg:
Cycle to the Wittenbergen lighthouse or the Elbphilharmonie concert hall
At Jacob, we always have a selection of rental bikes available for you or you can simply bring your own bike and explore the region along the Elbe with us. Get on your bike and off you go! Where do you want to go? You decide at the start. Directly below the Louis C. Jacob, you can either cycle for almost 150 km straight down the Elbe to the North Sea or 10 km up the Elbe to the fish auction hall, the Landungsbrücken and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
Countryside or metropolis?
So it's a fundamental decision: do you whizz off on your bike towards the countryside or the metropolis? Our honest opinion: we recommend both, as both tours are absolutely worthwhile, completely different and offer impressive contrasts.
Down the Elbe by bike
Down the Elbe, the wide Elbe cycle path leads you parallel to the riverbank past the sailing clubs of the upmarket Elbe suburb of Blankenese: below the Hirschpark (where there is actually a large deer enclosure) you pass the Mühlenberger Segelclub - the western Eldorado for water sports enthusiasts who take a quick boat trip on the Elbe at the end of the day. A little further on you come to the Strandweg. This is where the famous Treppenviertel begins, an idyllic spot whose residents not only pay dearly for the square meters and the view, but also accept that most of their houses can only be reached on foot via many stairs.
A flood alarm is sounded several times a year on the beach path and residents are called on by megaphone to save their parked cars from the impending masses of water, even in their pyjamas if necessary. When not flooded, it is idyllic to sit on wooden benches with your feet in the sand, a cool drink in your hand and a fish sandwich in the other at the cabin by the old lighthouse. A wonderful short break, and not just for Hamburgers. From the ferry pier "Op'n Bulln" (another great location to enjoy a sundowner), you can cycle over to the Alte Land and experience pure rural idyll.
On the Blankenes side, the route follows the water to Wittenbergen, the next beacon. In summer, people enjoy splashing around in the Elbe there, but beware! The pull of the large container ships is easily underestimated and the force of the river is immense. But this does not detract from the idyll.
Up the Elbe by bike
If you decide to cycle up the Elbe, you will pass the Teufelsbrück ferry landing stage, situated below the unique Jenisch Park, stately villas and the harbor on your right. You will then reach Övelgönne and the small captain's cottages, which are strung together like pearls on a necklace along the path between the Strandperle and the museum harbor. These little houses make you involuntarily turn your head when you enter them, but they offer a view that makes you forget everything else.
Cycling along the Elbe
From Övelgönner Museumshafen, you cycle along the Alte Elbstraße, briefly on cobblestones, passing the Altona cruise terminal and shortly afterwards the fish market with the fish auction hall. Here, too, it's "feet up" several times a year when the Elbe bursts its banks and the water spills into the hall.
Up to the Elbphilharmonie
We then continue along the wide cycle path towards the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, which towers promisingly on the horizon. On the right you can admire Blohm & Voss' largest floating dock and on the left the relics of the turbulent occupation times in the 1990s: the Hafenstraßenhäuser, which were omnipresent in the evening news at the time. A few hundred meters further on you reach the Landungsbrücken - the starting point for countless harbour tours. With a view of the reflective façade of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, the route then continues towards HafenCity - first bridge on the right. There are numerous experiences on offer here.
We hope you enjoy exploring the city on two wheels.
