The ultimate Hamburg city guide for responsible travellers to plan a more eco-friendly and socially conscious trip to the second-largest city in Germany.
If I were to choose three words to describe my Hamburg experience, they would be historical, hip and welcoming. Known as the “Gateway to the World” for its expansive port, Hamburg is shaped by its maritime heritage and distinctive architecture. With 2,400 bridges and a maze of canals, it has earned the nickname “Venice of the North,” while its galleries display masterpieces that leave a lasting impression. On the other hand, the city pulses with energy, from its nightlife and music festivals to the abundance of contemporary art that reflects its modern edge.
For travellers on a journey to explore Hamburg responsibly, there are opportunities to lessen your impact. Hamburg has countless ways to connect with its conscious culture and natural beauty. Wander through the serene Planten un Blomen park, cycle along the Elbe River, or explore sustainable shopping options. This Hamburg city guide is designed to help you discover eco-friendly activities, ethical dining experiences, and green transport options.
I hope you enjoy the Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt) of Hamburg as much as I did!
Sunset at Speicherstadtat
How sustainable is Hamburg?
Addressing the sustainability of Hamburg as a city is a broad topic, but here are a few key initiatives and missions that highlight its commitment to a greener future.
With an ambitious goal to become a climate-neutral city by 2050, Hamburg continuously invests in sustainable transport solutions. Its extensive public transport system and cycling infrastructure encourage low-emission mobility, and initiatives like pedestrian zones support green mobility and reduce urban air pollution.
The city’s green roof strategy is another standout initiative. Hamburg was one of the first cities in Europe to implement a comprehensive plan to cover rooftops with vegetation, which helps reduce urban heat, improve air quality, and manage rainwater. Even the St Pauli Bunker received a grant to extend the height to create a “green mountain” on the top.
Renewable energy also plays a key role in Hamburg’s sustainability efforts. Wind and solar power projects are integral to the city’s energy mix, while the harbour area hosts several pioneering green hydrogen initiatives. These projects supply clean energy and support Hamburg’s industrial transition toward decarbonisation.
The Food Cluster Hamburg, launched in September 2024, aims to connect and encouraging collaborations between the city’s food industry partners and start-ups. From regenerative farmers and breweries to cafes and innovative food businesses, the network brings together key players to promote sustainability and innovation.
St. Pauli “Green” Bunker on Feldstrasse
How To Visit Hamburg Sustainably
Stay in Green Hotels in Hamburg
Raphael Hotel Wälderhaus
The Waldhaus Hamburg, located within the Wilhelmsburger Inselpark, is an excellence project of the International Building Exhibition (IBA Hamburg) with a unique combination of eco-friendly accommodation (Raphael Hotel Wälderhaus), sustainable dining (Wilhelms Im Wälderhaus), educational hub (Science Center Wald) and carbon-neutral conference facilities (Forum Wald).
Staying at Raphael Hotel Wälderhaus was like being in a cosy cabin with natural materials. The well-stocked zero waste breakfast buffet and delicious evening meal are served in Wilhelms and support local suppliers and farmers. The Science Center Wald is an interactive exhibition dedicated to forest ecosystems and biodiversity, and the lobby area has carefully selected gifts, bags and toys from sustainable brands. The hotel is well-connected as it is just around the corner from Wilhelmsburg S-Bahn station which takes 10 minutes to reach Hamburg Central Station.
|| CHECK AVAILABILITY AT RAPHAEL HOTEL WÄLDERHAUS
Waldehaus: Sustainable Hotel in Hamburg
Green Accommodations in Hamburg (££-£££)
A selection of green accommodations with a transparent list of ecological practices and social responsibilities on their website.
GASTWERK HOTEL HAMBURG: 4-star GreenSign Design Hotel with conference and spa facilities located west of Hamburg.
SCANDIC HAMBURG EMORIO: This stylish 4-star hotel, certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, is located near Gansemarkt Square. It features a hotel spa, sauna, and a restaurant/bar with an open kitchen.
REICHSHOF HOTEL HAMBURG: Centrally located, the Art Déco style hotel uses 100% renewable energy, complete with a bistro and spa/fitness centre, and is currently applying for Green Key certification.
Homestay in Hamburg (£-££)
Have you considered connecting with the locals in Hamburg by opting for a homestay? It’s an easy way to learn about German culture, enjoy a personal alternative to traditional hotels and avoid tourism leakage. Check out the options for Berlin HAMBURG HOMESTAYS.
|| HEADED TO BERLIN? YOU MAY LIKE TO READ MY BERLIN CITY GUIDE AND BEST SUSTAINABLE BERLIN RESTAURANTS
How To Reach Hamburg Sustainably
Reaching Hamburg sustainably involves prioritising low-carbon transport methods. Here are several options to consider:
By Train
Hamburg is well-connected by train to major European cities:
From Berlin: High-speed trains (ICE or FlixTrain) take around 2 hours.
From Amsterdam: The direct IC train takes approximately 5.5 hours.
From Copenhagen: The journey takes about 4.5 hours via direct trains.
From Sweden: Night trains with Snälltåget and SJ (Swedish Railways) take around 13 hours to Stockholm.
Other night trains like the ÖBB Nightjet and Urlaubs-Express are great for eco-friendly long-distance travel to various locations from Hamburg.
By Bus
Long-distance buses such as FlixBus offer affordable, low-emission travel options. Travel times may be longer, but buses are a budget-friendly way to reduce your carbon footprint.
|| CHECK ROUTES FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO HAMBURG
By Bike
Germany has a well-developed cycling infrastructure, so regional trips are convenient and a favourite option for avid cyclists. Some fantastic cycle routes pass through the city such as Radfernweg Hamburg-Bremen and River Elbe Cycle Path.
By Car
If you must drive, carpooling services like BlaBlaCar are more sustainable. Alternatively, if you need the freedom of getting around on a road trip, car rental companies like Discover Cars allow you to filter for hiring electric or hybrid vehicles.
By Boat
Combine ferry travel with trains for a sustainable journey. Travemünde is a Baltic seaside town in the borough of Lübeck with ferry connections to Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Latvia and it is located a 50-minute train ride from Hamburg. UK travellers have no direct ferries to Germany and would need to travel via the Netherlands or France.
FlixTrain from Berlin to Hamburg
|| HEADED TO PRAGUE? READ MY PRAGUE CITY GUIDE AND SUSTAINABLE PRAGUE RESTAURANTS
Getting Around Hamburg Sustainably
Walking
Compact neighbourhoods like Speicherstadt, St. Pauli, and the city centre are best explored on foot.
Public Transport
S-Bahn and U-Bahn (Trains): Fast and ideal for exploring the city and its outskirts. Powered largely by green energy.
Buses: Electric and hybrid buses run across the city. Night buses operate for late travel.
Ferries: HVV ferries on the Elbe double as public transport and a scenic way to see Hamburg.
TOP TIP: Get a HAMBURG CITY CARD for unlimited travel on public transport and discounts at attractions.
Cycling
Hamburg is a bike-friendly city with extensive cycling lanes and paths around Alster Lake, HafenCity, or even longer trails to the Elbe. Use services like StadtRAD Hamburg for affordable short-term bike rentals. Alternatively, take a guided bike tour in Hamburg.
Electric Scooters and E-Mopeds
Services like Tier, Voi, and Lime offer electric scooters and mopeds, perfect for short journeys or quick trips around town.
Eco-friendly Boats
Green Kayak is a Danish NGO, and Hamburg was its first location outside of Denmark. All you need to do is collect waste from the Alster and its many waterways, and you can rent your kayak for free. Regenerative tourism at its best!
HADAG Ferries are adding eco-friendly hybrid passenger ferries to their fleet for routes in the Port of Hamburg and on the Elbe.
S-Bahn Hamburg in Wilhelmsburg
Best time to visit Hamburg
The best times to visit Hamburg are during the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn. In spring, from April to early June, the city has blooming parks, pleasant weather, and outdoor events like the Hamburg Port Anniversary. Autumn, from September to early November, brings crisp weather, with the city’s parks displaying a jewel box of colours. When I visited Hamburg in October, I was greeted with blue skies and sunshine. I’ve been told that this kind of weather is quite rare for that time of year, so I must have brought the good weather along with me.
Avoiding the peak period of summer in Hamburg has several plus sides for a traveller; exploring the city’s historic districts and cultural sites is less busy, and the hotel’s prices are more affordable. For the residents and local businesses, it’s generally more beneficial to distribute spending and the number of visitors throughout the year.
Heuckenlock Nature Reserve
Hamburg City Guide Map
Although I couldn’t visit everything on my must-see list in my Hamburg city guide due to limited time, I’m excited to share my research to help you plan your own trip. I hope this map of things to do in Hamburg proves to be a handy resource for navigating the city easily.
|| CLICK TO VIEW THE MAP OF THINGS TO DO IN HAMBURG
Quick Links for Hamburg Trip Planning
Japanese Garden at Planten un Blomen
Best Things To Do in Hamburg as a Responsible Tourist
Dine in Organic Restaurants in Hamburg
Dining in Hamburg is an easy task for vegan and conscious travellers. There is a wonderful selection of organic restaurants that cater to sustainable food practices. The city’s growing devotion to environmental responsibility can be seen in its many eateries that serve locally sourced, organic ingredients. Here is a list of four sustainable places to eat in Hamburg that I experienced;
Piccolo Paradiso Restaurant in Neustadt focuses on seasonal, vegetarian take on classic Italian dishes.
Wilhelms In The Wälderhaus is all about the farm-to-table dining experience, proudly carrying the Green Chefs label, which signifies a commitment to fair and regional products.
Happen Pappen in St Pauli has a fully vegan menu crafted from organic produce.
Braugasthof Altes Mädchen in Sternschanze offers farm-to-fork dining with home-baked bread, and locally sourced ingredients, some from its agricultural ventures in Rügen, which also grows barley used in its beer production.
Piccolo Paradiso: Vegan Restaurant, Hamburg
Enjoy Hamburg’s green spaces
My heart was full in Hamburg, exploring the green spaces and nature spots. Stepping away from the historic old town are the bodies of water, Binnenalster and Außenalster, encircled by walking and cycling paths. Graceful and cherished swans are part of the landscape. Local legend says that Hamburg will be a free and prosperous city as long as Hamburg’s swans swim on the Alster.
One of its most iconic parks, Planten un Blomen, is a magical oasis in the middle of the city. On a crisp October day, I was so happy to discover the serene Japanese gardens, blooming flower displays, and tropical greenhouse. The autumnal reflections on the water, framed by views of the towering Fernsehturm (TV tower), felt like stepping into a living painting. With ample seating and lawns everywhere, this is a go-to green space in Hamburg.
Wilhelmsburger Inselpark (Island Park) is a happy story of urban regeneration and biodiversity. Once a neighbourhood with a bad reputation, it has been transformed into a green haven in more ways than one. Originally developed for the International Garden Show 2013, the park has tranquil ponds, scenic walking trails, a skating park, an adventure park and a state-of-the-art swimming pool. Each building and block of flats are constructed with the planet in mind such as “The Algae House” – the first ground-breaking building in the world with a bioreactor facade. As I wandered through the Wilhelmsburger Inselpark listening to families laughing, I would never have guessed that this was a disadvantaged area.
Walking further south from Wilhelmsburger, I discovered Heuckenlock Nature Reserve, a wilder, more natural side of Hamburg with its woodland trails and rare plant species. This tidal floodplain on the southern Elbe River is a haven for birdwatchers as it provides a habitat for many migratory species.
TV Tower from Planten un Blomen
Explore Hamburg’s Maritime History
Hamburg’s Port dubbed the “Gateway to the World,” plays a key role in shaping the city’s character and skyline. Its seafaring tale starts in medieval times when Hamburg joined the Hanseatic League, a strong trade group that made the city a centre for commerce and shipbuilding.
You can still see this history today in the old Speicherstadt area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The red-brick storehouses once used to keep goods like coffee, spices, and tea now house museums and spots like the International Maritime Museum. I dare any visitor not to find anything that interests them on multiple levels of sea-based history, from artefacts and paintings to shipbuilding and stories from sea explorers. I was fascinated by the detailed bone ships made by French prisoners during Napoleon’s wars using leftover bones from their meals, as well as the exhibits about conservation and climate change.
From the Elbphilharmonie Plaza, a modern glass structure, admire the 360° views and watch all the action on the port below. Walk or cycle through the Alter Elbtunnel, a historic underwater passage completed in 1911, linking the Landungsbrücken in the St. Pauli district to Steinwerder. Stop for the freshest Fischbrötchen (fish roll) at Brücke 10, staying hidden from the circling seagulls ready to pounce. Take a local ferry ride or sunset harbour cruise for a close-up view of the port’s massive container terminals alongside historic ships.
Sunset at Hamburg Port
Discover the history of Hamburg
Aside from the port and its maritime heritage, Hamburg’s history is marked by its resilience. Over the centuries, the city faced challenges, including the Great Fire of 1842, which destroyed much of its historic core, and the devastation of World War II. Each time, Hamburg rebuilt itself and the ruins of St Nikolai Church, originally built in the 12th century, now commemorate the victims of the ‘Operation Gomorrah’.
Hamburg’s history comes to life in landmarks like the towering St. Michael’s Church, which locals call “Michel,” the City Hall with its neo-Renaissance style, and the Chilehaus, a standout example of Brick Expressionism. Deichstrasse, a line of merchant houses from the 17th and 18th centuries also tells a story, having made it through the Great Fire.
|| EXPLORE HAMBURG’S HISTORY WITH GUIDED CULTURE TOURS AND FREE WALKING TOURS
Rathaus: Hamburg’s Town Hall
Experience Hamburg’s Art and Culture
Hamburg’s Art Scene
Hamburg’s thriving art community gets a boost from street art scattered throughout the city. You can spend hours exploring the many art and design galleries, and the most famous are within a short walk from each other.
The Hamburger Kunsthalle, one of Germany’s largest art museums, houses an extensive collection that includes masterpieces from Old Masters like Rembrandt to modern works by artists such as Edvard Munch, Henri Rousseau and Picasso, along with contemporary innovators like Donald Judd.
The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Arts and Crafts), or MKG, showcases an eclectic mix of applied arts, design, and decorative crafts. The Deichtorhallen is a cool space housed in two former market halls dedicated to contemporary art and photography, known for pushing boundaries with bold installations.
Old Masters at Kunsthalle Hamburg
Get a Taste of Hamburg’s Brewing Traditions
Hamburg’s brewing traditions date back to the Middle Ages when the city was a key player in the Hanseatic League, exporting its renowned beer across Europe. This heritage is still alive and kicking in Hamburg’s modern craft beer scene.For a taste of Hamburg’s brewing history, visit Gröninger Privatbrauerei, one of the city’s oldest breweries, which creates classic German unfiltered, naturally cloudy lagers served in a rustic basement.
For craft beer enthusiasts, Ratsherrn Brewery in the Schanzenhöfe district is a must-visit, known for its creative brews, large taproom and food sourced locally and barley cultivated on their land in Rügen.Nearby, ÜberQuell Brewery pairs its craft Pils and Helles, along with seasonal brews, with Neapolitan-style pizzas made using fresh ingredients sourced from their rooftop garden.
Hamburg’s breweries and taprooms take you on a delicious journey through its storied beer culture. For a self-guided tour, I have pinned BREWERIES + TAPROOMS on my map of Hamburg.
|| CHECK FOR GUIDED BEER TASTING AND BREWERY TOURS IN HAMBURG
Groninger Brewery in Hamburg
Thank you to #ComeToHamburg for supporting me on my mission to write a Hamburg city guide for responsible travellers. This itinerary was researched by myself. All opinions are my own.
PIN for Hamburg City Guide
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