A walk through the "Alter Elbtunnel"

The tunnel

We already mentioned the harbor several times in our blog. That is not because we lack of creativity, but because the harbor is a central point in Hamburg and one of the things this city is famous for. It is the third biggest harbor in Europe. Altough it looks interesting by day, it is not very beautiful. But if you want to see how it changes when the sun goes down and the lights turn on, you should visit it by night. You will see that in fact, it isn't so bad after all! The best possibility to get a good view of the harbor at night is to connect your journey with a walk through the Alter Elbtunnel. When you get out at the U3 station Landungsbrücken, you simply go to the end of the Landungsbrücken to the building with a big dome-shaped roof. This is the entrance to the tunnel. Either you can choose to go down taking the steps or the elevator. Personally, I would recommend to take the steps only when you are going down, and the elevator when going up, because you have to go down almost 24m! The tunnel is 426m long and had his 100 years anniversary last year. While walking through the tube, which is quite calming I think, it is amazing and sometimes even a bit scary to think of all the water that is above you. But although the tunnel is 101 years old, it is in a really good state (they are also refurbishing it right now). When you get to the other end and take the elevator up and go outside the building, you will find yourself on the southern riverbank, where a viewpoint was established. You can see the skyline of Hamburg and the Hafencity, beautifully illuminated. So take your time and maybe a camera, to enjoy this great spot with an amazing view!

Plate marking the middle of the tunnel