SPEICHERSTADT (WAREHOUSE DISTRICT)

There is no doubt that the "warehouse city" is one of the most fascinating places in Hamburg. This complex of huge red brick warehouses, lined up in a street pattern on 370,000 m², was built between 1883 and 1927. Standing on a million oak stilts, the Speicherstadt with its huge red buildings is a wonderful sight in the heart of the city. This district was built on 26 hectares and on several islands connected by seven canals. You can stroll through the streets, canals and bridges.

This city within a city, located in the former free zone of the port, is the largest warehouse complex in the world. It is now classified as a historical monument and became a UNESCO heritage site in July 2015. This is where the commodities of Hamburg's first major industrial port were initially piled up, before the developments of the second half of the 20th century. An outlet for coffee, spices, the Speicherstadt has become a tourist window of the city and a fashionable place in the last decade. Museums have multiplied, cafés have opened. The Miniatur-Wunderland and the Hamburg Dungeon are just two examples.

Now that the municipality has given the Speicherstadt a "little" sister, the HafenCity, the Speicherstadt is more than ever a synthesis of history and postmodernism that is emblematic of the city. For a long time, it was not possible to live there because of the violent and very frequent floods; but the recent construction of high bridges, which allow access for emergency services in case of danger, has made it possible to build houses and hotels on the top floor of some of the warehouses. Part of the premises is also occupied by offices. Nevertheless, the warehouses have not lost their utilitarian function for the moment, since 40% of them are still used as such.

You can see the buildings from the canals on a tour of the harbor, and walk along Kehrwieder Brook and Santorkai, which is full of oriental carpet warehouses that can be visited for free. Also visit the Poggenmühlen-Brücke, where two canals meet, for the best view of the Speicherstadt water tower and the Elbphilharmonie. A striking experience in this furiously emblematic district of the city, and it's free! One of the must-see tours of Germany's great port city.