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Category 9 of 11 · Hamburg

Hamburg parks come with paperwork: the Alster swans have been on the payroll since 1591.

A park on a fortress, swans with legal protection, canals in living-room mode — Hamburg's nature is built, maintained and full of questions.

Hamburg · 7 spots≈ 2.5 h on footSeal for the complete set

Which parks in Hamburg are worth walking?

Hamburg parks are not accidents; they are administrative decisions with centuries of run-up. The Alster swans are the oldest example: an account from 1591/92 records that they were already being fed grain at public expense, and in 1664 the senate placed them under special protection, with penalties for harming them. Planten un Blomen tells the second story — roughly 47 hectares on the green belt that appeared after the city fortifications were levelled, with its oldest core going back to the botanical garden founded on 6 November 1821. The Alsterpark runs as a green band around the whole Aussenalster, from Schwanenwik through Eduard-Rhein-Ufer into the Alstervorland. Seven spots belong to the set; four stay hidden until you reach the water.

This is not a walking route drawn on a map: you get bearing and distance, choose your own path through the park, and stamp within 75 metres.

Free is the app with one city — every spot, every stamp, and games with up to 6 devices; after that, each additional city and each self-built game costs.

Spots in Hamburg

A park on a fortress, and birds with a civil-service record.

+4 more spots — revealed only when you get there. Every spot is a card with its own question.

Which park should a visitor walk first?

Planten un Blomen, roughly 47 hectares in the middle of the city. It lies on the green belt created when the old fortifications were levelled, which is why the paths curve the way they do, and its oldest part goes back to the botanical garden founded on 6 November 1821. The card asks you to find what is left of the fortress.

Why are the Alster swans a spot?

Because they have a file. An account from 1591/92 shows they were fed grain at public expense, and in 1664 the senate placed them under special protection — harming one was a punishable offence. Very few birds anywhere have four centuries of municipal paperwork behind them.

How long does the green route take?

Around 2.5 hours on foot for all 7 spots, most of it along the water. Three are named here, four stay hidden until you are close. If you want façades after the park, Architecture is the neighbouring set with eleven buildings.

Can I play this with a class or a group?

Yes. Every category also runs as a live game: a teacher or host builds the route in the group portal, picks the stops, adds their own questions and sends teams off with a six-digit join code. Store products are Friends Game – up to 6 devices (€14.99), Private Game – up to 10 (€49.99), Class Game – up to 35 (€399) and Large Group Game – up to 100 (€699). Planning and preparing a route costs nothing.

Where do I go next?

Two neighbours to this set: Places to Be in Hamburg and Sport in Hamburg. All eleven Hamburg collections sit on the Hamburg hub page, and the German version of this page is at /de/staedte/hamburg/nature/.

Feed nothing. Collect everything.

Stamp every Nature spot in Hamburg on site and the holographic category seal goes into your passport for good.

 Download on the App Store
FAQ

Before you go.

How big is Planten un Blomen?

Roughly 47 hectares, in the middle of the city, on the green belt left by the levelled fortifications. Its oldest core goes back to the botanical garden founded on 6 November 1821.

Why are the Alster swans protected?

An account from 1591/92 records public feeding, and in 1664 the senate placed the swans under special protection, with penalties for harming them.

How many nature spots are in the Hamburg set?

Seven — three are named on this page, four stay hidden until you reach the water.

How long does the route take?

Around 2.5 hours on foot, or spread over several days. Your progress stays in your passport permanently.

More categories

Keep collecting: Places to Be or Sport — or back to all Hamburg categories.