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Category 6 of 11 · Hamburg

In Hamburg, the best view is free and 37 metres above the Elbe.

Waterfronts, steps, squares with evening light — places you sit down in. Not sights: favourites.

Hamburg · 6 spots≈ 2 h on footSeal for the complete set

Where do people actually hang out in Hamburg?

Every city has places where people simply stay, and Hamburg has turned six of them into a set. The newest is the Plaza of the Elbphilharmonie: the concert hall opened in January 2017, stands 110 metres tall at the tip of the Grasbrook in HafenCity, and the viewing level in between belongs to everybody. The oldest sits downstream on Große Elbstraße — the fish auction hall, built in 1895/96 at what was then Altona's new fishing harbour to auction fish and hand out cooling ice, and a venue again since its restoration in 1984. Between them the Alster fountain rises out of the Binnenalster, visible from every bank and best watched from the Kennedybrücke. Three of the six are named here; the other three stay hidden until you are close enough to see why they work.

This is not a sightseeing checklist: each card asks why a place works — light, position, history — and the stamp only counts 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 plaza, an auction hall and a fountain.

+3 more spots — revealed only when you get there. Every spot is a card with its own question.

Is the Elbphilharmonie Plaza free to visit?

Yes, the viewing level is public. The concert hall opened in January 2017 and stands 110 metres high on the tip of the Grasbrook; the Plaza sits between the old quay warehouse and the glass, and it is the one place in HafenCity where the whole harbour lines up at once. It is also a spot in the Architecture set.

Which place has the oldest story?

The Fischauktionshalle on Große Elbstraße, built in 1895/96 when Altona opened its new fishing harbour. It was designed to auction fish and distribute cooling ice; since the restoration in 1984 it has been an event hall. Sunday mornings it still fills up before most of the city is awake.

What makes a place a "place to be" rather than a sight?

The test is whether people stay. All 6 cards ask about that rather than about dates: where the light falls at 8 p.m., which bank the fountain reads best from, why one set of steps is always occupied. Stamping happens within 75 metres, sitting down included.

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: Nature in Hamburg and Markets in Hamburg. All eleven Hamburg collections sit on the Hamburg hub page, and the German version of this page is at /de/staedte/hamburg/places-to-be/.

Take the Plaza escalator, then stamp the view.

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

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FAQ

Before you go.

Is the Elbphilharmonie Plaza free?

Yes. The viewing level of the concert hall, which opened in January 2017, is open to the public.

How many "places to be" are in the Hamburg set?

Six — three are named on this page, three stay hidden until you stand there.

How old is the Fischauktionshalle?

It was built in 1895/96 at what was then the new fishing harbour of Altona and has been an event venue since its restoration in 1984.

Can a group play this route?

Yes. A host builds the route in the group portal, picks the stops and starts teams with a six-digit join code.

More categories

Keep collecting: Nature or Markets — or back to all Hamburg categories.