> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://alsterrunde.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Fuhle: Life Along Hamburg’s Most Numbered Street - URL: https://alsterrunde.com/fuhle-life-along-hamburgs-most-numbered-street/ - Published: 2026-10-12T05:00:24.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-12T06:18:49.000Z - Description: From number 1 to 792, I take you along Fuhlsbüttler Straße to show you why it deserves a place among Hamburg’s famous streets. - Author: Mert Bulan - Tags: Streets Hamburg has many famous streets. Reeperbahn in St. Pauli might be the most well-known one, especially among tourists, with its nightlife scene. Then there is Mönckebergstraße in Altstadt with its shops and Neuer Wall in Neustadt with its luxury brands. There are also streets that are famous among locals, where they hang out with their friends and family: Schulterblatt in Schanze, Eppendorfer Weg that connects Hoheluft-Ost and Hoheluft-West, Mühlenkamp in Winterhude, Lange Reihe in St. Georg, Eppendorfer Baum in Eppendorf, Osterstraße in Eimsbüttel and Ottenser Hauptstraße in Ottensen. When I open Apple Maps and check my marked locations, almost all of them are clustered around these streets. Each one deserves its own article, but in this one I want to write about a street that has as much to offer as the others but never made it into the league of Hamburg's famous streets. It carries the crown as the most numbered street in Hamburg and has a water tower over 100 years old, its own Christmas market, food from 19 different cuisines and, at its northern end, the largest park cemetery in the world. It is Fuhlsbüttler Straße in Hamburg-Nord, or as the locals call it, [the Fuhle](https://die-fuhle.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com). This is a walk along it, from number 1 to 792. ## Fuhlsbüttler Straße Fuhlsbüttler Straße is about 4,7 km long. It starts at the southern edge of Barmbek-Nord and ends at the northern edge of Ohlsdorf, right next to Fuhlsbüttel, hence the name. Until 1862, the Fuhle was a rural road. The opening of Ohlsdorf Cemetery in 1877 brought a lot more traffic, and on 11 April 1895, an electric tram started running along the street towards Ohlsdorf. Even though we don't see any signs of it today, it was Hamburg's first tram that used electricity from the start. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/XAA8817.jpg) Historical postcard, Fuhlsbüttler Straße, Hamburg-Ohlsdorf, 1908\. Digitized by Hamburg-Bildarchiv, Sammlung Jens Wunderlich, AA 8817. At the beginning of the 20th century, industrialisation turned Barmbek from a rural settlement into a crowded working-class district. In the 1920s, Barmbek-Nord became one of Hamburg's largest urban development areas, closely connected to the city's chief planning director, [Fritz Schumacher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz%5FSchumacher%5F%28architect%29?ref=alsterrunde.com). And that made the Fuhle the centre of Barmbek. The Fuhle flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. The old department store district on Hamburger Straße had been destroyed or weakened by the war, so people came to the Fuhle for their shopping instead. In 1965, the tram disappeared and buses took its place. Then in 1970, the enormous new shopping centre Hamburger Meile opened on Hamburger Straße. With everything under one roof, it pulled many shoppers away, and the Fuhle slowly lost its place as the shopping street of the area. ## From 1 to 90 ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2359-2.webp) The street starts at number 1, with an Asian store on the left and a petrol station on the right. I have to say that until you reach the first roundabout, there is nothing interesting here except a hotel. But the roundabout makes up for it: right next to Barmbek station, in the middle of the roundabout, stands a small blue locomotive called the Little Blue Wonder. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2356.webp) The locomotive was built in 1950 by [Arnold Jung](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold%5FJung?ref=alsterrunde.com) and worked for more than 40 years at Hamburg's [Tiefstack power station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiefstack%5FPower%5FStation?ref=alsterrunde.com), moving railway wagons around the site. The unusual thing is that it had no fire inside. Its big blue tank was filled with hot water and steam from the power station, and this stored energy drove the wheels until it needed a refill, a bit like charging a battery. After it retired, the nearby [Museum der Arbeit](https://www.shmh.de/en/museum-of-work/visit-the-museum-of-work/?ref=alsterrunde.com) had it restored, and on 11 December 2012 it was placed on the roundabout. Right next to the roundabout, you see Globetrotter. With 4.000 m² on five floors, it is one of the biggest sports stores in Hamburg. Unlike Decathlon in Wandsbek, where you can find equipment for almost every sport, Globetrotter focuses on the outdoors: hiking, trekking, camping, climbing and travel. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2354.webp) After number 32, the house numbers make the biggest jump on the whole street, because Barmbek station takes up this part of the Fuhle. The station connects the S1 with the U3, it is the 5th busiest U-Bahn station in Hamburg, and there is a large bus station right next to it. From here, the S1 runs parallel to the Fuhle, with three more stations along the way: Alte Wöhr, Rübenkamp and Ohlsdorf, where you can change to the U1. ## From 91 to 146 Right after the second roundabout, only a few metres from the first one, the street becomes lively. On the northeast side of the roundabout is a large square called Piazzetta-Ralph-Giordano. It got its name in late 2017 to honour [Ralph Giordano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph%5FGiordano?ref=alsterrunde.com) (1923 to 2014), a journalist and writer who survived persecution in the Nazi era. He grew up in Barmbek and wrote [Die Bertinis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die%5FBertinis?ref=alsterrunde.com). In winter, this is also where the Barmbek Christmas market takes place, starting around the middle of November. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2361.webp) After number 106, you reach the first crossing with traffic lights, where Drosselstraße meets the Fuhle. There are around 16 traffic lights along the whole Fuhle. From here on, both sides are full of shops, restaurants and cafes, and between the fish market, the Asian market and the Turkish market, you can do your whole grocery shopping without leaving this part of the street. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2325.webp) This part is also home to my favourite döner place in Barmbek, and for me one of the best in Hamburg: [Et-Öz Döner.](https://maps.apple/p/H.4%5FgXc%5FW~3GLE?ref=alsterrunde.com) Unlike most döner places, they serve steak döner and let you choose between different kinds of bread. Normally, I don't eat döner that much, but if I want to, this is my go-to place. And with around 8 döner places on the Fuhle, that says something. ## From 147 to 279 ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2349.webp) After number 146, with Blume 2000 on the right and Haspa on the left, you reach the crossing with Hellbrookstraße. Starting with Budni on the right and Junge on the left, this is the most active part of the Fuhle. Lebanese, Korean, Indian, Pakistani and Turkish restaurants sit right next to well-known chains like Block House and Jim Block. All in all, you can eat your way through 19 different cuisines on the Fuhle. This part is also home to the Turkish supermarket I visit most often, where I stock up on tomato paste, bulgur and long green peppers. It is no wonder that the city decided to build [a new station](https://schneller-durch-hamburg.de/u3-fuhlsbuettler-strasse?ref=alsterrunde.com) right here, where the U3 already runs above your head as you walk. Construction is planned to start at the beginning of 2027, the station should open in spring 2029, and it is expected to connect around 10.000 people to the train network. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2347.webp) The new station is going to be built here And somehow, this short part of the Fuhle has both the only sex shop and the only mosque on the whole 4,7 km street. ## From 289 to 490 When you get closer to [Spezzagrano](https://maps.apple/p/heJ49AU3p2r.QE?ref=alsterrunde.com), which makes some of the best pizza in Barmbek, you see a huge bridge above your head. It carries Hamburg's Ring 2 over the large junction where Fuhlsbüttler Straße meets Alte Wöhr and Langenfort. Around Christmas, Spezzagrano also bakes [panettone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone?ref=alsterrunde.com), and to be honest, that is one of the reasons I always look forward to Christmas. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2344.webp) On your way to the only weekly market on the Fuhle, at the corner of Hartzloh, you pass a sushi restaurant, a Hawaiian restaurant and an African market, along with the usual ALDI and REWE. The market itself is small, with around 15 stands, but I like it for its regulars: every time I pass by, I see the same group of people eating and drinking coffee next to the coffee stand. Then comes the most iconic building in Barmbek-Nord: the water tower. It was built in 1912 for the old Allgemeines Krankenhaus Barmbek, and at more than 40 metres tall, it supplied water to a hospital that worked almost like a small town, with its own laundry, kitchens, workshops and heating plant. The hospital grounds also explain the second biggest jump in house numbers, between 351 and 385. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2366.webp) The chimney next to it belonged to the heating plant, not to the water tower. After the hospital closed in 2005, most of the protected site was turned into Quartier 21, named after its 21 old brick buildings and the idea of living and working there in the 21st century. The tower is now part of the [Wasserturmpalais](https://www.wasserturmpalais.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com), and the old boiler house still provides district heating on cold days. A little further, near the AK Barmbek hospital, you will also find [the glass museum of the Achilles Foundation](https://www.achilles-stiftung.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com), right on the path that leads to the S1 station Rübenkamp. It shows a collection of modern studio glass started by Edith Achilles, who especially loved heavy glass and abstract sculptures in strong colours. At number 490, at the end of this section, there is another museum, and in this one you are allowed to touch everything: the [Retro Spiele Club](https://www.retrospieleclub.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com). It calls itself a playable museum, with computers, consoles and games from the last 50 years that you can actually sit down and play. ## From 527 to 755 At the crossing with Nordheimstraße and Hebebrandstraße, you can't miss the huge construction site. This is where Barmbek Nord station of Hamburg's new U-Bahn line, the [U5](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Bahn-Linie%5F5%5F%28Hamburg%29?ref=alsterrunde.com), is being built. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2371.webp) The U5 is Germany's largest inner-city transport project. It will cross the whole city for about 29 km, from Bramfeld to Osdorfer Born, with fully automatic trains coming as often as every 90 seconds. Construction on the first section, from Bramfeld through Barmbek-Nord to City Nord, started in 2022\. But it takes time: from 2029, the first trains are expected to run only between Sengelmannstraße, where you can change to the U1, and City Nord. The whole first section, including Barmbek Nord, is expected to open around 2033, and in the same year the line is planned to reach Borgweg and connect to the U3 there. After the intersection comes the calmest part of the street, mostly residential. On my last walk here, I noticed a new [Balkan Tapas](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8nuLLgfdAVdP8wTE8?ref=alsterrunde.com) place at 666 that offers all you can eat for 30 €. I haven't tried it yet, but it is still on my list. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2374-2.webp) At number 656, there is a building that looks like an ordinary church from the outside. It was the Nikodemus Church, built in 1959 and closed in 2022, and today it is [Parabel](https://www.parabel.hamburg/?ref=alsterrunde.com), a centre for art from Hamburg. It is based on the collection of Maike Bruhns, with more than 3.500 works by Hamburg artists, and its name comes from the shape of the church hall, which looks like an upside-down parabola. Keep walking and you reach one of the most beautiful places in Hamburg: [Ohlsdorf Cemetery](https://www.friedhof-hamburg.de/en/?ref=alsterrunde.com). As you get closer, you will notice the stonemasons selling gravestones, several of them between numbers 690 and 780, around the cemetery's main entrance. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2380-2-2-.webp) ## Ohlsdorf Cemetery (756) The cemetery deserves its own article, but since it takes up a large part of the northern end of the Fuhle, I have to mention it here. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_0852.webp) It opened on 1 July 1877, and with 389 hectares, it is the largest park cemetery in the world and the biggest green space in Hamburg. It is so big that two public bus lines run inside it. My opinions about cemeteries were mostly non-existent until I saw this one. Since my first visit, I have been coming back again and again. It is a perfect place for long walks, running or cycling. I have had many dates here, and it has this incredible calming effect. The different kinds of gravestones, all the green, the trees and the flowers, whether planted or laid on the graves, the animals running around and the birds singing: I'm so happy this place exists in Hamburg. I believe it is highly underrated, just because it is a cemetery. I can really understand why people might not want to visit, but once you do, you see that it is much more than a cemetery. Most of the time, when I just want a short walk, I enter through the main entrance at Fuhlsbüttler Straße 756 and walk to the southeast entrance. From there, I exit the cemetery and continue my walk along Bramfelder See, sit down on one of the benches and enjoy the view. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_1218.webp) Bramfelder See When you keep walking towards the end of the Fuhle, you will come across a building with impressive architecture: Krematorium Hamburg. The large clinker-brick building was designed by Fritz Schumacher, built from 1930 to 1932 and opened in 1933\. It was his last public building in Hamburg, and it brings funeral services, halls and a modern cremation facility together under one roof. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_0846.webp) ## Number 792 and beyond And finally, number 792\. The house at the very end of the Fuhle was originally part of the old Hofschneider farm. In 1879, it became the official home of Wilhelm Cordes, the architect and first director in charge of developing Ohlsdorf Cemetery. Since 2005, it has been home to Föhring Bestattungen, a family-run funeral home. ![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2384-2.webp) From number 1 to 792, the Fuhle is surrounded by so many different things, and there are several construction projects going on to develop it further. I think its diversity and how close it is to two big green spaces, Stadtpark (\~15 mins walking away) and Ohlsdorf Cemetery, are what make the Fuhle and its neighbourhoods so attractive. And if you want to see all of it in one go, you can cycle the whole way from 1 to 792 on a cycling path, even though sometimes you ride right next to the cars and some parts are blocked by construction. It is still not part of the league of Hamburg's famous streets. But I believe that once the new U3 and U5 stations are finished, the Fuhle will get back its old glory within the next decade. ## Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to **Alsterrunde* for more observations, discoveries, and stories from around Hamburg, delivered whenever there's something worth sharing. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.