# Alsterrunde – Hamburg City Newsletter
> A local's take on Hamburg city life, from local politics to everyday moments, new discoveries, hidden gems, and the latest from the Franzbrötchen app.
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## Pages
### Moin!
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/about/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T08:34:29.000Z
My name is [Mert](https://mertbulan.com/?ref=alsterrunde.com). I moved to Hamburg in 2018 and this city has had my heart ever since. There is always something new around the corner, a hidden spot, a local event, something worth sharing. Last year I built [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com), a city super app for Hamburg, and the warm response made me want to do even more.

Not everything fits into an app though. Some things need a bit more room. That’s what this newsletter is for.

In Alsterrunde, I’ll share what’s been catching my eye around the city, what’s happening in Hamburg, and what I’m working on behind the scenes in Franzbrötchen.

The name comes from one of the most Hamburg things I know, a walk around the Alster. Just like I named my app after my favourite local pastry, I wanted this newsletter to feel rooted in the city too.

I’m glad you’re here. If something resonates, or if you have your own thoughts, tips, or discoveries to share, please don’t hesitate to [reach out.](mailto:mert@alsterrunde.com)
  
  
![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/alsterrunde_logo_2-2-1.png)
## Posts
### How good is Hamburg’s cycling infrastructure?
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/how-good-is-hamburgs-cycling-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-09-14T05:00:07.000Z
The first thing I did after moving to Hamburg was buy a bicycle. I enjoy cycling, and I really wanted to make it part of my daily life. At first, I did not use my bike very often. However, after buying an e-bike in the summer of 2022, I started cycling much more.

According to my bike’s app, I’ve cycled around 5.700 km. Although this includes some recreational trips, most of these kilometres came from commuting. This year alone, I’ve cycled around 1.300 km.

Just as I once thought [Hamburg was probably one of the greenest cities](https://alsterrunde.com/greenest-cities-in-europe-and-where-hamburg-stands/), I also believed that it had good cycling infrastructure and that it was getting better every day. Of course, it is difficult to reach this conclusion based only on my own experience. I needed data and a way to compare Hamburg with other cities that are known as cycling paradises.

That is how I discovered the [Copenhagenize Index](https://copenhagenizeindex.eu/?ref=alsterrunde.com). Started in 2011, it is a ranking that measures how much progress cities have made in making cycling safe, convenient, and part of everyday life. The 2025 edition evaluated 100 cities from 44 countries. It uses 13 indicators grouped into three pillars: Safe and Connected Infrastructure, Usage and Reach, and Policy and Support. In simple terms, it looks at what a city builds, how much people cycle, and how strongly the city supports cycling.

The top three cities in the 2025 index were Utrecht with 71,1 points, Copenhagen with 70,8 points, and Ghent with 67,6 points.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/copenhagenize-index.webp)

Even though the City of Hamburg submitted data to Copenhagenize, Hamburg was not included in the final ranking. The report includes no more than five cities from each country and gives priority to cities with the highest cycling modal share. Hamburg’s cycling modal share of 16% was lower than those of the five German cities included in the report: Münster at 47%, Bremen at 25%, Bonn and Munich at 21%, and Cologne at 18%.

I emailed Copenhagenize to ask whether they could share Hamburg’s score and more details about its cycling performance, but they told me that they could not provide this information.

Since the report explains its method, I decided to find the data for each pillar and indicator myself. I will then compare Hamburg with Utrecht, the highest-ranked city. This is not a perfect comparison because Utrecht is smaller than Hamburg in both area and population. Still, I think it can give us a good idea of where Hamburg is doing well and what still needs to be improved.

I should also mention that this is not an academic study. It is simply an attempt to understand where Hamburg stands. During my research, I realised how difficult it is to find data for every indicator. The available figures also come from different years, so the comparison has its limits.

As I look more closely at each indicator, I will also include satellite images of Hamburg. These images will show how the cycling infrastructure has changed over time at intersections and along streets that I have used over the years.

Let’s dive in.

![Aerial view of Holstenplatz in 2020](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Holstenplatz---2020.png) ![Aerial view of Holstenplatz in 2026](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Holstenplatz---2026.png) 2020 2026 

↔ 

Holstenplatz 2020 vs. 2026 

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Holstenplatz---2020.png)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Holstenplatz---2026.png)

Holstenplatz 2020 vs. 2026

## **Pillars and Indicators**

### **Safe & Connected Infrastructure**

The physical infrastructure and street conditions that enable safe, continuous cycling.

#### 1\. Bicycle Infrastructure

The length of physically protected cycling space, including separated cycle tracks and buffered or curb-protected on-street lanes, relative to the city's total roadway network.

**Hamburg's value:** \~29 km of protected cycling infrastructure per 100 km of roadway. [\[1\]](#source-1)[\[2\]](#source-2)

#### 2\. Bicycle Parking

The number of public street racks and enclosed bicycle-parking spaces within the city boundary relative to the number of residents.

**Hamburg's value:** \~35 spaces per 1.000 residents. [\[3\]](#source-3)[\[4\]](#source-4)[\[5\]](#source-5)

#### 3\. Traffic Calming

The share of the city's street network with a speed limit of 30 km/h or lower, including 20 km/h zones and designated bicycle streets.

**Hamburg's value:** \~60% of the total street network. [\[6\]](#source-6)

#### 4\. Safety

The annual cyclist fatality rate as the number of people riding bicycles who are killed in road traffic per 100.000 residents.

**Hamburg's value:** 0,59 cyclist fatalities per 100.000 residents. [\[7\]](#source-7)[\[5\]](#source-5)

![Aerial view of Louise-Schroeder-Straße in 2020](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Louise-Schroeder-Stra--e---2020.webp) ![Aerial view of Louise-Schroeder-Straße in 2026](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Louise-Schroeder-Stra--e---2026.webp) 2020 2026 

↔ 

Louise-Schroeder-Straße 2020 vs. 2026 

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Louise-Schroeder-Stra--e---2020.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Louise-Schroeder-Stra--e---2026.webp)

Louise-Schroeder-Straße 2020 vs. 2026

### Usage & Reach

How cycling infrastructure and policy are reflected in everyday travel.

#### 5\. Bicycle Modal Share

The percentage of all daily motorized and non-motorized trips made by bicycle within the city's administrative boundary.

**Hamburg's value:** 16% of all daily trips. [\[8\]](#source-8)

#### 6\. Modal Share Growth

The percentage-point change in the bicycle share of all daily trips between 2019 and 2024.

**Hamburg's value:** +1 percentage point. [\[8\]](#source-8)

#### 7\. Women's Share of Bicycle Trips

The percentage of all bicycle trips made by women.

**Hamburg's value:** 44% of bicycle trips. [\[8\]](#source-8)

#### 8\. Bike Share System

Whether the city operates a comprehensive, year-round docked or dockless bicycle-sharing system.

- **Coverage density:** Bikes per 1,000 residents.
- **Usage rate:** Trips per bicycle per day.
- **Public-transport integration:** Whether the bike-share app or smart card is fully interoperable with the city's public-transport ticketing system.

**Hamburg's values:**

- **Coverage density:** 2.4 bikes per 1,000 residents - approximately 4,500 StadtRAD bicycles across approximately 370 stations for 1,869,473 residents. [\[10\]](#source-10)
- **Usage rate:** 2.8 trips per bicycle per day - approximately 4.6 million StadtRAD trips annually. [\[10\]](#source-10)[\[5\]](#source-5)
- **Public-transport integration:** Yes, fully integrated. (hvv switch) [\[9\]](#source-9)

#### 9\. Cargo Bikes

Whether cargo bikes are part of everyday family transport and last-mile logistics. A cargo bike is a pedal-powered or electric cycle with built-in load capacity, such as a box bike, long-tail bicycle, front-loader, trailer, or tricycle.

**a. Household Purchase Subsidy**  
Whether the city offers rebates or grants to residents who purchase cargo bikes for everyday travel.

**Hamburg's value:** No - expired. Hamburg previously operated the \`#moinzukunft\` municipal rebate programme, which provided up to 2.000€ for electric cargo bikes. There is currently no active municipal purchase grant for private individuals.

**b. Logistics or Business Support**  
Whether the city offers grants, tax benefits, or business-support programmes for companies adopting cargo bikes.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[11\]](#source-11) Companies in Hamburg can access the federal BAFA commercial electric cargo-bike grant, covering 25% of purchase costs up to 3.500€, alongside local project funding for fleet electrification through IFB Hamburg.

**c. Commercial or Informal Adoption**  
Whether parcel companies, local businesses, supermarkets, municipal services, or community initiatives operate cargo-bike fleets.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes - high. [\[12\]](#source-11) Cargo bikes are used by parcel companies through inner-city micro-hubs. Hamburg also has 56 shared Lastenpedelecs in the StadtRAD network and community initiatives such as Klara.

**d. Supportive Infrastructure and Standards**  
Whether the city has cargo-bike-specific measures such as loading bays, extra-wide racks, marked parking spaces, or cycle-street design standards suitable for cargo bikes.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[13\]](#source-13)[\[24\]](#source-24) Cargo bikes may park free of charge in vehicle parking bays. Hamburg's PLAST 9 design guidance specifies widths of 2,25 to 2,50 metres for cycle paths and cycle streets to accommodate cargo bikes.

![Aerial view of Hohenfelder Bucht in 2020](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Hohenfelder-Bucht---2020.webp) ![Aerial view of Hohenfelder Bucht in 2026](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Hohenfelder-Bucht---2026.webp) 2020 2026 

↔ 

Hohenfelder Bucht 2020 vs. 2026 

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Hohenfelder-Bucht---2020.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Hohenfelder-Bucht---2026.webp)

Hohenfelder Bucht 2020 vs. 2026

### Policy & Support

The institutional, political, and cultural conditions that support long-term cycling progress.

#### 10\. Political Commitment

How much money the city government sets aside for cycling investment per resident each year, averaged over the most recent five-year period.

**Hamburg's value:** 44€ per resident per year. [\[14\]](#source-14)[\[15\]](#source-15)[\[5\]](#source-5)

#### 11\. Advocacy

This indicator assesses the strength and civic influence of local cycling advocacy groups by checking whether an active citywide organization engages with the public and participates in policymaking.

**a. Active Organization**  
Whether at least one citywide cycling organization publishes regular updates through a website, newsletter, or social media.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[16\]](#source-16) ADFC Hamburg has more than 9.000 members, publishes the quarterly print and digital magazine \_RadCity\_, and operates newsletters and social media channels.

**b. Public Mobilization**  
Whether the organization has conducted at least two rides, campaigns, or events during the previous 12 months.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[17\]](#source-17) ADFC Hamburg co-organizes campaigns and rides including Fahrradsternfahrt Hamburg, Kidical Mass, and STADTRADELN.

**c. Policy Involvement**  
Whether the organization sits on an official committee or has contributed to cycling policy during the previous 24 months.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[16\]](#source-16)[\[14\]](#source-14) ADFC Hamburg is a civil-society signatory and consultation partner in the Bündnis für den Rad- und Fußverkehr and participates in district traffic committees.

#### 12\. Image of the Bicycle

Whether the bicycle is recognized and promoted as a normal means of everyday transport for people of different ages and social groups.

**a. Media Tone**  
This component classifies cycling-related headlines published by the city's three largest online news outlets during the previous 24 months as positive, neutral, or negative.

**Hamburg's value:** Mixed or neutral-to-critical. [\[20\]](#source-20)[\[21\]](#source-21)[\[22\]](#source-22) Coverage in Hamburger Abendblatt, NDR Hamburg, and MOPO combines reporting on the practical and environmental benefits of cycling with conflict-focused reporting about construction, road-space reallocation, and interactions between pedestrians and cyclists.

**b. Bicycle Brand or Network Identity**  
Whether the city uses a distinct visual identity for its main cycling network or citywide cycling promotion.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[18\]](#source-18) Hamburg's main cycling network is branded as the Velorouten-Netz, consisting of 14 radial routes and two ring routes. It uses red-and-white directional signs, route numbers, and standardized road markings.

**c. School Cycling Education**  
Whether the city participates in an official national or regional learn-to-ride programme that provides practical bicycle training in schools.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[19\]](#source-19) Hamburg provides cycling education in grades 3 and 4 through police traffic instructors. The programme includes bicycle handling, road-traffic practice, and a final test for the Fahrradpass.

#### 13\. Urban Planning

Whether the city has the strategic and technical capacity to plan, design, deliver, and monitor protected cycling infrastructure consistently.

**Unit:** Kilometres of protected cycling infrastructure built during the last three calendar years per 100 km of roadway.

**Hamburg's value:** 3,17 km of protected cycling infrastructure per 100 km of roadway. [\[23\]](#source-23)

The value is calculated from approximately 130 km of physically separated or protected cycling facilities built or renewed from 2022 to 2024 and approximately 4.100 km of municipal roadway.

**a. Cycling Plan or Strategy**  
Whether a cycling plan, active-mobility plan, or mobility plan with a full cycling chapter has been published or updated during the previous five years.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[25\]](#source-25) Hamburg updated its cycling strategy through the Bündnis für den Rad- und Fußverkehr and the Radverkehrsstrategie für Hamburg.

**b. Dedicated Cycling Unit**  
Whether the municipal organization includes a staffed team whose primary responsibility is cycling infrastructure and policy.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[23\]](#source-23) Hamburg has a dedicated cycling and walking division within the Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende.

**c. Technical Design Guidebook**  
Whether the city uses a technical guide specifying layouts, dimensions, and treatments for cycling facilities, intersections, and parking.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[24\]](#source-24) Hamburg uses ReStra, the Hamburger Regelwerke für Planung und Entwurf von Stadtstraßen, which defines design standards for cycling infrastructure and intersections.

**d. Monitoring and Reporting**  
Whether the city publishes annual or biennial reports or open datasets that track cycling infrastructure, counts, or key performance indicators.

**Hamburg's value:** Yes. [\[23\]](#source-23) Hamburg publishes progress reports, open geodata, and data from the Hamburger Radzählnetz.

![Aerial view of Alsterufer x Alsterglacis  in 2020](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Alsterufer-x-Alsterglacis-2020.webp) ![Aerial view of Alsterufer x Alsterglacis  in 2026](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/size/w1600/2026/09/Alsterufer-x-Alsterglacis-2026.webp) 2020 2026 

↔ 

Alsterufer x Alsterglacis 2020 vs. 2026 

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Alsterufer-x-Alsterglacis-2020.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/Alsterufer-x-Alsterglacis-2026.webp)

Alsterufer x Alsterglacis 2020 vs. 2026

## Comparison with Utrecht

Looking at all the indicators, Hamburg is doing many things well. The city has cycling plans, standards, education, monitoring, and active advocacy groups. However, the comparison with Utrecht shows a clear gap, especially in infrastructure. Hamburg has around 29 km of cycling infrastructure per 100 km, compared with 42 km in Utrecht. Utrecht also has much more bicycle parking, and its bicycle modal share is around 33%, while Hamburg’s is only 16%.

This does not mean that Hamburg is doing a bad job. The city is moving in the right direction, and its bicycle modal share is growing. However, cycling infrastructure and bicycle use are closely connected. Without faster and stronger investment in safe and connected routes, it will be difficult for Hamburg to reach the level of Utrecht.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/hamburg-vs.-utrecht.webp)

## Conclusion

Of course, data tells one story and personal experience tells another. I enjoy cycling in some parts of Hamburg, but I feel unsafe in others. On roads without protected cycle lanes, I am always fully alert. The worst places for me are where cars park at a right angle to the cycle path. Drivers reversing out can barely see cyclists, so I have to slow down and watch every car and its rear lights. On some streets, cycle lanes also run between traffic lanes, so I end up being surrounded by cars or trucks.

I am also annoyed by the lack of standard bicycle racks. Some racks make it impossible to lock my bike by its frame, while some busy areas have no racks at all.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_6941.webp)

A bike rack that makes it harder to lock my bike with a D-Lock

 Hamburg has already shared data with Copenhagenize, so the city is clearly aware of the Index. I hope it uses the indicators as a guide for future improvements. As the pictures and my own experience show, Hamburg’s cycling infrastructure is improving. I just hope the city can improve it faster and make cycling safer for everyone.

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## Data Sources

- **\[1\]** [Radinfrastruktur - Wege Hamburg](https://suche.transparenz.hamburg.de/dataset/radinfrastruktur-wege-hamburg1?ref=alsterrunde.com) (9 July 2026)
- **\[2\]** [Straßen- und Wegenetz Hamburg](https://suche.transparenz.hamburg.de/dataset/strassen-und-wegenetz-hamburg-hh-sib34?ref=alsterrunde.com) (16 July 2026)
- **\[3\]** [Bike + Ride Anlagen Hamburg](https://suche.transparenz.hamburg.de/dataset/bike-ride-anlagen-hamburg6?ref=alsterrunde.com) (22 August 2024)
- **\[4\]** [Fahrradbügel Hamburg - Bezirksdaten](https://suche.transparenz.hamburg.de/dataset/fahrradbuegel-eimsbuettel-hamburg4?ref=alsterrunde.com) (11 July 2025)
- **\[5\]** [Bevölkerung in Hamburg 2025 - Amtliche Bevölkerungsfortschreibung](https://www.statistik-nord.de/presse-veroeffentlichungen/presseinformationen/dokumentenansicht/bevoelkerung-in-hamburg-2025-67900?ref=alsterrunde.com) (9 July 2026)
- **\[6\]** [Hamburg Senate - Strategie Mobilitätswende](https://www.hamburg.de/resource/blob/295448/8b1b88e8b97f7b726ff3b7bacaed71bf/senatsdrucksache-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com) (28 November 2023)
- **\[7\]** [Verkehrssicherheitsbilanz 2025 - Polizei Hamburg](https://www.polizei.hamburg/resource/blob/1148658/511289b01348ed932859265d6cf509cc/vksb-2025-pm-do-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com) (23 February 2026)
- **\[8\]** [Mobilität in Deutschland (MiD) 2023 - Regionaler Kurzbericht Stadt Hamburg](https://www.hamburg.de/resource/blob/1132384/39436115d85e76bbb7b8f4c0c4c0912a/mid2023-kurzbericht-hamburg-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com) (19 December 2024)
- **\[9\]** [StadtRAD jetzt in hvv switch - Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende Hamburg](https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/bvm/aktuelles/pressemeldungen/stadtrad-jetzt-in-hvv-switch-1192140?ref=alsterrunde.com) (30 June 2026)
- **\[10\]** [StadtRAD Hamburg - Flotte und Stationen](https://www.hamburg.de/verkehr/fahrradfahren-in-hamburg/services-rund-ums-rad/stadtrad-hamburg-296972?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2026)
- **\[11\]** [E-Lastenfahrrad-Förderung für Unternehmen - BAFA](https://www.bafa.de/DE/Energie/Energieeffizienz/E-Lastenfahrrad/e-lastenfahrrad%5Fnode.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2024)
- **\[12\]** [Lastenrad statt Lieferwagen - City-Mikrodepot im Regelbetrieb](https://hamburger-wirtschaft.de/schwerpunkt/mikrodepots-und-lastenrad-riesen-fuer-die-letzte-meile/?ref=alsterrunde.com) (30 November 2022)
- **\[13\]** [Frei parken für Lastenräder in Hamburg - ADFC](https://www.adfc.de/artikel/hamburg-lastenraeder-duerfen-auf-parkplaetzen-parken?ref=alsterrunde.com) (20 December 2021)
- **\[14\]** [Kurzbericht Rad- und Fußverkehr 2022 - Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende Hamburg](https://dokumente.hamburg.de/resource/blob/902142/6fad9fcdc64199610ef8232e272a9573/kurzbericht-rad-und-fussverkehr-2022-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com)
- **\[15\]** [Hamburger Sport- und Infrastrukturbericht - Mitteleinsatz Radverkehr 2020-2024](https://hamburg-activecity.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/fragments/2023-09/9a1b2a5e-c303-43eb-82c7-d31af546f72b/br%5Fsportbericht%5F2024%5Ffinal%5Fweb%5Fneu%5Fua.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com)
- **\[16\]** [Über den ADFC Hamburg e.V.](https://hamburg.adfc.de/adfc-hamburg?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2026)
- **\[17\]** [Sternfahrt 2026 - Gemeinsam für die Verkehrswende](https://hamburg.adfc.de/neuigkeit/sternfahrt-2026-gemeinsam-fuer-die-verkehrswende?ref=alsterrunde.com) (23 June 2026)
- **\[18\]** [Das Hamburger Radnetz and Wayfinding - Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende Hamburg](https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/bvm/themen/mobilitaetswende/radverkehr/hamburger-radnetz-1191590?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2024)
- **\[19\]** [Verkehrssicherheitsarbeit der Polizei Hamburg](https://www.polizei.hamburg/verkehrssicherheitsarbeit-der-polizei-hamburg-300806?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2024)
- **\[20\]** [„Pop-up-Bikelane“: Bringt Radstreifen in Altona die Wende?](https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/altona/article230919344/Pop-Up-Bikelane-Max-Brauer-Allee-Hamburg-Fahrrad-Altona-Verkehrswende.html?ref=alsterrunde.com)
- **\[21\]** [Elbchaussee zu eng: Schutzstreifen für Radfahrer wird entfernt](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Strasse-nicht-breit-genug-Radweg-an-der-Elbchaussee-wird-entfernt,elbchaussee216.html?ref=alsterrunde.com)
- **\[22\]** [Nun also doch: Hamburg fällt 160 teils alte Bäume – für einen Radweg](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/nun-also-doch-hamburg-faellt-160-teils-alte-baeume-fuer-einen-radweg/926358?ref=alsterrunde.com)
- **\[23\]** [Kurzbericht 2024 - Bündnis für den Rad- und Fußverkehr](https://www.hamburg.de/resource/blob/1026350/8f83c52376d751f9a819250a153e9139/kurzbericht-rad-und-fussverkehr-2024-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2025)
- **\[24\]** [Hamburger Regelwerke für Planung und Entwurf von Stadtstraßen (ReStra)](https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/bvm/die-themen-der-behoerde/grundlagen-strassenwesen/restra-193078?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2026)
- **\[25\]** [Hamburger Radverkehrsstrategie](https://www.hamburg.de/verkehr/fahrradfahren-in-hamburg/radverkehrspolitik/radverkehrsstrategie-411656?ref=alsterrunde.com) (2024)
### Animals of Hamburg: Our Wild Neighbours
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/animals-of-hamburg-our-wild-neighbours/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:00:50.000Z
About a month after my employer decided that we would all work from home because of COVID-19, I was in my kitchen preparing lunch when I noticed some movement outside. I had moved into the flat only a couple of months earlier, so I was still getting used to the area. When I looked out of the kitchen window, I saw two rabbits wandering around the yard and eating grass. I was quite surprised.

My next surprise came while I was working. My desk is next to the window in my living room, and one day, some movement in a tree caught my attention. When I looked more closely, I saw a squirrel jumping from one tree to another. It was so fast that I could not take a picture. 

It was not the only animal that escaped my camera. Another time, while cycling home from a birthday celebration for my friend’s wife in the south of Hamburg, I saw a fox for the first time. As soon as I stopped to take a picture, it quickly disappeared into its den.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_0592.webp)

Wildkaninchen

Moments like these made me realise how much nature is part of daily life in Hamburg. Even in a large city, you are never far from trees, parks, water and the animals that depend on them. Their presence shows that Hamburg is not only a home for people, but also for many wild neighbours.

## Birds Across Hamburg

When I take a walk in Stadtpark, it is hard to miss the ducks and swans around the Stadtparksee. A long walk around the Alster offers a similar experience, although the types of animals change a little. There is even a place called Schwanenwik, which means “shore of swans,” on the eastern side of the Alster. It is full of swans, ducks and geese. You can also see swans at the Binnenalster near Jungfernstieg, where they are often surrounded by tourists.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_2075.webp)

Höckerschwan at the Stadtparksee

Swans are quite special animals for Hamburg, and their history in the city goes back several centuries. Records show that public money was already being used to feed them in the late 1500s.

In 1664, the Hamburg Senate placed the Alster swans under special protection, making it forbidden to insult, hurt or kill them. Ten years later, in 1674, an official position was created for the person responsible for looking after the swans. The person in this position is known as the “Schwanenvater,” which means “swan father.”

Today, the Schwanenvater cares for sick and injured swans. Before winter, he takes them to a safe winter home and then brings them back to the Alster in spring.

Over time, the swans became living symbols of Hamburg and its freedom. There is even [a website](http://www.alsterschwaene.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com) about them where you can find more information. According to an old legend, Hamburg will remain a free and successful city for as long as swans continue to live on the Alster.

I find it interesting that the animals we pass during a walk without thinking much about them can be connected to such a long part of the city’s history.

Swans are not the only birds that the city loves. [Storks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork?ref=alsterrunde.com) also started to get more attention after NABU introduced [a live webcam](https://hamburg.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/voegel/weissstorch/34790.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) in 2010\. Different pairs have used the nest over the years, and since 2024, people have been able to follow Fiete and Jette as they return from their winter journeys, lay their eggs and raise their young until they are ready to fly.

NABU does more than offer the live stream. It also looks after wet meadows in the nearby Kirchwerder Wiesen, where the storks find frogs, worms, insects and other food.

As you get closer to the Elbe, the birds begin to change again. This is where seagulls welcome you, especially during the Fischmarkt on Sunday mornings. You can see them flying around the people who are enjoying their Fischbrötchen.

## Learning Their Names

Seeing so many animals made me think about how few of their names I actually knew. When you learn German at a language school, you usually learn the German words for common animals such as dogs, cats, cows and pigs. However, you do not learn the names of all the animals you might meet during your day, such as crows, squirrels and rabbits. You also do not learn the names of all the different types of birds.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_1350.webp)

Spanische Wegschnecke. You can see them almost everywhere after rain.

This gap gave me an idea for a new feature in my [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app. I wanted to create something similar to a Pokédex. You would take a picture of an animal, and the app would tell you its name and give you some information about it. That idea sounded simple, but I had to decide how the app would identify the animals.

Nowadays, there are many apps that help people identify things, and some of them send your picture to a server for processing. Instead of depending on that kind of third-party service, I wanted to create my own machine learning model.

Then I found a website called [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/?ref=alsterrunde.com). It is a free online social network and citizen science platform that helps people identify plants, animals and fungi from photos or sound recordings. It has a giant archive of observations, and many of its pictures are available through an open dataset under Creative Commons licences.

## Building Tiérdex

Since I was only interested in animals found in Hamburg, I downloaded pictures of those animals and trained a model using around 300.000 pictures of about 100 animal species.

In the end, I managed to create a model that is only around 600 KB and can run directly on an iPhone. This means that there is no need to use a third-party service to identify an animal. All the data and processing stay on the device.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/tierdex-1.webp)

Tiérdex in the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app

I called this part of the app Tiérdex because I did not want to get into trouble with Nintendo over the Pokédex name. I also created an interface similar to a Pokédex. At first, you can see all the animals that you might find, but you cannot see their names. When you add your own picture of an animal together with its location, you unlock that animal. You can also see all your pictures on a map.

## The Stories Behind the Animals

While I was building Tiérdex, the app became more than a way to learn animal names. It also helped me find out more about the animals living in Hamburg and the stories connected to them.

One of the first things I noticed was the large number of birds. Almost half of the animals in Tiérdex are birds, and this is not a coincidence.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_9041-3.webp)

Blaumeise. It came into my flat and did not want to leave.

Hamburg brings many different types of natural areas together in one city. The Elbe, the Alster, canals, lakes and wetlands attract waterbirds, while parks, gardens and old trees offer homes to birds that live in woods and gardens. Hamburg is also on important bird migration routes, so the types of birds you can see change during the year.

Then I learned about a special bird, the kestrel. [Kestrels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kestrel?ref=alsterrunde.com) are natural cliff nesters, but they also use high buildings as places to build their nests. In 2003, local scouts built a nesting box high in the tower of the Michaelis-Kirche in Neugraben. Since then, kestrels have used the box for breeding every year.

I have to say that I like the German name for this animal, Turmfalke, because it literally means “tower falcon.”

Another thing I discovered was that some of Hamburg’s animals were brought to Europe by humans and somehow managed to survive and grow in number. One of them is the [nutria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutria?ref=alsterrunde.com), which came from South America and was brought to Europe for fur farming. [Raccoon dogs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common%5Fraccoon%5Fdog?ref=alsterrunde.com) have a different story. They came from East Asia and were introduced into Europe as animals that could be hunted for their fur.

Creating Tiérdex also changed the way I looked at familiar animals. For example, I discovered that the seagulls I see at the Fischmarkt are not simply seagulls, or Möwen in German. They include birds called Lachmöwen and Silbermöwen.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_1108-2.webp)

Lachmöwe at the Fischmarkt

The Lachmöwe, or “laughing gull,” is especially interesting because it is one of the animals that the machine learning model struggles to identify. A Lachmöwe normally has a dark chocolate-coloured head, but it loses its dark head feathers after the breeding season. Young birds also do not have the same dark head.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/09/IMG_1101.webp)

Silbermöwen on the U-Boot Museum

Because of this, they can look similar to Silbermöwen, and the model sometimes mixes them up. Later, I found out that you can recognise a Silbermöwe by the red gonys spot on its bill.

Not every animal in Tiérdex lives in Hamburg throughout the year. Some travel up the Elbe from the North Sea, following spawning fish. These visitors include [harbour seals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor%5Fseal?ref=alsterrunde.com), called Seehunde in German, and [harbour porpoises](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour%5Fporpoise?ref=alsterrunde.com), called Schweinswale.

You have to be lucky to see them, but they gave me another idea for Tiérdex. I could add a rarity scale with five levels: Everyday, Common, Rare, Very Rare and Legendary. Each level could also have its own colour. I decided that the animals coming to Hamburg through the Elbe would be the Legendary ones. After all, the Elbe is the river that makes Hamburg, Hamburg.

Building Tiérdex has changed the way I walk around Hamburg. Now, when I hear a bird singing or notice a sudden movement from the corner of my eye, I stop and try to find where it came from. Sometimes I take a picture, and sometimes I simply enjoy the moment. Hamburg’s wild neighbours were there all along. I only needed to slow down and look.

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### Fifty Shades of Klinker: The Bricks That Shaped Hamburg
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/fifty-shades-of-klinker-the-bricks-that-shaped-hamburg/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T06:31:31.000Z
The trees were not the only thing that caught my attention when I first saw Hamburg through the plane window. I also noticed the rows of houses covered in red brick. Even before I landed, the green of the trees and the warm color of the buildings had formed my first picture of the city.

I do not know exactly where the charm of these bricks comes from. Maybe it is because each one looks a little different. Maybe it is the thought that someone placed them there one by one. Or perhaps it is the way they look beside the trees. Whatever the reason, buildings made of Klinker always fascinate me, and I often stop for a while just to look at them.

That is why I started to wonder why Hamburg has so many brick buildings. This simple question led me to the history of Klinker, the way it is made, and the role it played in shaping the city. The more I learned, the more I felt it was time to write about it.

### History

*Backstein* and *Ziegel* are general German words for brick, while Klinker is a special type fired at a very high temperature. This makes it harder and less likely to absorb water. Its name comes from the clear ringing sound it makes when struck. Although we often think of Klinker as red, it can also be brown, purple, or almost black.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1150.webp)

From a house in Othmarschen

Brick has been used in Northern Germany and around the Baltic Sea for centuries. In many parts of the region, natural stone was difficult to find, but clay was easy to get. People used what the land gave them, and over time brick came to define the local building style.

The material was also a good match for Hamburg’s weather. Klinker can handle rain, frost, and damp air, and it needs little care. It is also much safer against fire than timber. In a city shaped by water, cold weather, and several large fires, these were important qualities.

One turning point was [the Great Fire of 1842](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%5Ffire%5Fof%5FHamburg?ref=alsterrunde.com). It burned for several days and destroyed more than a thousand buildings in the old city. The rebuilding brought stricter rules. The use of wood was limited, fireproof walls became more important, and brick construction became more common.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1065.webp)

St. Petri Church

Another turning point came with [Fritz Schumacher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz%5FSchumacher%5F%28architect%29?ref=alsterrunde.com). As Hamburg’s building director from 1909 until 1933, he helped turn brick from a local material into one of the city’s main visual features. He worked on schools, public buildings, parks, streets, and housing areas, making them feel connected even when they served different purposes. During the same period, Brick Expressionism brought new shapes, patterns, and shades to Hamburg’s walls. This is why Klinker feels like more than a material here. It became a piece of the city’s identity.

### How Klinker Is Made

Before reaching Hamburg’s streets, many of the city’s bricks began their journey in clay-rich areas in and around the region. These included Vierlande, Neuengamme, the Lower Elbe marshes, Oldenburg, and East Frisia. From there, boats carried them to Hamburg along the waterways.

The process starts by digging clay or shale from the ground. It is crushed, cleaned, and mixed until it has an even texture. The mixture is then shaped into a long block and cut into separate bricks with wires. Some are shaped in molds instead. Before firing, they must dry slowly so they do not crack.

The dried bricks are placed in a kiln and fired at around 1.100 to 1.300°C. At this heat, the particles in the clay begin to join and the small pores start to close. This process, called sintering, makes Klinker very hard and allows it to take in very little water.

[This NDR documentary](https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/die%5Fnordreportage/Grossauftrag-fuer-Traditionsziegelei%2Csendung1474992.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) follows the full process at a traditional producer in the Elbe marshes. It shows how 250.000 Klinker bricks were made for the facade of the Tichelhaus in Hamburg, from digging the clay to placing the finished bricks on the building.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1887.webp)

Tichelhaus

The color of Klinker comes mainly from the minerals inside the clay and the conditions in the kiln:

- **Red or orange:** Iron-rich clay fired with enough oxygen.
- **Dark red or brown:** More iron, greater heat, or a longer time in the kiln.
- **Blue-red, violet, or blue-black:** Less oxygen during firing changes the iron in the clay and creates darker colors.
- **Brown or black:** Manganese in the clay, either naturally present or added before firing.
- **Yellow, cream, or beige:** Clay with more lime and less iron.
- **Gray or white:** Pale clay with very little iron, sometimes with a high amount of kaolin.
- **Green or turquoise:** Copper or chromium compounds added before firing.

The surface can also be changed with sand, glazes, mineral coatings, or thin layers of colored clay called engobes. In older kilns, the flames, fuel, and position of each brick affected the result. Temperatures were not the same in every area of the kiln, giving each brick a slightly different color. This is why many old Hamburg facades contain a mix of shades instead of one perfect red.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1085.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1076.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1141.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1144.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1880-1.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1060.webp)

Once fired, all those shades leave the kiln and find a place in the city. Some of their most famous destinations have become symbols of Hamburg.

### Important Brick Buildings in Hamburg

Hamburg has so many brick buildings that you might even live in one, as I do. Some, however, show the character of Klinker so well that they have become known far beyond the city.

#### Speicherstadt

For me, Speicherstadt is where Hamburg’s brick architecture feels most complete. Built between 1883 and 1927, its tall red-brick warehouses, narrow canals, bridges, and pointed roofs look like a small city rising from the water.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_8592.webp)

#### Chilehaus

Chilehaus seems to change depending on where you stand. Designed by Fritz Höger and built between 1922 and 1924, its sharp eastern corner looks like the front of a ship, while the patterns in its dark brick facade become clearer as you get closer.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_9087.webp)

#### Neues Krematorium

The New Crematorium at Ohlsdorf Cemetery is not as famous as Speicherstadt or Chilehaus, but it shows a more serious side of Klinker. Completed in 1933 as Fritz Schumacher’s last building in Hamburg, its dark walls feel heavy and quiet, while the golden phoenix and colorful windows bring some light inside.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_0844.webp)

The back side of the Crematorium

#### Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte

What makes the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte especially interesting to me is that its walls contain real pieces of the city’s past. Designed by Fritz Schumacher and opened in 1922, the building includes more than 300 parts saved from older Hamburg buildings, so the museum tells history before you even enter it. (The museum is currently closed for renovation, with the work expected to be completed by the end of 2028.)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1094.webp)

#### Hamburger Kunsthalle

The original yellow-brown brick facade of the Hamburger Kunsthalle stands out for its warmth and rich detail. Designed by Hermann von der Hude and Georg Theodor Schirrmacher and opened in 1869, it is the oldest of the museum’s three connected buildings.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1848.webp)

### Klinker Today and Tomorrow

Klinker does not belong only to Hamburg’s past. It is still widely used in new construction, often connecting modern designs with the streets around them. Johann Kontor is one example. Its brick facade helps the new complex fit beside the historic Kontorhausviertel while still looking like a product of its own time.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1862.webp)

Another example is the office building at Lohsepark in HafenCity, completed in 2023\. Rough water-struck bricks cover the upper floors in a curved pattern that looks almost like a hanging curtain. At street level, green and black glazed bricks create a clear base. The result feels both new and very Hamburg.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1879.webp)

The city also has several ways to protect its brick character, but there is no single rule saying that every new building must use Klinker. Section 9 of the current Hamburg Building Code, known as the HBauO, says that buildings must suit their surroundings in form, scale, material, and color. They must not spoil the street or the wider area. More direct protection comes from local plans and preservation rules. In parts of Hamm and Horn, for example, changes to old brick buildings and the design of new ones can require special approval.

Keeping this tradition alive also brings problems. Only a few producers still use old ring kilns, and making Klinker requires temperatures above 1.100°C. Most of the German brick industry uses natural gas, while the traditional producer shown in the earlier video still fires its kiln with coal. Both methods use a lot of energy and release carbon dioxide.

At the same time, Klinker can last for generations and needs little care, so its environmental cost cannot be judged by the firing process alone. Producers are looking at cleaner fuels, electric or hydrogen-powered kilns, reused bricks, and other ways to lower emissions. I do not know which of these ideas will become the answer, but I cannot imagine Hamburg without its Klinker buildings.

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### Visiting Elbwald for the first and perhaps last time
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/visiting-elbwald-for-the-first-and-perhaps-last-time/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T05:00:33.000Z
It was a typical Sunday in Hamburg. I cycled along [my favourite Fahrradstraße ](https://alsterrunde.com/a-love-letter-to-my-favourite-fahrradstrasse-in-hamburg/)beside the Alster and ended up at the Fischmarkt. I had a morning coffee and a Fischbrötchen before continuing towards Blankenese. Later, after enjoying a Franzbrötchen in the sun at Teufelsbrück, I turned back towards home.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1156.webp)

Elbwald from Teufelsbrück

On my way home, I passed through Övelgönne. There is a narrow path there, with beautiful houses on one side and small gardens on the other. In front of one of the gardens, I saw a chair with a clipboard on it. It was there to collect signatures for a campaign. There were also several booklets, so I picked one up after a short conversation with the older man looking after the garden. For some reason, he asked whether I was French.

It was clear that there was a petition, but I wanted to learn more before signing it. Once I got home, I read the booklet and visited the campaign website about “Elbwald retten” (“Save Elbwald”). It made me sad.

### Elbwald

If you have ever walked through Övelgönne or sat at Elbstrand, you may have looked across the Elbe and noticed a small line of trees beside the [Lotsenhaus Seemannshöft](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotsenhaus%5FSeemannsh%C3%B6ft?ref=alsterrunde.com). That is what the campaign calls Elbwald. It is located at Bubendey-Ufer, next to the Petroleumhafen.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1300.webp)

The "Elbwald retten" booklet

According to the campaign’s [petition](https://cdn.website-editor.net/3e406fcf509642c49c0ff8f1caef210b/files/uploaded/Unterschriftenliste%5FPetition.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com), the area had 396 trees before the first cutting work began. Most are poplars, but there are also willows, ash trees, oaks, maples and elms.

The campaign booklet says that some of the trees were planted around 100 years ago. It also says that Jürgen “Fiffi” Schaper, a sailor who lived in Övelgönne, later planted more trees. I like to imagine that he did it because he preferred looking at trees across the Elbe from his home rather than at oil tanks.

### The Transformation of Waltershofer Hafen

The Hamburg Port Authority has been planning the western extension of the Eurogate container terminal for more than 20 years.

In simple terms, the plan is to make the harbour larger and easier for very large container ships to use. Part of the land at Bubendey-Ufer will be removed, while the Petroleumhafen will be filled in to create new land for the terminal. This will allow Eurogate to extend further west and modernise its operations.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/before.png)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/after.png)

Before and after the removal and filling

The project is expected to cost around €1.8 billion, including public funding and Eurogate’s own investment. Construction is expected to continue into the 2030s.

The main argument is that Hamburg needs to keep its port competitive with other large European ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp. The project is also meant to make the terminal more automated and use more electric equipment.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/completed.png)

After the completion of transformation

I understand the economic argument. Germany’s economy has not been doing especially well, and a project of this size may create jobs and bring other benefits.

### Cutting the Trees

The project received formal approval in 2016\. Residents challenged it in court, mainly because of concerns about noise and pollution, but those challenges were unsuccessful. Because of this, I do not see an easy legal way to stop the whole project now.

What bothers me is how the loss of the trees is being handled.

In July 2026, Katharina Fegebank, Hamburg’s Second Mayor and Senator for Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, celebrated another positive year for the city’s street trees. Hamburg [planted 1.863 street trees in 2025](https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/bukea/aktuelles/pressemeldungen/mehr-als-230-000-strassenbaeume-und-1-300-zusaetzliche-altbaeume-fuer-hamburg-1199818?ref=alsterrunde.com), which was 352 more than the number removed. (You can find all of these trees with their plant year and genus in the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app.)

The Elbwald trees are not counted as street trees, so these are two different statistics. Still, it is difficult to celebrate a few hundred extra trees in one part of Hamburg while preparing to remove almost 400 grown trees in another.

The Elbwald campaign says that around 50 trees were already cut down in February 2026\. The work then stopped. This may be connected to the general rule in [Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bnatschg%5F2009/%5F%5F39.html?ref=alsterrunde.com), which restricts most tree cutting between 1 March and 30 September to protect nesting birds.

On satellite images, you can already see where some of the trees stood last year. The empty space is hard to miss.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/2025-08-19-00_00_2025-08-19-23_59_Sentinel-2_L2A_True_color-2.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-13-00_00_2026-08-13-23_59_Sentinel-2_L2A_True_color-1.webp)

The satellite images from August 2025 vs. August 2026

Last Saturday, I went to see Elbwald for myself. It was no longer possible to walk among the trees because the area had been fenced off. Signs warned that anyone crossing the fence could face a fine of up to 1.000€.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1220.webp)

Perhaps the fence is simply there for worksite safety. Perhaps it is also meant to prevent protesters from occupying the area. I cannot know for sure. What I do know is that I had finally come to see the trees up close, only to find a fence between us.

A few weeks earlier, [Hamburg had watched the new Sternbrücke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w723jt2rZ7g&ref=alsterrunde.com), weighing 3.700 tonnes, travel about 500 metres before being placed in its final position. That made me wonder: if we can move an entire bridge, can we not save at least some of these trees?

Of course, a steel bridge and a living tree are not the same thing. Moving old trees is difficult. Their roots can be very large, and many trees may not survive the move. Moving almost 400 of them may not be realistic.

But that should not end the discussion. The city says that new forest will be planted as compensation. The exact location has not been made public in the sources I found. The Elbwald campaign says the replacement planting will be in the Segeberg district of Schleswig-Holstein.

New forest is better than nothing. But young trees planted somewhere else cannot immediately replace almost 400 grown trees beside the Elbe.

The port will become larger, newer and more efficient. But Hamburg will lose a green part of its river view that took decades to grow.

It was my first visit to Elbwald and probably the last because there won't be anything to see here anymore.

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### Greenest cities in Europe, and where Hamburg stands
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/greenest-cities-in-europe-and-where-hamburg-stands/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T05:00:52.000Z
If you have flown into Hamburg for the first time in summer, you were probably as surprised as I was when you looked out of the window and saw how green the city is. The more I explored the city, the more that surprised me. Whether you look down from the top of the Planetarium or from the bunker, you see a mass of trees packed between the buildings. They are like the dark matter of the city.

At the same time, every time I came across a news article about the greenest cities in Europe, I was disappointed not to find Hamburg on the list. I thought maybe Hamburg is green, just not as green as I imagined.

I lived with that for a while. Then I came across a newly published study, "[Assessing European cities with the 3-30-300 rule underscores the need for enhanced urban greening efforts](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71523-8?ref=alsterrunde.com)", and I realised I had never actually looked at the method behind those lists.

If you think about greenery, you think about parks, forests and trees. So you take the area of the city, divide the green area by it, and you have a score. In one way that makes sense. But you can also live in a city where there is almost nothing green around the places people actually live, while the city has huge forests on the outskirts. On that calculation, the city still ranks high.

## What the 3-30-300 rule actually measures

The 3-30-300 rule does not measure how much green space fits inside the city borders. It measures how much green space people have close to their home, work or school. It has three parts:

- 3 trees must be visible from the place
- 30% canopy cover in the neighbourhood
- 300 meters to a high quality public green space

So if the place you live meets all three, you are living in a green area and you will run into greenery in your everyday life. It is not only about where the green areas are, it is about where the green areas are in relation to where people live.

I am not going into the details of the calculation, you can check the paper for that. But I can tell you which part is the bottleneck. Across Europe, 47% of people can see three trees and 57% live within 300 meters of a park, while only 28% live in a neighbourhood with 30% canopy cover. The canopy criterion is the one cities keep failing.

## The 3-30-300 score of European cities

The study covers 862 cities. When I looked at the top 10, I realised that not one of them shows up in any of the greenest cities lists I had seen before:

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/greenest-cities-in-europe.webp)

Top 30 Greenest Cities in Europe

I have honestly never been to any of these cities. But compared to the lists I had seen until now, this one feels more realistic to me, especially when you look at where the usual names land.

In most greenest cities lists you get Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Vienna. Here, Stockholm is 14th, Oslo is 86th, Vienna is 282nd and Copenhagen is 498th.

This does not mean those cities are not green. It means that not everyone who lives in them has green space near their door.

The Europe-wide picture is worse than I expected. Only 13,5% of the people in these 862 cities live somewhere that meets all three criteria. Espoo and Varese are the only two cities in the whole study where more than half the population does. You can check the full list [here.](https://voxeurop.eu/en/map-european-cities-access-green-space-global-warming/?ref=alsterrunde.com)

## So where does Hamburg stand?

Hamburg comes in at 28th. It does better than most cities in the study, but seeing it there still made me a bit sad. I expected the top 10.

Then I looked at the individual scores and got confused:

- 3 trees: 68,17%
- 30% canopy: 63,63%
- 300m from a park: 59,40%
- Total score: 38,37%

I expected the total to be higher. When I looked closer I understood that the total is not the average of the three. It is the share of the population that meets all three at the same time.

So 68% of people can see three trees from where they live, work or study. 63% have 30% canopy cover in their neighbourhood. 59% have a park within 300 meters. But only 38% have all three at once.

That last number is easier to feel if you turn it around. Hamburg has about 2,07 million people. Around 1,3 million of them are missing at least one of the three where they live.

Hamburg is doing well on canopy by European standards, by the way. The 63,63% here is more than double the European average of 28% for that criterion. 

## Mapping it

I could not stop there. I wanted to know the score of my own neighbourhood and the places where I spend most of my time. Doing that helped me to understand why my expectations of Hamburg were so high in the first place.

The authors published [the raw data](https://zenodo.org/records/18834833?ref=alsterrunde.com) for all of Europe, so I extracted the Hamburg part, projected it onto a map and added colour grading. This is the result:

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/hamburg-greenery.webp)

The 3-30-300 Rule for Hamburg available on the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app (soon on iPad as well)

If you know Hamburg, this will not surprise you. The city centre, the industrial areas and the waterways are red, which means they meet none of the criteria. The wealthier districts around the Alster have a lot of cells meeting all three.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/hamburg-center-greenery.webp)

The southern part of the city is a different story. Large parts of it meet none of the criteria at all.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/hamburg-south-greenery.webp)

That is not surprising if you know how Hamburg is split. Many people here treat the Elbe as an informal equator. North of it you get the wealthier districts, south of it you get the ones that have carried the city's industry and its social problems for decades.

So when the paper finds that neighbourhoods with higher income consistently have more people meeting the 3-30-300 rule, my map is just the Hamburg version of the same finding. The red in the south is not really a tree problem. It is the tree-shaped part of a much older problem.

## What I would like to see next

The data behind the study is not fresh. Tree cover comes from PlanetScope imagery from 2019 and the urban green vegetation comes from the LUISA Base Map from 2018\. So I am curious how Hamburg's score has developed since then.

The city probably has more current data than the study used, so I hope we get updated numbers that make the development easier to follow over time. I think Hamburg should adopt 3-30-300 as an official target and report on it the way it reports on housing or air quality.

What I take away from all of this is that I was asking the wrong question. Hamburg is green, I was right about that from my experience. But a city being green and its people living in green are two different things, and only one of them is worth measuring.

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### Why does Apple have an office in a small town close to Hamburg?
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/why-does-apple-have-an-office-in-a-small-town-close-to-hamburg/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T05:00:44.000Z
I started following everything about Apple when I was 15, and around the same time I picked up the habit of checking [Apple's jobs page](https://jobs.apple.com/?ref=alsterrunde.com) every now and then, just to see if there was an interesting position for me. The other reason is that job ads quietly tell you something about what Apple might ship in the future.

I still do this. Not because I want to move to the US and work for Apple, but because maybe one day there will be a position in Berlin that doesn't require sitting in an office every single day. That is how I ended up reading a job ad like the one above: [a software engineering position in Hamburg.](https://jobs.apple.com/en-us/details/200652640-1654/macos-software-engineer-audio-music-apps-m-f-d?ref=alsterrunde.com)

I was surprised. Like I said, I have been following Apple for a long time and I had no idea that Apple had an office in Hamburg. Sure, there are two Apple Stores in the city, so there are always openings, but those are retail jobs, not software or hardware development.

## What Apple actually does in Germany

Apple has been in Munich since 1981, and today it is the company's biggest engineering hub in Europe. It grew a lot after Apple bought the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019\. Funny enough, that business was originally German anyway: Intel had bought it from Infineon. When the C1 arrived, Apple's first self designed 5G modem, a big part of the work behind it had been done in that office. That explains all the Munich job ads about wireless technologies.

Then there is Berlin, where I went in June for a special event as an indie developer. A lot of people work there, but mostly on things around the app business and marketing. I do run into Apple developers based in Berlin, but as far as I know there is no dedicated software unit in the city. [Apple did announce in June](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2026/06/europes-first-apple-developer-center-to-open-in-berlin/?ref=alsterrunde.com) that Europe's first Apple Developer Center will open in Berlin Mitte later this year, but that is a place for developers to visit, not an engineering office.

## It wasn't Hamburg, it was Rellingen

So that is why the job ad confused me. And when I actually read the description, I realised the position wasn't really in Hamburg. It was in [Rellingen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rellingen?ref=alsterrunde.com).

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/apple-jobs-rellingen.webp)

Until that moment I had never heard of Rellingen. I opened Apple Maps and searched for it. It turned out to be a small town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein, about 10 km northwest of Hamburg, roughly an hour from my place by bike. Around 15.135 people live there. Its most famous building is [a Lutheran church from the 1750s](https://www.shmf.de/en/spielort/kirche-68?ref=alsterrunde.com) with an unusual octagonal shape.

The ad said the team in Rellingen works on GarageBand, Logic Pro and MainStage, on both macOS and iOS.

If you don't know these apps, they are for making music. GarageBand is the friendlier one, for people who are new to it and want something simple. It is quite powerful, but not as powerful as Logic Pro. Logic Pro is where professionals work. The clearest example is Finneas, who produced Billie Eilish's Grammy sweeping debut album in a bedroom in his parents' house using Logic Pro. Plenty of other names show up in [the same lists](https://equipboard.com/items/apple-logic-pro?ref=alsterrunde.com#artistUsage), from Ed Sheeran to David Guetta.

So the obvious question is: why is Apple building Logic Pro and GarageBand in a town of 15 thousand people? A few searches later I had the answer. Logic was never Apple software to begin with. Apple bought it, together with the company that made it, Emagic.

## Emagic

It started with two students in Hamburg. [Gerhard Lengeling](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlengeling/?ref=alsterrunde.com) was studying medicine but spent his real energy on MIDI, and [Chris Adam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamchris/?ref=alsterrunde.com) came from the computer science side. Together they wrote a sequencer for the Atari ST, which had MIDI ports built in and was the machine musicians actually used back then. It came out under the name C-Lab in the late 80s.

In late 1992 the two of them split from C-Lab and founded their own company in Rellingen: Emagic. The name is just "electronic" and "magic" pushed together. This time Lengeling wrote something new from scratch, because his earlier programs had died together with the machines they were written for. That program was Notator Logic, which arrived on the Macintosh in 1993 and later dropped the Notator part of the name.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/1-Lj1H8unGWqfC3hK4JUSkHA.webp)

Logic 2.5

Apple bought Emagic in 2002 and the Emagic name was gone by 2006\. But unlike a lot of Apple acquisitions, the office stayed exactly where it was. I don't know the real reason. Maybe it is simply hard to find good software developers who are also good musicians, and this team had spent a decade collecting exactly those people. What I like most is that both founders are still at Apple. Lengeling is Senior Director of Software Engineering for Musical Applications, though he moved to California. Chris Adam is still there too, and according to his LinkedIn he is still based in the Hamburg area.

Imagine writing software more than thirty years ago that is still used to make music heard by millions of people. That kind of satisfaction must be enormous. And you are doing it from a small town, or from Hamburg, cycling to the office. Probably the perfect combination of working for a tech company that has billions of users while living in a beautiful city like Hamburg.

## Are they still looking?

One thing I noticed is that I saw this job ad years ago and I don't remember Berlin being mentioned back then. Now the ads say the position can be in Rellingen or in Berlin. Either they still can't find the right person for Rellingen, or the team is growing.

I think it is the second one. In January Apple introduced [Apple Creator Studio](https://creatorstudio.apple.com/?ref=alsterrunde.com), which bundles Logic Pro along with other professional tools like Final Cut Pro into one subscription. Instead of paying around 230€ once for Logic Pro, you can try it for 12,99€ a month, or 2,99€ if you are a student. That is a very good deal, and it means a lot more people are about to open Logic Pro for the first time.

So if you write Swift for Apple platforms, you are into music, you play an instrument, and you live in Hamburg or have been thinking about it, this might be your chance to work on something people actually make things with.

If my programming expertise was on Swift and I was able to play an instrument, I would have already applied for this position.

## Hamburg made another music standard

The other thing I recently stumbled upon is that [VST turned 30 this year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3fpyfWR40&ref=alsterrunde.com), and it also comes from Hamburg. It was made by [Steinberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinberg?ref=alsterrunde.com).

[Karl "Charlie" Steinberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl%5FSteinberg?ref=alsterrunde.com), a musician and studio engineer, met keyboard player [Manfred Rürup](https://www.linkedin.com/in/manfred-ruerup-808250/?ref=alsterrunde.com) at a recording session in 1983\. A year later they founded the company in Rürup's apartment, together with his wife Nicole. The company is called Steinberg and not Rürup because they thought Americans would never manage to pronounce Rürup. Their first product was Pro-16, a 16 track MIDI sequencer for the Commodore 64, followed by Pro-24 for the Atari ST. Cubase came in 1989.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/1999-09-cubase37-1-kO2tff2znTqG3j.hu9yCFUB6sS..sYYg.webp)

Cubase VST 3.7

Then in 1996 they shipped Cubase VST. [Virtual Studio Technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual%5FStudio%5FTechnology?ref=alsterrunde.com) let you load audio effects directly into the software and process them in real time with the computer's own power, instead of buying a rack of hardware. In 1999 version 2.0 added virtual instruments. Steinberg published the SDK and let anyone build on it, and that is why VST became the standard that basically every music program supports today. They did the same thing a year later with ASIO, the low latency audio driver protocol on Windows, which is also still the standard.

And like Emagic, Steinberg was eventually sold. It went to Pinnacle Systems in 2003, and Yamaha bought it from them in 2005\. It is still based in Hamburg and still makes Cubase, Nuendo and Dorico.

So within a few years, two companies from Hamburg and its outskirts produced software that ended up shaping how music is made everywhere. I don't really know what the zeitgeist of the early Hamburg music tech scene was. I wonder if these people knew each other, whether they were sitting in the same bars, and how these companies came together. And I wonder whether that same spirit is still around somewhere in the city, maybe not in music software, but in something else.

If you were around Hamburg back then and have stories from that time, please reach out. And if you know a documentary, an article, an old interview, anything from those years, I would love to read or watch it.

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### Wahlhamburger
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/wahlhamburger/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T05:00:07.000Z
Hamburg was the first city I've visited outside of my home country. That's why I thought that probably most of the big cities in Europe look like Hamburg. Later when I told this to a colleague, he told me that I shouldn't have high expectations. Oh, boy. How right he was.

After Hamburg, I started to visit many cities in Europe. My trips were always short, but still, when I traveled to a city, I made sure that I walked around for hours and evaluated whether it fits my standards for living.

I should say that I haven't visited that many cities, and a few days in a place is not enough to know it. Someone who lives there would tell me I saw the wrong parts, or the right parts on the wrong days, and they would probably be right. So none of this is a ranking. It is only what I noticed.

## Berlin, Lisbon, Stockholm

My first trip was to Berlin. It is the capital, the international community there was bigger than in Hamburg, and I had heard many things about it, so I thought the chances could be higher to live there. After the weekend, I was disappointed. Some districts were nice to explore, but Berlin was not as beautiful, organised, green and silent as Hamburg, and the cycling infrastructure wasn't good enough either. I went back once more and walked for hours with a friend, but it didn't change my opinion. Sure, Berlin has way more events, but would it make sense to move there just for them, while you're not feeling good with all the other things?

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_3816.webp)

Festival of Giant Kites at the Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin

Berlin was where I first learned what I don't want. The crowds, the dirt, and buildings that look like they were put next to each other without anyone thinking about it.

Later I visited Valencia, Barcelona, Porto, and Lisbon. Out of these, the only city that impressed me and made me think about moving was Lisbon. It was really beautiful. I could understand why many people from different parts of the world are moving there. But the hills were a big problem, as well as the lack of cycling infrastructure.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_3325.webp)

Christ The King statue and The Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon

Then there was Stockholm, the one city that felt really close to Hamburg. When I visited, I walked more than 50km. It is walkable, the cycling infrastructure is there, and every part of the city gives you something different. Gamla Stan was an experience I've never felt in my life, walking through those narrow streets between the medieval buildings felt like being inside a fairy tale. Djurgården is an old royal hunting ground that is now part of a national city park, with real forest and open water right next to the museums. Södermalm is one second hand shop after another, small cafes, and the view over the whole city from Monteliusvägen. And thanks to their Fika culture there are bakeries everywhere, so I was visiting one almost every single day.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_4323.webp)

Fabrique Bakery in Stockholm

One problem with Stockholm was the daylight. In winter it gets dark in the early afternoon, and I don't think I could live with that for months every year. The other one was their naked streets. There was a street, cars, a pedestrian way and buildings. No trees. It wasn't really a nice feeling to walk.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_4460.webp)

One of the many naked streets in Stockholm

Each city taught me something about what I actually want. I like diversity. I'd like to have different options. And every time I came back, I understood better that Hamburg already gives me this.

## A ride through Hamburg

The best way to see it is from a bike. Not because it is faster, but because you notice the moment one district turns into the next, and that is the part you miss when you sit in the train.

Start in Ohlsdorf. The cemetery there is the largest park cemetery in the world, bigger than Central Park, with ponds, a rose garden, an old water tower and two bus lines running inside it. It is not a sad place to be. People walk there, cycle there, sit under the trees. It is quiet in a way a city is not supposed to be able to offer.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_0854.webp)

One of the many statues in the Ohlsdorf Cemetery

Ride south into Winterhude, where [Stadtpark](https://alsterrunde.com/hamburgs-stadtpark-a-park-built-to-be-used/) welcomes you with open hands. The big lawn is full of people as soon as the sun is out, there is a planetarium inside the old water tower, an open air stage with concerts in summer, and a lake if you want to swim. Mühlenkamp offers you different cafes, either to take away if you want to walk around the Alster, or to sit at a small table and enjoy it with a cake.

Cross over to Eppendorf and you experience the white buildings, the shops and restaurants along Eppendorfer Landstraße, and you feel the poshness. Twice a week the Isemarkt sets up under the U-Bahn viaduct, one of the longest open air markets in Europe, and you can buy your vegetables while the train runs over your head. Keep going into Harvestehude, where you walk around the beautiful houses as well as walking next to the Alster, with the rowing boats on the water and people running the whole way around.

Then Neustadt. One part is Planten un Blomen with different kinds of plants and flowers, a Japanese garden, and the water light concerts in the evenings in summer. The other part offers you a diverse range of stores, including the ones from luxury brands around Neuer Wall and Jungfernstieg.

Turn north to Schanze and the scene completely changes. The old bunker at Feldstraße has a garden on the roof now and a staircase that takes you up for free, and from there you see the whole neighbourhood. Around Schulterblatt there are bars and restaurants from different cuisines, and on Saturday there is the flea market. On Friday night, you would see many people coming here to hang out with their friends.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_8370-2.webp)

The view from the Bunker

Go down to St. Pauli and it changes again. The Reeperbahn does not look like anything else in this city.

Follow the Elbe west to Altona, where the Fischmarkt fills up early on Sunday morning and a band plays inside the old auction hall.

Keep going and you reach Blankenese, and you wonder if you're still in Hamburg, because the architecture changes. The flat city leaves itself to a hill with buildings on top of it, and the only way to move around is climbing the stairs. There are thousands of steps in the Treppenviertel, and when you get to the top you look down at the Elbe and the ships going out.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/treppenviertel_3.webp)

The Treppenviertel in Blankenese

I go on and on. What I like about this diverse range of districts is that all of them are easily accessible by either public transportation or cycling. Even though I'm not using all the things that a district offers every time, I just like to have that option if I want to do it.

And while cycling between them, you are always surrounded by trees. I think that increases the enjoyment, because your commute doesn't feel like a commute but just enjoying a ride. Of course, the different kinds of architecture and many buildings with different tones of red bricks give a cohesion overall.

## Hamburgers

A district is only buildings, streets and trees. What makes it different is the people who chose to be there, and that is the diversity I care about more.

Hamburg doesn't only attract people from other countries like me. It also attracts many people from different parts of Germany. And most of them seem to share similar values. They are more open minded and friendlier than what I have experienced in some other parts of the country. I'm not just saying this myself. [In a survey this year](https://hamburg.t-online.de/region/hamburg/id%5F101206746/hamburg-ist-hoeflichstes-bundesland-so-schneiden-andere-in-umfrage-ab.html?ref=alsterrunde.com), 61 percent of the people in Hamburg described their daily life as polite, which put Hamburg first among all federal states, while the average in Germany was around 42 percent. [In another survey](https://hamburg.t-online.de/region/hamburg/id%5F100946384/sympathie-ranking-so-beliebt-ist-hamburg-im-deutschland-vergleich.html?ref=alsterrunde.com), people from the rest of the country said Hamburgers were the ones they liked the most.

You don't only notice these values in daily life. You also see them on the street, in big numbers.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_5836.webp)

Cycling on the Köhlbrandbrücke during the Fahrradsternfahrt

When I participate in the [Critical Mass](https://criticalmass.in/hamburg/?ref=alsterrunde.com) or [Fahrradsternfahrt](https://fahrradsternfahrt.hamburg/?ref=alsterrunde.com), I feel emotional, because I feel like in this city there are thousands of people who think that cycling is important. That is also where I discovered Max Raabe's "[Fahrrad fahr'n](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX3bW1LCDMk&ref=alsterrunde.com)", on a Friday afternoon, coming out of a speaker another cyclist was carrying. Now it plays in my head whenever I cycle through the city. When I participate in demonstrations against the far right, or in CSD, I feel like there are many people like me who think that diversity and inclusivity are important.

Those are just a couple of them, but Hamburgers don't shy away from showing their opinion on the street. Seeing all these people who share the same values makes me feel closer to calling myself a Hamburger. I feel so connected to this city that when I travel and stay more than 3 days away, I immediately start feeling homesick.

## Wahlhamburger

And that's where the word comes in. When I came across Wahlhamburger for the first time, I honestly didn't know what it really meant. Then I found out that it describes my situation perfectly. I wasn't born here, but I feel like I belong here. A Hamburger by choice.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1033-2.webp)

The funny part about this word is that Wahl also means election. Until last week, I couldn't take part in one, because I didn't have German citizenship. After eight years here, I finally can. Trees on the streets I cycle through, bike lanes that don't disappear at the next junction, and rents that don't push people out of the districts I just wrote about. Those are the things I'll be voting for. 

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### Hamburg's Stadtpark: A Park Built to Be Used
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/hamburgs-stadtpark-a-park-built-to-be-used/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T05:00:59.000Z
When I moved to Hamburg in 2018, I bought a bike in my first week. After that, almost every day after work, I was just jumping on it and cycling around the city without any direction. That is how I discovered places like Niendorfer Gehege, Haynspark and the Stadtpark.

The first time I ended up in the Stadtpark, the thing that struck me was the amount of trees. I was cycling through the city and suddenly I found myself in a wood. Then came the Planetarium with its red bricks, and the huge lawn in front of it, and I was amazed by the size of the whole park.

Every big city has its own city park. Central Park in New York, Hyde Park in London, the Englischer Garten in Munich, the Tiergarten in Berlin. Those are the ones that come to mind. The Stadtpark is smaller than all of them and almost nobody outside Hamburg knows about it. But it was planned from the start around what people would do in it, rather than only around how it would look, and more than a hundred years later it still works that way. After living next to it for years, I think that matters more than any ranking by hectares.

The park is not really that far from the city centre. So a lot of people live close enough to just walk in. A year later, when I needed to move out of my loud neighbourhood, the park had a big impact on my decision about where to go. And living there also showed me that the park was not just a huge lawn and a Planetarium. It is a giant complex for recreational activities.

## The lawn

The Stadtpark opened in 1914 and was designed by Fritz Schumacher, with the main purpose of active use instead of quiet strolling. It was built on 149 hectares, close to the districts where the working class was crowded in. Small flats, not much free time. The park was supposed to be the place they actually did things.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0912.webp)

The numbers also show it worked. On a sunny weekend [more than 200.000 people](https://www.hamburg-tourism.de/sehen-erleben/gruenes-hamburg/parks-gruenanlagen/stadtpark?ref=alsterrunde.com) come to the park, which is around 10 percent of the whole city.

That intention is still there when you look at the lawn. It is a huge open space that gives people room to do whatever they want. A couple of sections of it are marked as grill areas, with special bins for the used coals.

If you visit this area on a sunny weekend, you see how diverse this space is. And when I say diverse, I do not only mean the activities. It is also the people. Sometimes I joke with my friends that there are so many nationalities on this lawn that it looks like the United Nations assembly. In most cases a group takes some space on the lawn, bringing their own mat and their own food. Some have already started grilling while the others are playing games. There were games I saw for the first time in this park, like [Spikeball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundnet?ref=alsterrunde.com), [Flunkyball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flunkyball?ref=alsterrunde.com), [Boule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boules?ref=alsterrunde.com) and [Kubb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubb?ref=alsterrunde.com).

On the parts of the lawn where grilling is not allowed, I also see people playing cricket sometimes, or a group doing fitness or yoga together. Sometimes I see people practising music, playing their guitar or saxophone.

## The lake

The lawn ends at the artificial lake, the Stadtparksee. Many people swim there, or go canoeing or stand up paddling. Others just sunbathe next to it.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0905.webp)

One afternoon I was sitting there with some friends and I watched a woman cycle up to the water. She changed into her swimming things right where she stood, quickly and without any fuss, left her clothes and her bike on the grass, and swam for about half an hour. Then she came out, dried herself, put her clothes back on and cycled off.

What stayed with me was not the swimming. It was that none of it looked planned. She was not spending her afternoon at the lake, she was just going through her day, and the lake happened to be part of it.

At least two places rent out canoes and paddle boards, but I also see many people bringing their own inflatable board, pumping the air on the side, and starting their journey from there and going through the Goldbekkanal.

This is the part that surprised me most when I started reading about other city parks. A lake in the middle of a big city that you can simply get into is not a normal thing.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_2073.webp)

The lake also hosts many animals like ducks and swans. Close to it you find the Rosengarten, with different kinds of flowers in different colours. Around this area people dance salsa from time to time, and other dances that I have never managed to identify.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0902.webp)

## The sports facilities

When you look at the park, it is so easy to miss the rest of it. The lawn, the lake and the woods around them take all your attention, and you might think that is what the park offers. But if you walk out to the sides, you find many sports facilities.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1023-1.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1021.webp)

The west side, close to the Planetarium, has an athletics facility with a running track. Right next to it comes an area for beach volleyball and a place to train calisthenics, which I use myself from time to time with a friend. North of this [the Hamburg Hurricanes](https://www.hamburg-hurricanes.com/?ref=alsterrunde.com) train on two football fields.

I had never heard of the Hurricanes until I saw them in the park. It is a club that was started by expats, with players from dozens of nationalities, and the training happens in English. It is the same mix I joke about on the lawn, just with a schedule and a coach.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0896.webp)

On the eastern side of the park, things get a bit more interesting. Along with many football and beach volleyball fields, you find around 14 tennis courts, a facility for field hockey, another one for rugby, and a bit north of these a place for American football. To be honest, I would not have guessed that some of these sports had enough players in Hamburg to get their own facilities.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0895.webp)

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0897.webp)

Three dedicated places let you play chess on the ground, not as big as the one you have seen in Harry Potter though. For anyone who wants to play in the normal way, there are also proper tables and chairs. The park has a mini golf course as well, on the southern side.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0900.webp)

And of course, the park is a good choice for the many people who are running, walking, or taking their dogs out. Some prefer to run around the whole park, others just circle the lawn.

## The playgrounds

North of the lawn a big playground area for kids has its own grill zone, so while the kids are playing the parents can prepare food. If they do not want that, a kiosk sells currywurst and pommes, and that is also where they can go to the toilet.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_9043-2.webp)

This is also the place that has the biggest paddling pool in the city. When the sun is shining and the temperature goes above 23 degrees, the water is turned on and the pool fills up with kids. It is a very simple thing, but seeing the kids in the water and the parents relaxed around them is one of the nicer things in the park, and it costs nothing.

The playground also has many other things, like a giant swing and a zipline. Close to it, a dedicated area lets people bring their own slackline and practise their balance.

This is not the only playground area, just the biggest one. Multiple playgrounds are scattered along the park, but that is not it. Close to this biggest playground you also find a daycare centre. When I first discovered this place I was surprised, and then I also felt jealous, because going to a city park as a kid every day must be an amazing experience.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0909.webp)

## Culture

From the cultural perspective, the Planetarium stands as the symbol of the park. There you can book a ticket for different kinds of events, not only in German but also in English. A cafe under the Planetarium serves food and drinks, or an ice cream if that is all you want.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_9022.webp)

The Planetarium is also a great place to see the whole of Hamburg, since there is almost nothing blocking the view. You can simply buy a ticket for the viewing platform, which only costs 2 euros. From there you can see all the landmarks of Hamburg easily, like the port, the Elbphilharmonie, St. Nikolai, the Rathaus, the bunker and so on.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0945.webp)

On the east side of the Stadtpark, an open air concert area hosts up to 4.000 visitors, and many artists play there, including international ones. But the part I like most happens outside the fence. During a concert people sit on the grass with their own food and listen from there, without a ticket, and nobody seems to mind.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0894.webp)

More than 20 artworks are also scattered around the park. Most of them are from the beginning of the 20th century, and some are rebuilt versions of the originals after those were destroyed during the bombing in the Second World War.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0835.webp)

## Food and drinks

In most cases people bring their own food. Whether I was grilling with friends or celebrating a friend's birthday there, we always carried everything ourselves. But for anyone who does not want to do that, around six cafes are spread through the park, offering different kinds of things, including one with cheesecake. The park also has two beer gardens, one on the east side looking at the lake and the lawn, and the other one, Landhaus Walter, somewhere in the middle, where you can also watch football games like the recent World Cup. This place also hosts a Christmas market in winter. On top of those, it has two restaurants.

The whole park has two water taps, one on the east side and one at the Borgweg entrance. Both of them feel placed for people running around the park rather than for the ones sitting on the lawn.

## Accessibility

In the beginning I said that the park is quite accessible for many people just by walking, which was the whole point back in 1914\. But the park is also well connected through the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Alte Wöhr S-Bahn station covers the east side, and Borgweg U-Bahn station the middle. After the completion of the U5 line a new station will open on the northern side of the park, but for now you can also reach the northern side by bus.

Besides public transport, three StadtRAD stations let you rent a bike and get to the park that way.

If you come by car, the southern side of the park is where people park without any cost.

## What is missing

When I decided to write about the Stadtpark, I also did some research about city parks around the world. What surprised me was not that it offers something nobody else has. You can find grilling areas or open water swimming in other big parks too. It was how much of it fits into a park this size, and how little of it needs a booking, a fee or a plan.

But of course, the Stadtpark is far from perfect.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/stadtpark.webp)

Everything you can find at the Stadtpark will be available in [the Franzbrötchen app](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) with the next update

As a regular user of the park, I feel like the amount of water taps, toilets and bike racks is not enough. Also, not many cultural events happen there. It would be nice to have something like an open air cinema, which you can find in different parks in the city. Or theatre.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_6577-2.webp)

I also feel like during the winter, even though the park looks amazing under snow or fog, there are not many things to do. I am not sure what the city can offer, but when I think about the crammed Christmas markets in the city, the park could probably host the biggest Christmas market in Hamburg, along with different activities.

That would also fit what the park was for in the first place. It was built so people would use it, and at the moment it only really manages that for half the year.

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### Shared mobility is great. The parking isn't.
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/shared-mobility-is-great-the-parking-isnt/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:00:46.000Z
Nowadays there are many ways to get around Hamburg. You can take the U-Bahn or S-Bahn, use HVV buses, ride your own bike, rent one from StadtRAD, book a MOIA, or use one of the shared micro mobility services to rent an e-scooter, e-bike, or even an e-moped.

I really like that we have so many transportation options. Even though Hamburg is still mostly designed around cars, and cars get much more space than everyone else, it is great that people have alternatives. But there is one thing that really annoys me: shared micro mobility services and the way many people use them.

If I remember correctly, e-scooters became popular around the COVID pandemic, and they have been part of the city ever since. Later, shared e-bikes and e-mopeds were added. Today there are several companies operating in Hamburg, including Voi, Dott, Bolt, Lime, and emmy.

I have never actually used any of these services. I have been cycling in Hamburg since I moved here eight years ago, so I have never really needed them. The reason they annoy me so much is directly connected to the fact that I am a cyclist.

When e-scooters first became popular, there were many complaints. Riders often used them in places where they were not allowed, such as sidewalks instead of bike lanes. There were also many accidents. In 2025, [the number of e-scooter accidents](https://www.statistik-nord.de/presse-veroeffentlichungen/presseinformationen/dokumentenansicht/verkehrsunfaelle-in-hamburg-2025-67850?ref=alsterrunde.com) causing injuries increased by 26,4% to 757, the highest number since records began in 2021\. Among people aged 18 to 54, the number of injured e-scooter riders also increased by 17,9% to 495\. The growing number of accidents is one of the reasons why the federal government recently [proposed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/09/germany-set-to-make-rental-e-scooter-operators-liable-for-accidents?ref=alsterrunde.com) making rental companies responsible for the damages.

The other complaint, which I believe is still far from solved, is where these vehicles are parked. After finishing a ride, many people simply leave them wherever they want. Whether they block a bike lane or a sidewalk does not seem to matter. It reminds me of people who throw trash on the street or in parks. Instead of taking a few extra seconds to leave the vehicle in a sensible place, they leave it wherever it is most convenient for them, even if it blocks someone else's way.

Here are a few examples.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0643.webp)

This photo was taken at Wandsbek Markt. As you can see, several emmy e-mopeds were parked right next to the bike racks. I do not know whether they were left there by riders or moved there later, but they clearly do not belong there. Bike racks are meant for people to lock their bicycles, not for parking shared mopeds that already have their own locking system.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0533.webp)

This photo was taken at the intersection of Schloßstraße and Ring 2\. What annoys me is not only that the scooters were left on the bike lane, but also that they created a safety risk. They were parked right next to a corner, partly hidden by bushes, making them easy to miss while turning.

You might think this was just a one-time situation. But when I passed the same location two weeks later, there were scooters from different companies parked in exactly the same place.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0644.webp)

The next photo was taken on St. Pauli Hafenstraße. Someone simply left an e-bike directly on the bike lane.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0827.webp)

The next photo was taken in the Treppenviertel. I honestly do not know what the riders were thinking. They apparently got close to the stairs, realized they could not continue, and simply abandoned their scooters in an already narrow passage.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_0807.webp)

These are only a few examples that I happened to photograph. During my daily rides around Hamburg, I see vehicles blocking bike lanes and sidewalks almost every day.

Three months ago, Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg's Senator for Transport and Mobility Transformation, [shared a LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anjes-tjarks-19356835%5Fso-wollen-wir-unsere-stadt-nicht-erleben-share-7441821639610138624-BVQb/?ref=alsterrunde.com) announcing that the city had introduced 370 digital parking spaces for e-scooters at 100 busy locations. At first, I thought this would finally solve the problem. Unfortunately, the photos in this article, including the oldest one which is less than two months old, show that the problem still exists.

The city's approach was to [create restricted areas](https://geoportal-hamburg.de/?mdid=723941D2-768B-4ABB-B657-8C0004AE80DD&ref=alsterrunde.com) in popular parts of Hamburg, such as Jungfernstieg, Schanze, and Alsterpark. Inside these (red) areas, riders can only end their rental in designated parking spots (blue dots). The locations are shared with the rental companies, which use geofencing to prevent people from ending their ride outside the marked areas.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/forbidden-scooter-zones.webp)

It sounds like a good idea, but it only works inside those restricted zones. The location where I took the second photo was outside one of these areas, which meant people could still leave their scooters on a bike lane without any restriction.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/scooters-at-intersection.webp)

I think the city should have taken the opposite approach. Instead of creating a few restricted areas with designated parking spots, it should have created designated parking spots across the city and only allowed rentals to end there. Everywhere else should be off limits. I honestly do not understand why this option was not chosen.

We already have a good example in Hamburg. StadtRAD has been operating since 2009, and I rarely hear people complain about bikes being left everywhere. The reason is simple. StadtRAD bikes have to be returned to their stations. If you leave one somewhere else, [you pay a 10€ fee.](https://stadtrad.hamburg.de/en/pricelist?ref=alsterrunde.com) That system has been working well for more than a decade.

Shared micro mobility services can be a great addition to public transport, and I do not want them to disappear. But if companies are allowed to place thousands of vehicles across the city, they should also make sure those vehicles do not become obstacles for everyone else. Right now, too much of the responsibility falls on pedestrians and cyclists, who have to deal with the consequences every day.

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### When will Hamburg move away from Microsoft?
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/when-will-hamburg-move-away-from-microsoft/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:00:54.000Z
Since the beginning of 2025, a lot has started to change in Europe when it comes to digital sovereignty. I would like to focus on one particular issue: the dependency of public administrations on Microsoft.

When US President Trump imposed sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Microsoft [blocked](https://apnews.com/article/icc-trump-sanctions-karim-khan-court-a4b4c02751ab84c09718b1b95cbd5db3?ref=alsterrunde.com) his email account. This raised serious questions across Europe about how much public administrations depend on American technology companies. It showed that decisions made by the US government can affect the access of people and organisations in Europe to important digital systems. In the worst case, a person or organisation could suddenly lose access to a large part of its digital infrastructure.

### How dependent is Hamburg on Microsoft?

Hamburg already depends heavily on Microsoft. After searching through [the Hamburg Parliament database](https://www.buergerschaft-hh.de/parldok/suche/10%5F1%5F23%5F%5F%5F23.%20Wahlperiode%20%28ab%2026.03.2025%29?ref=alsterrunde.com), I found that the state [started its productive migration to Microsoft 365 in 2023](https://www.buergerschaft-hh.de/parldok/dokument/102664/23%5F02931%5Fdatenschutz%5Fdigitale%5Fsouveraenitaet%5Fund%5Fkostenfragen%5Fbeim%5Feinsatz%5Fvon%5Fmicrosoft%5F365%5Fin%5Fder%5Fhamburger%5Fverwaltung?ref=alsterrunde.com#navpanes=0). Microsoft 365 includes many Microsoft products, including the Office suite, but connects them through a cloud-based platform. With this migration, Hamburg’s districts, major ministries, state enterprises and many other administrative bodies became connected to the Microsoft 365 environment.

The migration project itself cost Hamburg around €8 million. The state also pays [Dataport](https://www.dataport.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com), a publicly owned IT service provider that operates and maintains many of Hamburg’s IT systems. These costs were around €823.000 in 2024, €1.250.000 in 2025 and are expected to reach €1.475.000 in 2026.

After seeing these numbers, I wanted to know how much Hamburg pays Microsoft directly for licences. I had already read that[ the German federal government pays around €500 million per year for Microsoft products](https://www.heise.de/news/Bund-in-der-Abhaengigkeitsfalle-Kostenexplosion-bei-Microsoft-Lizenzen-11343398.html?ref=alsterrunde.com). Unfortunately, I could not find a similar number for Hamburg. The state does not publish its Microsoft licence costs because it considers the prices confidential under public procurement rules. This means that we know some of the migration and operating costs, but we still do not know the complete bill.

Hamburg is also planning to expand its use of Microsoft Teams, which is part of Microsoft 365\. As far as I understand, [the state still relies on Skype](https://www.buergerschaft-hh.de/parldok/dokument/96916/23%5F01675%5Fumstellung%5Fauf%5Faktuelle%5Fwindows%5Fbetriebssysteme%5Fvermeidung%5Fvon%5Fmehrkosten%5Fund%5Fsicherheitsrisiken?ref=alsterrunde.com#navpanes=0), and I also found costs for Cisco Webex and Zoom in some documents. Moving more communication into Microsoft Teams means that instead of reducing its dependency on Microsoft, Hamburg may become even more dependent on the company.

This dependency also has a direct cost for taxpayers. [Microsoft is increasing prices](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/2026-m365-packaging-pricing-updates?ref=alsterrunde.com) while investing heavily in AI infrastructure, and public administrations have little room to refuse these increases when their systems already depend on Microsoft products. In the end, taxpayers have to cover the higher costs.

### Other German states are moving in the right direction

One clear example is Schleswig-Holstein. In October 2025, [the state announced that it had migrated around 30.000 employees away from Microsoft products](https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/I/%5Fstartseite/Artikel2025/IV/251204%5Fcds%5Fdigitale%5Fsouveraenitaet?ref=alsterrunde.com) such as Office, Outlook, Exchange, SharePoint and Active Directory. These products are being replaced with open-source alternatives such as LibreOffice and Nextcloud.

The migration is not yet fully complete, but Schleswig-Holstein expects to save more than €16 million in licence costs. It has also allocated €8 million for the migration and the further development of open-source software.

More recently, [Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced that it had migrated 5.000 employees from Microsoft SharePoint to Nextcloud](https://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/fm/Aktuell/?id=221531&ref=alsterrunde.com). The state plans to increase this number to 50.000 and is working together with Schleswig-Holstein during the process.

### Does Hamburg have a plan?

After reading about these two states, I wanted to know whether Hamburg had a similar plan. Unfortunately, I could not find an approved migration plan or a date for moving away from Microsoft.

[The first concrete development came in April 2026](https://www.buergerschaft-hh.de/parldok/dokument/103704/23%5F03892%5Fdigitale%5Fsouveraenitaet%5Fund%5Fresilienz%5Fder%5Fhamburger%5Fverwaltung%5Fstrategische%5Fpruefung%5Fder%5Feinfuehrung%5Fvon%5Fopendesk%5Fin%5Fdie%5Foeffentliche%5Fverwaltung?ref=alsterrunde.com), when Hamburg proposed a structured examination of [openDesk](https://www.opendesk.eu/en?ref=alsterrunde.com), an open-source office and collaboration environment developed under the federal Centre for Digital Sovereignty, ZenDiS. Hamburg will review Schleswig-Holstein’s experience, compare the costs of Microsoft and openDesk over at least five years, identify missing functions and training needs, and run a limited test inside the administration. The Senate is expected to report to the Hamburg Parliament by 1 December 2026.

This is not yet a decision to move away from Microsoft. It is only a test to understand whether openDesk could work in Hamburg, how much a migration would cost and which parts of the administration could use it. By the end of 2026, we should know more about whether Hamburg is seriously preparing a path away from Microsoft or only studying the possibility.

For now, Hamburg has no plan or date to leave Microsoft. The openDesk report expected in December 2026 may show whether that is about to change.

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### A love letter to my favourite Fahrradstraße in Hamburg
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/a-love-letter-to-my-favourite-fahrradstrasse-in-hamburg/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T18:55:53.000Z
I grew up watching cartoons on Fox Kids, like *The Kids from Room 402*, *What’s with Andy?*, and *Life with Louie*. One thing I often saw in these cartoons was children going to school by bike. Sadly, this was not common in Turkey, where I grew up, because the roads were not safe for cycling.

I got my first real bike, a Bianchi, when I was 10\. Most of the time, I cycled with my friends in a big park in our neighbourhood during the summer. Even though my school was close and many people walked there, I do not remember seeing a single child cycling to school. This stayed with me. Maybe I could not cycle to school, but I wanted to cycle to work in the future.

When I first came to Hamburg for a summer internship in 2017, I was amazed by the cycling infrastructure. Hamburg was the first city I visited outside of Turkey. Seeing people cycle to school and work made me fall in love with the city.

That same summer, another intern, who later became my friend, and I wanted to go on a cycling trip. We rented bikes from StadtRAD and cycled towards Moorfleet. Cycling next to a river already felt special to me, but seeing places that were only easy to reach by bike made me think that a bike can give you so much freedom.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1254.webp)

A picture from my trip in that summer

In 2018, I moved to Hamburg for work. Just one week later, I bought a bike. Since then, I have been cycling in Hamburg. I do not have the exact numbers for all those years, but at the end of August 2022, I bought an e-bike. Since then, I can see that I have cycled more than 5.000 km in the city.

I really love cycling. I almost always cycle and often do not even use public transport. I have cycled under the sun, in heavy rain, in strong wind, and even in snow. I would not recommend cycling in snow, though, because steering becomes quite hard and snow gets stuck in your mudguards.

Since I moved here, I can see that the cycling infrastructure has been getting better and better. Of course, Hamburg probably still cannot compete with cities in the Netherlands. But commuting by bike has become more enjoyable.

When I commute, I do not always choose the shortest route. I also try to choose the route I enjoy the most. There is one place I often choose when I go to the city centre, even if it makes my trip a bit longer. I especially choose it when the weather is nice. That place is the Fahrradstraße on Alsterrufer and Harvestehuder Weg, next to the Alster.

In case you do not know what a Fahrradstraße is, I did not use the English translation because I feel like “bike street” does not fully explain it. A Fahrradstraße is a special kind of street. At first, it looks similar to a normal street for cars, but cyclists have priority. This means that if you are cycling and there is a car behind you, the driver cannot honk at you or push you to move faster. They simply have to drive behind you. The speed limit is also 30 km/h. Unlike on many cycle paths, you are also allowed to cycle side by side with another cyclist. 

This makes a Fahrradstraße one of the best types of streets for cycling in the city. What makes the Fahrradstraße on Alsterrufer and Harvestehuder Weg even better is that it is the longest Fahrradstraße in Hamburg, with a distance of 2,3 km. This means you can cycle all the way without stopping, because there are no traffic lights.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/fahrradstra--en.webp)

All the Fahrradstraßen in Hamburg, coming to the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app

And that is not all. While you cycle there, you have the Alster on your right side. On your left side, you have beautiful houses. The street is also covered by trees on both sides, which makes the ride even nicer. On hot summer days, the shade from the trees feels really good.

Until the end of 2025, the experience on this Fahrradstraße was not very smooth because of the US Consulate, also known as the Little White House. It needed a security area around it, and that blocked part of the route. Cyclists had to use a cycle path next to the pedestrian path, and it was often crowded. This sometimes caused problems.

In 2022, the US government decided to move out because the building was too big for them. This allowed the city to remove the security area in 2024\. Later, in 2025, the whole section was renovated. Now the Fahrradstraße is a smooth cycling route from Kennedybrücke to the traffic light at the start of Krugkoppelbrücke.

Krugkoppelbrücke makes this ride even more special. In my opinion, you get the best view in Hamburg from that bridge. So in the end, you have a smooth cycling route that finishes with an amazing view. That is why I almost always take this route when I cycle back to home from the city centre.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/07/IMG_8933-2.webp)

The view from Krugkoppelbrücke

At the end of the bridge, another Fahrradstraße starts on Leinpfad. I do not use this one as often, but it is also very nice. You cycle next to a canal, and this time you have beautiful houses on your right side.

The problem with this Fahrradstraße is St. Benedict-Straße, which cuts through the street after around 500 metres and has traffic lights. From there, you can continue cycling to Hayns Park for 1,1 km. There is another crossing at Goernebrücke, but there is no traffic light and the traffic is quite low. Without the traffic light at St. Benedict-Straße, this would be one of the longest Fahrradstraßen in Hamburg, with a distance of 1,6 km.

I wonder if there are any plans to connect these two long Fahrradstraßen. If you are a cyclist, you know that you often lose a lot of time when you stop at traffic lights. You also lose speed. Because of this, your commute can become around 10 to 20 percent longer.

When I count my commute from home to Jungfernstieg through the Fahrradstraße next to the Alster, I pass around 15 traffic lights. If I choose another route without a Fahrradstraße, this number goes up to 22\. At the same time, I do not know how connecting these streets would be possible without making the experience worse for other people.

When I was a child, cycling to school looked like something that only happened in cartoons. It felt simple, normal, and free, but also very far away from my own life. Today, when I cycle on a Fahrradstraße in Hamburg, especially next to the Alster, I sometimes think about that feeling.

Maybe I could not cycle to school when I was a child. But I hope more children in Hamburg can grow up in a city where cycling somewhere is not something special. It is just part of everyday life.

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### The Coffee Belt Runs Through Hamburg’s Roasters
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/the-coffee-belt-runs-through-hamburgs-roasters/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:01:00.000Z
I wasn't really into speciality coffee for a long time. I liked coffee, but I did not think about it that much. Then a friend told me about a coffee roastery in Hammerbrook. He said his colleagues could not stop talking about their beans. That place was [Maya Kaffeerösterei](https://www.mayakaffeeroesterei.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com).

I went there with the same friend and tried their coffee. That was the first time in my life I tasted hazelnut while drinking coffee. Until that moment, I realised that I had not really been drinking good coffee. And that's how my speciality coffee journey began.

After discovering good coffee, I started to try different cafes in Hamburg that offer speciality coffee. The more I tried, the more I wanted to have my own setup at home. I wanted to be able to drink the same kind of coffee without going to a cafe every time.

So I started to ask my friends who had been in the speciality coffee scene for years. After some research and a couple of videos from [James Hoffmann](https://www.youtube.com/@jameshoffmann?ref=alsterrunde.com), who is THE coffee guy on the internet, I finally decided on my espresso setup:

- SAGE Bambino Plus
- Baratza Encore ESP
- Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2

Since I enjoy drinking coffee with oat milk, I thought this setup would be perfect for me. I also liked that the machine could be ready in a few seconds. Some of my friends have machines where you need to wait like half an hour for the water to heat up. I don't have any patience for that kind of thing.

## Learning What Coffee Really Means

After I had my espresso setup, it was time to buy beans. But before buying anything, I wanted to learn a bit more. Because once you get into the speciality coffee world, you realise that there are so many new things and words you need to know.

The origin of the beans, the type, how they were washed, how they were roasted, and so on. It is a real journey that never really ends, because the coffee world is always changing.

So I did what I normally do when I want to go deeper into a topic. I bought a book: [The World Atlas of Coffee](https://www.heymann-buecher.de/shop/article/54476806/ruth%5Fainsworth%5Fjames%5Fhoffmann%5Fthe%5Fworld%5Fatlas%5Fof%5Fcoffee%5F3rd%5Fedition.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) by James Hoffmann.

After reading the book, I started to understand why there are so many discussions on the internet about speciality coffee. You can really talk about it for hours. The brewing process, the origin of the beans, why coffee from some places is very expensive, and the fair trade side of it.

Especially that last part is one of the most important topics, because many people do not know where the coffee they drink comes from. When it is not clear where the coffee comes from, it is easier for bad things to happen in the industry.

The more you know about the origin of the coffee you drink, the easier it is to support farmers being paid fairly and the environment being protected. This is also one of the things that affects the final price. When beans are very cheap, there is a higher chance that workers were not treated well.

If you look at the world map, you can see that coffee grows in certain regions, known as the Coffee Belt. Many of those countries are not rich, and many of them do not have strong worker rights. So if you don't want to be part of this bad system, it is important to know where your coffee comes from.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/coffee-belt.webp)

After learning enough about the coffee world, it was time to buy beans. Until that point, my only reference was the coffee I had at MAYA, also known as Coffee Unlimited. So I bought my first beans from there, their famous [No.3 Blend](https://www.coffee-unlimited.de/produkt/cultd-kraeftig-aromatischer-espresso-aus-mexico/?ref=alsterrunde.com).

When I prepared the coffee at home for the first time, I was really surprised. I got almost the same taste I had when I tried it at their cafe. But this time, the cost of a single cup was way lower than what I paid there.

Of course, once you find beans you like, you don't just stop and buy the same thing forever. Since the options are endless, there is always a chance to find something new that you might like even more.

It is also important to know that one person's taste can be completely different from someone else's. So it is hard to say that beans from one roastery are the best, because another person might not like them at all. Or depending on how you drink your coffee, the same beans might taste a bit different.

That's why it is important to keep trying different beans. The more you try, the more you understand your own taste. That's what I started to do, and it quickly became one of my simple pleasures.

## Hamburg’s Coffee World

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/speicherstadt.jpeg)

Speicherstadt

I know a bit about the history of Speicherstadt. I visited Speicherstadtmuseum once. There, I learnt that coffee trade was very important for Hamburg. It was big enough that in 1887, coffee was the main stored item in Speicherstadt, and Hamburg was handling 14% of the global coffee trade.

Nowadays, this number is around 8%, but Hamburg is still the world's largest coffee trading center, with [roughly 700.000 tonnes of green coffee handled every year.](https://www.hamburg-travel.com/blog/hamburgs-coffee-history/?ref=alsterrunde.com)

There is also a coffee museum in Hamburg, [Kaffeemuseum Burg](https://kaffeemuseum-burg.de/museum/?ref=alsterrunde.com), which I still need to visit properly. The last time I was there, there was a huge line outside, so I had to skip it. I guess that is another sign that coffee is still a big thing in Hamburg.

Maybe because of this history, I realised that there are many coffee roasters in Hamburg. So I decided that instead of simply buying beans online like many people do, I wanted to try every single roaster in Hamburg.

So far, I bought beans from six of them:

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/beans-i-tried.webp)

When I was building my Hamburg city super app [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com), I also thought it would be nice to have a section for the coffee roasters in Hamburg, so more people could discover them. And I'm glad that I did that, because many people started to write to me about other local roasters that I had never heard about. Later, I also added them to the app.

Right now, in the coffee roasters section of the app, there are 19 roasters from Hamburg. For now, I simply list their names, a short description, and a link to their homepage. But recently I thought, why not also list the beans they sell?

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/coffee-roasters-update.webp)

Upcoming update to the Kaffeerösterei section of Franzbrötchen

With that, people can filter based on country, region, price, and taste profile. They can discover new coffee and support local businesses at the same time. So I started to dig into the world of beans roasted in Hamburg.

Once I started to collect data from the websites of the roasters, I was surprised by the variety. Just to give you an example, in the book from James Hoffmann, there were 29 countries that grow coffee beans. In the second version of the book, this number increased to 35.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/james-hoffman-book.webp)

Contents of The World Atlas of Coffee book (1st Edition)

When I checked the number of countries of beans being roasted and sold in Hamburg, that number was 31\. And the number of regions was around 200.

Just think about this. There are roasters in Hamburg where you can get freshly roasted coffee from almost every single country that grows coffee. Isn't this amazing?

If you're wondering about the missing countries, they are:

- China
- Haiti
- Philippines
- Zambia
- Dominican Republic
- United States, Hawaii
- Venezuela

There were also countries and territories that grow beans, and you can buy beans from them in Hamburg, but they were not mentioned in the book:

- Zimbabwe
- Saint Helena
- Timor-Leste

Honestly, I didn't even know the last two places existed. But somehow, someone in Hamburg knows them, imports beans from there, roasts them, and sells them to us.

This is one of the reasons why I love Hamburg so much. It is not a very big city like Paris or London, even though it is the second biggest city in Germany. But you can still find almost anything you want here.

This is also why I really believe in supporting local businesses. If we support them, they can survive. And because they survive, we can keep finding these special things in our city.

Maybe one of the roasters in Hamburg will read this and decide to import beans from the missing countries, so we can complete the list one day.

Or maybe you already know a roaster in Hamburg that I don't know yet. Maybe they are already importing beans from one of the countries on the list. If that's the case, please send it to me. I would really love to know.

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### Why is direct democracy still signed on paper?
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/why-is-direct-democracy-still-signed-on-paper/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:01:09.000Z
A couple of years ago, I was taking a walk in Stadtpark when I saw a group of people holding clipboards and pens. They were talking to people who were sitting or walking around the park. Later, I learned that they were collecting signatures for a popular initiative (Volksinitiative).

At that time, I did not know much about what a popular initiative was. At first, it sounded to me like a campaign on Change.org. But when I looked into it more, I realized that it is probably one of the most powerful parts of democracy. It allows people to take part in direct democracy, but the process is more complex than it first seems.

In Hamburg, popular legislation ([Volksgesetzgebung](https://www.hamburgische-buergerschaft.de/beteiligung/volksgesetzgebung?ref=alsterrunde.com)) was introduced in 1996\. It allows eligible citizens to change laws, repeal existing laws, or propose new draft laws. The process has three steps: the popular initiative, the popular petition, and the referendum.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/Volksgesetzgebung.webp)

The first step is the popular initiative. This is where people collect signatures for a proposal on a certain topic. They need to collect 10.000 signatures. If they manage to do that, they submit the signatures to the Hamburg Senate. The Senate checks whether the requirements have been met and informs the Hamburg Parliament. The Parliament then has four months to decide whether it wants to act on the proposal.

If the Parliament decides not to act, meaning it does not adopt the proposed change, the second step begins. This is the popular petition. At this stage, the number of signatures depends on the number of eligible voters. If 1 out of 20 eligible voters sign the petition, which is around 65.000 people in Hamburg, then the signatures are submitted to the Senate again.

If the Parliament still does not adopt the proposed change within four months, the third and final step starts: the referendum. If the referendum passes, the result is legally binding on both the Hamburg Parliament and the Senate, and the responsible institutions must put it into effect.

Since 1996, there have been [68 proposals.](https://www.hamburg.de/resource/blob/890736/1532bedd9b6b5874e5b78682dcc155cf/uebersicht-ueber-volksabstimmungen-in-hamburg-data.pdf?ref=alsterrunde.com) Nine of them reached the referendum stage, and six of those were successful. Another 17 proposals were successful because an agreement was made with the state before reaching the referendum. Eight proposals were ruled inadmissible by the Hamburg Constitutional Court.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/hamburg_volksgesetzgebung-2.webp)

This is what I find interesting about popular legislation: it shows that there is real interest from citizens. Since the law was introduced, there have been almost two proposals per year. If we exclude the proposals that were ruled unconstitutional or inadmissible, the success rate is around 40%.

I also think popular legislation is becoming more important today, because the opinions of elected officials can be quite different from the opinions of citizens. The last two referendums in Hamburg are good examples of this.

[The referendum about the Olympics](https://alsterrunde.com/hamburg-said-no-to-the-olympics-and-the-map-tells-a-story/) was supported by the SPD, the Greens, and the CDU. Together, these parties received 71.8% of the votes in the 2025 election. But the referendum result was very different: 54.9% of voters voted against the Olympics. This shows that people do not blindly follow the positions of the parties they voted for. Of course, we should also remember that turnout in an election and turnout in a referendum are not the same.

A similar thing happened with [the Hamburger Zukunftsentscheid](https://zukunftsentscheid-hamburg.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com) referendum last year. The proposal did not get support from the parties forming Hamburg’s government, but in the referendum, people voted for the proposal to be implemented. This result also started a discussion about the transparency of campaign funding for these proposals. The current government is now [planning changes](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/hamburg-spd-gruene-und-cdu-wollen-volksgesetzgebung-reformieren,volksgesetzgebung-100.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) around this topic.

These examples show that the opinions of citizens can be very different from the opinions of the parliamentary majority and the parties forming the government. That is why I believe popular legislation is becoming more and more important.

But there is one big problem with the system: logistics.

Apart from the paperwork needed to register a proposal, people still need to collect 10.000 signatures for a popular initiative. If the proposal moves to the second stage, they need to collect around 65.000 signatures for the popular petition, and they have only 21 days to do it. That means around 3.000 signatures per day.

This made me wonder: why don’t we allow people to sign popular initiatives and popular petitions digitally?

Digital signing would make it easier to propose laws. It would also make it easier for people to take part in lawmaking and democracy.

So I started by checking whether any German state already allows digital signing. I found out that our neighbour, Schleswig-Holstein, [does](https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/fachinhalte/V/volksinitiativen/verfahren%5Fkurzdarstellung?ref=alsterrunde.com).

> It is possible to enable electronic signing of the popular initiative, either exclusively or in addition to collecting personal handwritten signatures on signature sheets (§ 6a VAbstG and § 2a VAbstGDVO — State Ordinance on the Implementation of the Referendum Act).

If I understand it correctly, this only applies to the first step, the popular initiative. For the second step, the popular petition, people still need to sign in person instead of digitally.

After seeing this, I wanted to know whether there is anything that would prevent Hamburg from allowing digital signatures for popular initiatives or popular petitions. So I started looking into the law and [found this](https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-VoBegGHAV6P9?ref=alsterrunde.com):

> The popular petition is supported by personal handwritten signature in registration lists at the registration offices or through free collection by the initiators. Entries may also be made by other procedures that comply with the requirements of legally binding authentication and written form on the basis of existing federal and state law provisions.  
>  
> Hamburg Act on Popular Initiatives, Popular Petitions and Referendums  
> (Referendum Act — § 9 VAbstG)

To me, this means that if a procedure complies with the rules for legally binding authentication and written form, then there seems to be a path to support popular petitions digitally.

That led me to look at the laws around electronic ID and the [AusweisApp](https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/home?ref=alsterrunde.com). I found this in [the Federal Administrative Procedure Act](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vwvfg/%5F%5F3a.html?ref=alsterrunde.com):

> The written form may also be replaced by directly submitting the declaration in an electronic form provided by the authority on an input device or via publicly accessible networks. In the case of submission via publicly accessible networks, electronic proof of identity under § 18 of the Personalausweisgesetz must be used.  
>  
> Federal Administrative Procedure Act  
> (Administrative Procedure Act — § 3a(3) No. 1 VwVfG)

The mentioned [Personalausweisgesetz](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pauswg/%5F%5F18.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) also says:

> The holder of an identity card who is at least 16 years old may use electronic proof of identity to prove their identity electronically to public and non-public bodies.  
>  
> Act on Identity Cards and Electronic Identification  
> (Personalausweisgesetz — § 18(1) PAuswG)

I did not study law, so I might be missing something. But from what I understand, there seems to be a path for signing popular petitions digitally through the AusweisApp. Since Schleswig-Holstein is already using digital signing for popular initiatives, the method also seems valid in practice, even though each state has its own rules for popular legislation.

In the end, it looks to me like this is mostly a political decision. Hamburg already has a system for popular legislation, and electronic identification already exists. What is missing is the political will to connect the two.

Since Hamburg is already discussing changes to the rules around popular legislation, this would be the right time to include digital signing. Paper signatures should still remain possible, but citizens should also be able to support popular initiatives and popular petitions digitally.

Direct democracy should not depend on how many clipboards a campaign can carry through the city in 21 days. If the Hamburg’s political institutions truly wants to strengthen democracy, it should make participation easier without lowering the legal standards.

And if the Hamburg’s political institutions don't do it, maybe the next popular initiative should be about exactly that.

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### The New Bus Departure Displays Nobody Asked For
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/the-new-bus-departure-displays-nobody-asked-for/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:01:15.000Z
Some things become the symbol of a city. Think of London, and the red bus, the black cab, or the red telephone box comes to mind. When I think of Hamburg, the first things I picture are the red bins with their cheeky slogans, the red StadtRAD bikes, the white-on-blue street signs, and the LED bus stop displays. They aren't world-famous the way London's icons are, but when I walk through the city and see them, I know I'm in Hamburg. Unfortunately, we're about to lose one of them.

There's something I've always loved about those dot-matrix displays. The way each letter is built from a grid of glowing dots, the warm amber glow against the dark panel, the way they stay crisp and legible whether it's pouring rain or bright sunshine. They feel honest and purposeful, designed to do one job and do it well. Standing at a stop and watching the next departure tick closer is one of those small, ordinary pleasures of city life that you only notice once it's gone. And it's about to go.

A few months ago I heard that the city was struggling to install its LED-matrix displays because they are no longer in production. The existing ones were originally designed by Trapeze and Siemens. Starting this year, they're being replaced with a new display from Funkwerk.

The first time I saw the new display, I was taken aback. There were so many things that made me wonder how it had been signed off. The most important quality of a departure board, for me, is readability, and this is where it falls down. As you can see in the photo above, glare from the sun makes it hard to read. And unlike the dot-matrix version, you can't read it from a distance; you really have to walk right up to it. If you get too close, you can't read it as well.

The second issue is energy consumption. The old dot-matrix LED displays used very little power, but the new one looks like an ordinary screen, so I'd assume its energy use is far higher. Given that these displays run constantly, I can't help wondering how much they'll add to the electricity bill, a bill the taxpayer ultimately covers.

Then there's the design. The old displays blended seamlessly into their surroundings. The new one doesn't, with its chunky grey frame and the blue background on the screen (presumably one of Hamburg's brand colours, since it shows up across the city's digital world, like the hamburg.de website).

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/departures_widget.png)

I loved the dot-matrix display so much that I spent hours recreating it in digital form and then added it to the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app as a widget, so you can see the same look right on your iPhone's Home Screen. For this alone, I cycled around the city hunting for displays that showed different letters, so I could recreate every single character exactly as it appears on the real thing.

I've also [read](https://dt5online.de/2025/12/27/erste-neue-bus-abfahrtsanzeiger-in-betrieb/?ref=alsterrunde.com) that the new display doesn't show scrolling text, which sometimes carried extra information for passengers. On the other hand, it does show the current time and uses colour to indicate the mode of transport: red for buses, yellow for the U3.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/broken-display-1.webp)

One of the newly installed displays already malfunctions

I'm not convinced HOCHBAHN needed to replace the old displays at all; they worked perfectly well. But what frustrates me is that the three things that matter most, accessibility, energy consumption, and design, seem to have been overlooked in the decision. Like so much else these days, it's getting worse, and it's sad to watch one of Hamburg's small symbols join the uglification we're seeing everywhere.

I still spot the old displays at a few stations, but I suspect that over time we'll lose them all. At least they'll live on forever in the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app.
### Vierländer Platte: The Unexpected Hamburg Tomato
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/vierlander-platte-the-unexpected-hamburg-tomato/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:01:21.000Z
There are some vegetables or fruits that certain countries seem to become obsessed with during their season. In Hamburg, strawberries and apples are a good example. When the harvest season arrives, you suddenly see them everywhere. People talk about them, bakeries fill up with seasonal pastries, and supermarkets dedicate entire sections to them. The same thing happens with Spargel in spring and Grünkohl in winter.

I really like these seasonal promotions because they make it impossible to miss what is currently in season. You know that if you buy those fruits or vegetables at that moment, they will probably taste great, and they are usually cheaper too. It feels like a small celebration of the harvest.

I don't remember seeing this level of promotion when I was living in Turkey. Of course, when watermelon, cherries, or green plums are in season, everybody knows it, although these days people mostly talk about how expensive they have become. In my hometown, aubergines are also a big deal because they are used in so many dishes, whether [grilled](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant%5Fkebab?ref=alsterrunde.com) or [stuffed with spiced rice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuffed%5Feggplant?ref=alsterrunde.com). But there is one vegetable that is mentioned almost constantly: tomatoes.

Tomatoes are everywhere in Turkish cuisine. You can find them in countless dishes, either fresh or in the form of tomato paste, which is much more concentrated than the tomato paste you can find in German supermarkets. Tomatoes are also present at almost every breakfast table, and even if they are not part of the main dish, there is usually a salad on the side that contains them. Because they play such a central role in the cuisine, people are quite picky when it comes to tomatoes.

When I moved to Germany, finding good tomatoes turned out to be surprisingly difficult. For a while I tried almost every tomato I could find at REWE, but eventually I gave up and settled on cherry tomatoes because they were the only ones that consistently tasted good. What surprised me the most were some of the larger varieties. They looked beautiful but often tasted watery and bland. I still remember trying some tomatoes from REWE Bio and being shocked by how little flavour they had. If I remember correctly, they came from the Netherlands. The cherry tomatoes I regularly buy from Spain under REWE Beste Wahl were usually much better.

Anyway, at the beginning of this year, while I was adding a new section to the [Franzbrötchen](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com) app that shows farms around Hamburg, I stumbled upon a farm growing tomatoes. Not just any tomatoes, but a very special variety called Vierländer Platte.

Curious, I started reading more about it and came across the following description:

> The Vierländer Platte is a historic heirloom beefsteak tomato variety originating from the Vierlande region southeast of Hamburg — a fertile agricultural area comprising the four quarters of Curslack, Kirchwerder, Neuengamme, and Altengamme. Likely descended from an Italian beefsteak variety, it gradually adapted to the Hamburg region through decades of local cultivation and seed-saving, with records of it being grown in Hamburg-Vierlande as far back as the early 19th century. Its survival is owed to dedicated local growers who refused to let it disappear: seeds were passed down from elderly Vierlande gardeners, with the best fruits selected each year and seeds extracted by hand, until the broader heirloom revival brought it back into wider appreciation.  
>  
> A relatively late-ripening variety, it produces flat, slightly ribbed fruits that typically grow 8 to 14 cm across and can weigh up to 600 grams, with tender, melting flesh and multiple seed chambers. The skin is soft, and the flavor is distinctly and authentically tomatoey — gently tart with an old-fashioned depth that modern commercial varieties rarely match, making it a favorite among those who seek out traditional regional produce.

After reading that, I was convinced that this was the tomato I had been looking for. Then I just had to wait for the season.

When I finally saw them at the supermarket, I bought a kilogram without thinking twice.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/tomato-2.png)

Back home, I cut one open and immediately noticed the smell. It reminded me of the tomatoes I grew up eating. The flesh was soft and juicy, and unlike most supermarket tomatoes, it actually tasted intensely of tomato. Sweet, slightly acidic, and full of flavour.

What struck me most was that I stopped comparing it to the tomatoes from Turkey. Usually, every tomato I bought in Germany was judged against a memory. This time I simply enjoyed what was on my plate. It was the first tomato I had eaten in Hamburg that made me think: yes, this is a really good tomato.

This kind of beefsteak tomato is perfect for sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Before I even bought it, I already knew what I wanted to make with it.

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In the region where I grew up, in southeastern Turkey, there is a salad called **Bostona Salatası**. We usually eat it with kebabs, but it is also great when you just want something refreshing on a hot day.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/bostana-salatasi-ingredients-1.webp)

It consists of:

- tomato
- pointed pepper (sivri biber)
- cucumber
- onion
- parsley
- fresh mint
- pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)
- fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper

Before going into the details, I should mention that I have never seen the right kind of pointed peppers in German supermarkets, so you will probably need to visit a Turkish supermarket. That's why I am mentioning the Turkish name.

The same is true for pomegranate molasses. This is one of the key ingredients of the salad and I was always surprised that it never became more popular outside Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisines. It adds sweetness, acidity, and a depth of flavour that is difficult to replace.

If you visit a Turkish supermarket, you will probably find several brands at very different price points. Because producing real pomegranate molasses is expensive, some cheaper brands dilute it with glucose syrup and other ingredients. Personally, I always try to buy the pure versions made entirely from pomegranate concentrate. They cost more, but the difference is worth it. The only brand I have found so far that sells a 100% pure version is YAYLA. It costs around 7€ for 250 ml, which is definitely not cheap, but I would still recommend it over the cheaper alternatives.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/pomegranate-molasses-1-.webp)

Preparing the salad is simple. Everything is chopped very finely and mixed together. This is not the kind of salad that you eat with a fork. Once the salt is added, all the vegetables start releasing their juices, especially the tomatoes. By the time everything is mixed together, it almost looks like a cold soup.

That is exactly how it should look.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/06/bostana-salatasi.png)

Every spoonful contains tomato juice, lemon juice, herbs, onion, pepper, cucumber and pomegranate molasses. The flavours blend together into something incredibly refreshing. During the hottest summer days, people even add a few ice cubes to it. It sounds unusual, but it works remarkably well and makes the salad even more refreshing.

And this is where the Vierländer Platte really shines. Because the tomatoes are so flavourful, the juice they release becomes part of the dressing itself. With ordinary supermarket tomatoes, the salad can end up tasting watery. With these tomatoes, every spoonful tastes intensely of tomato.

Of course, there is a catch. The Vierländer Platte is the best tomato I have eaten in Hamburg, but it is also the most expensive one.

The tomatoes I buy come from [Eggers Gemüsehof](https://www.gaertnerei-eggers.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com), a sixth-generation family farm in Hamburg's Vier- und Marschlanden that has been operating since 1886\. You can find their tomatoes at REWE, EDEKA, and weekly markets. They currently cost around 10€ per kilogram.

I have to admit that for a long time I probably ignored them because of the price. Now, whenever I see them, I still hesitate for a moment before putting them into my basket.

What fascinates me most is that, as Hamburgers, we have access to this very special tomato that is grown right here in our city. I spent years looking for a tomato that matched my expectations and somehow completely overlooked one of Hamburg's own traditional varieties.

Finding the Vierländer Platte also made me wonder what other local fruits and vegetables I have been ignoring all this time. If a tomato this good has been growing here for generations, there are probably other regional specialties hiding in plain sight, waiting to be discovered.  

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### Hamburg said NO to the Olympics, and the map tells a story
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/hamburg-said-no-to-the-olympics-and-the-map-tells-a-story/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T07:23:18.000Z
On Sunday, Hamburg made its choice and said **NO** to bidding for the Olympic Games. According to Statistik Nord, turnout was 49.6%, and of those who voted, 54.9% said NO while 45.1% said YES.

What caught my attention wasn't the headline result. It was the handful of districts that voted YES.

Looking at [the map](https://www.wahlen-hamburg.de/Olympia-Referendum%5F2026/ergebnisse%5Fland%5F2000000.html?ref=alsterrunde.com), I had a hunch before I'd read a single number: the districts shaded for "YES" seemed to line up with the parts of town known for being wealthy. Rather than jump to conclusions, I wanted to actually check whether there was a relationship between voting YES and a district's median income.

The result didn't surprise me.

Wealthier districts voted YES

Each dot is one Hamburg district. Median income vs. YES share in the 2026 Olympics referendum. Hover for details.

Across Hamburg's roughly 90 districts, there's a strong link between how wealthy an area is and how strongly it voted YES: the richer the district, the higher the YES share, and the pattern is remarkably consistent. The wealthiest districts (Blankenese, Nienstedten, HafenCity) backed the bid, while the poorest (Veddel, Wilhelmsburg, St. Pauli) rejected it heavily. Statistically, the link is strong: the correlation between a district's median income and its YES share is r = 0.81 (Spearman rank correlation 0.80), which means income alone explains roughly two-thirds of the variation in how districts voted. That is a very tight relationship for this kind of data. (The income figures are the 2021 median income per district from [Statistik Nord](https://www.statistik-nord.de/presse-veroeffentlichungen/presseinformationen/dokumentenansicht/lohn-und-einkommensteuerstatistik-in-hamburg-2021-67233?ref=alsterrunde.com)'s income tax statistics.)

A caveat worth stating plainly: this shows that richer *districts* voted YES, not necessarily that richer *individuals* did. Wealth also travels with other things like age, education, and home ownership, any of which could be part of the story. But the signal is hard to ignore.

Now, the numbers can't tell us why people voted the way they did. A YES voter in Blankenese and a NO voter on the Veddel might both have had the city's best interests at heart, just with very different ideas of what that looks like. So everything from here is interpretation, not data. But the pattern is striking enough that it's worth sitting with.

It reminded me of a book I read recently, [*The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?*](https://www.heymann-buecher.de/shop/article/44180215/michael%5Fj%5Fsandel%5Fthe%5Ftyranny%5Fof%5Fmerit.html?ref=alsterrunde.com) by Michael Sandel. In it, Sandel argues that the populist revolt, meaning Trump, Brexit, and movements like them, was driven in large part by the resentment of working people who felt looked down upon by credentialed elites.

I think a version of that logic is worth watching in Germany, where the vote of the AfD's vote share is climbing. It's easy for mainstream parties, here the SPD and the Greens, to rally behind a big, prestigious project and assume the whole city shares the enthusiasm. A referendum is a blunt way of finding out who actually does. And on this one, the parts of town with the least money were the parts that most clearly said NO.

I don't think that's a coincidence, and I don't think it's only about the Olympics. The last Hamburg state election, in March 2025, saw both the SPD and the Greens lose roughly 5,7 points each compared to the previous vote. That wasn't long ago. A result like Sunday's reads, to me, like the same signal arriving again: a gap between what the governing parties want to champion and what a large share of the city is asking for.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/2025-hamburg-election.webp)

I'd love to see that gap taken seriously. Not because the Olympics were uniquely bad, but because the map is a reminder of who tends to get left out when a city chases its grand projects. The more Hamburg closes that distance, in income and in attention, the better a place it becomes to live for all of us, not just some of us.

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### Hamburg Spent 2.5 Million Euros to Convince You. Did It Work?
URL: https://alsterrunde.com/hamburg-spent-2-5-million-euros-to-convince-you-did-it-work/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T19:01:43.000Z
Nowadays, one of the hottest topics in Hamburg is the upcoming referendum for the Olympics. The current coalition government, which consists of Social Democrats and Greens, wants to apply for one of the upcoming Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044\. Before doing that they need to get the approval of the citizens in Hamburg and that's why you're seeing a bunch of posters around the city.

"Just one sentence: the Olympics in Hamburg would be world-class." says professional tennis player Alexander Zverev.

"Olympics? Cool thing." says Udo Lindenberg, singer, composer and painter.

"With Olympia, the whole of Hamburg can bake bigger bread rolls." says a baker in Eppendorf.

You also see sentences like "YOUR YES makes dreams come true!" and "YES, I WANT to experience golden moments!" on other posters.

I'm not a marketing expert, but I watched the whole [Mad Men](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804503/?ref=alsterrunde.com) series and read a couple of books. I can say that this is not the most convincing public marketing campaign I've ever seen, and it is funded by taxpayer money. Thanks to parliament member Antje Müller-Möller (CDU), we know that [the state allocated 2.5 million euros in total for this campaign](https://www.buergerschaft-hh.de/parldok/dokument/102658/23%5F02925%5Fvier%5Fmonate%5Fbis%5Fzum%5Freferendum%5Fkampagnenplanung%5Fdes%5Fsenats%5Fzur%5Folympia%5Fbewerbung?ref=alsterrunde.com) (1 million in 2025, 1.5 million in 2026). When I look at these posters, I don't really see why I should vote YES.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/parliament-db.webp)

The Parliament Database, which provides access to a variety of documents like this one, is also available in [the Franzbrötchen app](https://franzbroetchen.app/?ref=alsterrunde.com)

On the other hand, when I look at the NO side of the referendum, which is mostly funded by The Left party and donations to the [NOLYMPIA](https://www.nolympia-hamburg.de/?ref=alsterrunde.com) campaign, I see a different picture.

"The Olympics will cost us at least 6.000 million euros. Hamburg could use the money better: for mobility for all, for permanent sports promotion, for affordable rents and much more." says the poster from The Left party.

"Billions of euros for 30 days of spectacle. Money which is missing for education, social welfare, culture and sport." says the NOLYMPIA campaign.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/nein.webp)

These two posters get straight to the point. The cost of the Paris Olympics was around 6 billion euros, so the number on the poster is right and easy to verify. When you look at the Hamburg State budget for 2026, you see numbers like:

- Agency for School and Vocational Training: 3.98 billion euros
- Agency for the Interior and Sports > Sports: 224 million euros
- Agency for Culture and Media: 496 million euros

That adds up to less than 6 billion euros. So Hamburg would spend more on a 30-day event than it spends on education, sports and culture combined in a full year. That's a convincing reason to vote NO.

On one side, you see people campaigning for the Olympics because it is cool, it will make the city world-class and let you experience golden moments. On the other side, you see numbers you can actually fact-check, and a clear picture of what that money could buy instead. That contrast is the most important part of this debate.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/haushalt-1.webp)

The Hamburg State Budget for 2026 soon will be available in the Franzbrötchen app

So why does the NO side put specific numbers on their posters while the YES side sticks to golden moments and world-class dreams? When I dig deeper into the YES campaign's own figures, I think I start to understand why.

The state predicts spending 4.8 billion euros and earning 4.9 billion euros back. Their argument is that the city will make a 100 million euro profit. The problem is that the margin is so thin that any cost increase turns the Olympics into a burden for taxpayers. I also think that's why [the state doesn't include security costs in the budget.](https://www.zeit.de/hamburg/2026-04/olympische-spiele-kosten-region-bewerbung/komplettansicht?ref=alsterrunde.com) Security alone cost 1.4 billion euros for the Paris Olympics. Add that in and the project already looks like a loss.

On top of that, I don't know of any major project in Germany that didn't go over budget. And here the state is trying to estimate costs for an event happening in 2036, 2040 or 2044\. Nobody knows what the economic situation in Hamburg or Germany will look like by then.

![](https://cdn.synaps.media/alsterrunde/content/images/2026/05/referendum-2015.webp)

In 2015, [Hamburg held a similar referendum for the 2024 Olympics.](https://www.statistik-nord.de/fileadmin/maps/election%5F2015%5Fhh%5Fref2/?ref=alsterrunde.com) Only 48.4% voted YES, while 51.6% voted NO. The world was in a completely different place in 2015 compared to today, and that's why I'm really looking forward to seeing the results this time.

The referendum takes place on May 31st. Some people have already voted by mail. Unfortunately, I can't vote because my citizenship application has been sitting with the state for more than a year. The same state that found 2.5 million euros for this marketing campaign apparently doesn't have the budget to hire more staff at the Immigration Office.

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