HAMBURG NIKOLAI ZOOM NIKOLAI – 12K

There are over 300 churches in Hamburg and of those, the five Central Churches are among the tallest buildings in the city. In fact, the St. Nikolai Memorial Tower has stood since its completion in 1874, when it was the tallest [church] building in the world. The tower survived the blanket bombing of World War II relatively unscathed and has been protected ever since. You will see all of those most important spires on this route and have a great opportunity to learn a little more about them.

You will see a little of the old town which remains, and we’ll run across a few of Hamburg’s many, many bridges. First, one of the most beautiful, the Trostbrücke. It was built to connect the then secular centre of Hamburg and holds sculptures of two pioneers of the city; Count Adolf III, the founder of a major trading centre; and St. Ansgar, first archbishop of Hamburg.

On the journey to what we call the Sixth Central Church; the New St. Nikolai, you will be able to enjoy the views across the Inner & Outer Alster, the largest parts of the river which was dammed in the 12th Century to serve the first watermill. We will stop here for photos and a history of the five Central Churches, all of which are in view from the Kennedy Bridge. A favorite of local runners and visitors, for such obvious reasons, the Alster trail will wind us along the water through the Rotherbaum and Harvestehude districts. Then, returning to civilisation, we come through to our most Northern stop in Bolivar Park.

Take a moment here at the corner of the New St. Nikolai church & the “Monastery Star” where a large congregation of Cistercian nuns once resided. After the Lutheran Reformation in Hamburg, the area went through some changes, but the wealth always remained. It was later chosen by the parish of St. Nikolai as their new home and the modern church was built. The district is far more sparsely populated; the villas and mansions are in stark contrast to the old town where we began and laid out more like a chessboard.

On our way back into town, enjoy the steady incline and decline running along the main Rothenbaumchaussee, between the Grindel Quarter which nestles neatly in both districts, and the “middle way”. Both neighbourhoods are great spots to explore when you have more time, but our route boasts a better variety of things to see; sports grounds; cafes & restaurants; and the MARKK, a museum housing cultural artifacts from across the globe.

Our last couple of corners will bring us back to the water, this time to the Western side of the Inner Alster and in view of our start point at the Town Hall. We will pass the “Arguing Monuments”, an escaped London telephone box, and if we are lucky, some of the resident Alster Swans.

Join us for this tour and experience the joyous union of discovery, togetherness, and movement!

PICK-UP SERVICE

Pick-up service from your hotel/apartment or another meeting point is possible and will be checked by the tour provider individually. If your hotel/apartment should be too far away from the city centre or not close to the tour route, then we will meet you at our standard meeting point.

MEETING DETAILS

The tour provider will get in contact with you to provide you with more detailed information after the tour was booked. Please, bring along your mobile phone in case we need to contact each other.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

– Private guide/tour
– Individual pace
– Digital photos
– Tour route
– Pick-up service
– Water