H A M B U R G
“Moin Moin” and greetings from Hamburg – the second biggest German city located in the north of the country. I’ve been to this charming place for three times now but this was the first time I brought my full-frame camera with me. I also packed my good friend Jan who helped me with taking the shots. Did we take any pictures of the iconic harbor? Of course not but read along if you are up for 7 Best Instagram Spots in Hamburg.
#MartExploresHamburg
| Impressions |
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| Shooting in Hamburg|
Imagine you just have one full day to cover as many locations as possible. Just look at all the green icons on my map. Each of them represents a good photo location.
Where would you even start your route? What would you skip if you have to? So many choices! Sadly, not all of the buildings were open because of the weekend which reduced our number of route stops significantly. We still walked 22 kilometers (13.5 miles) on a single day to cover as much as we could.
| Hamburg Photography Spots |
This list includes my 7 Hamburg best Instagram Spots. They are conveniently located around the city center and make for a nice stroll. Want to get more locations? Make sure to read my suggestions at the end of the article.
1. HafenCity University Subway Station
I love this subway station. It offers symmetry, dark tones as well as color-changing lights for variety. The fact that this subway station is not super busy is a big plus.
There are two main photography spots here. At first, check out the glass panels on the higher level. From there you get an observing view with a focus on the colorful lights. I am quite sure that many people come here for some neon-like portrait picture. Then, go to the subway tracks to play with symmetry or even take a long exposure shot of an incoming train.
2. Kontorhaus
In contrast to the very modern subway design of our first spot on the list, this building complex is rather old. However, don’t let that fool you in thinking it’s boring. For my first photograph I focused on symmetry while adding a playful element to the architectural background.
If you have got any sort of wide lens this lookup photograph just might be your thing.
Pro tip: Don’t just photograph the outside. Instead, make sure to enter the building for a sick spiral staircase. Ask the security person nicely when entering and you’ll be good to go. No trouble at all.
3. Car Park Große Reichenstraße
The third location I want to share with you is a hidden gem if you are into white minimal spirals. Nowadays, not a lot of car parks have got this spiral design anymore. One of my favorite spiral car parks is found in Amsterdam (check out my Amsterdam short travel post for the location). For the image below I didn’t even use a wide lens and was still able to capture the whole spiral by laying down flat on the ground.
Another great angle is the frontal view while standing in the spiral. Please make sure to be aware of moving cars all the time. The railings are quite dirty so consider bringing some tissues or wet paper.
4. Hamburg Harbor
You can’t skip visiting Hamburg harbor when visiting Hamburg. You just can’t. Along the harbor walk you will find a few locations with open stairs. When shot from the lower end you can cover any buildings behind the harbor which makes for a great minimal vibe because of the very little amount of details in the background.
I was lucky enough to visit during a dreamy sunset while some heavy and dark clouds where arriving. You can also find some stairs without the curvy design but I prefer those. Your choice.
5. Überseequartier Subway Station
I think by now you know that I love modern subway stations (If not check out my Seoul journey post or my Singapore journey post) . Well here’s another one for you! Located in the popular Speicherstadt district, this station stands out because of its blue ocean facade tones.
There are several angles to explore but I liked this symmetrical view the most. Firstly, try to align the lower set of escalators with the long ones at the side for a smooth transition.
Secondly, before moving on to our next spot on the list, you can take this look-down photograph from the outside of the subway station.
Chances are that you spot a huge bridge when leaving the subway station. If you dare to stand on the street for a quick shot you will get this tunnel view. I am just glad they installed some lights.
6. Alter Elbtunnel
This 426m long tunnel built in 1911 connects one side of the Elbe river with the opposite side. Though already over a hundred years old the tunnel still looks quite clean. It’s quite a view when walking down (or up) the stairs of the tunnel. You are rewarded with this insane depth of field view which reminds me a lot of the Maastunnel in Rotterdam (Check out my Rotterdam short travel post for more).
7. Elbphilharmonie
What a surprise this 110-meters tall building made it on my list. Opened in early 2017, this now already iconic cultural sight is free to visit (even though you still have to get a 0€ ticket at the ticket counter interestingly). The building includes two concert halls, a hotel, a car park and an observation deck. One day I hope to get to photograph the empty big concert hall there – tours are booked out for months though. For now I am satisfied with the huge escalator at the entrance of the building. If you want to get an empty shot like I did, come super early or very late. This place is super crowded during the day.
More Spots to visit
Even though I managed to cover quite a lot of locations on just one day there are a lot of other places I want to visit another time. Some of the spots are closed on weekends so make sure to double check opening hours to avoid closed doors and disappointment.
- Hamburger Kunsthalle
- Adobe Building at Große Elbstraße
- Train Station Hamburg-Elbbrücken
- Subway Station Niendorf Nord
- Chocoversum
- Handwerkskammer Hamburg
- Alte Harburger Elbbrücke
- Concert Hall at Elbphilharmonie
- Behörde für Umwelt und Energie Hamburg
- Brahms Kontor
- Otto Group
- Unilever Food Solutions
Final thoughts
I am glad I used a weekend to explore Hamburg from a photography point of view this time around. I am planning to do more of such short travels since they are quite efficient and take less planning. Berlin is next on the list – see you soon, German capital.
Finally, I’d especially like to thank Hamburg local Andrés (IG handle: @anlinsh) for inspiring me and pointing me to some spots I couldn’t figure out.
