Hamburg Gondola Ride on the Alster

The floating haven of peace on the Alster.
An old but well-maintained gondola from Venice and flagship of the Azzurro e.V. rowing club in Hamburg; freshly inspected by a ship expert and approved by the Waterways Authority...
The Venetians' floating Rolls Royce has been at home in Hamburg, the Venice of the North, for many years and is often rowed at a sporty pace by up to 4 rowers in the club.
We finance part of the maintenance costs, the berth rental and, if it is enough, part of the travel costs for participation in regattas in Italy through guest trips.
Your gondolier Carlo was trained in Venice, has been allowed to drive the gondola on the Grand Canal there since 2009, has been the first to cross the finish line at regattas since 2021 and likes to talk about gondolas, Hamburg and Venice.
There is no fixed route because the weather and traffic situation on the water must be taken into account.
Take a seat on the soft cushions and enjoy!

Meeting Point

Bootshaus Alster GmbH

Ballindamm 14A, 20095 Hamburg, Germany

The departure point is next to the restaurant ship "Bootshaus". We will also return there after our trip.
You will find toilets opposite in the Europapassage.

What's included:

• Free life jackets in different sizes are available for all guests.

What to expect:

Duration: 45 minutes

Binnenalster

Hamburg, 20354

In the 13th century, there were several watermills on the Inner Alster. The owner of one of these mills in 1256 was Heinrich Reese (Reesendammbrücke).
The Inner Alster is 3m deep and about 400m long.

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Lombardsbruecke

Lombardsbruecke, Ring 1, Hamburg, 20095

The Lombards Bridge follows the course of the old ramparts. There was a pawn shop called "Lombard" here (Lombard shops, Lombard set).
At the eastern end of the bridge is the 10th longitude, which we cross several times on the journey.
The distance between the longitudes is about 70 km in our latitudes. We are 700 km from Greenwich.

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Alster Lakes

Hamburg

The Alster is a 56 km long river that flows into the Elbe in Hamburg. In the middle of Hamburg's urban area, the dammed river forms the Alster lakes.
The Outer Alster (we've been here for about 10 minutes) was created in the 12th century by damming the Alster river for a water mill and was part of the city's fortifications. Many beautiful canals lead from the Alster into the city, all of which we can travel on by gondola on longer trips.
The Outer Alster is 2.8 km long, 1 km wide and on average 2.5 m deep.
The banks of the Alster are very popular with Hamburg residents. The "Alsterrunde" for joggers is 7.4 km long and goes around the Outer Alster.
On warm spring and summer days, many pedestrians, cyclists and picnickers are out and about on the riverside paths and in the adjacent parks, enjoying the view of the water of the Outer Alster.
From the soft cushions of the gondola you can enjoy the unobstructed view of the green banks of the Alster, the villas and the skyline of the city.

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Alsterarkaden

Alsterarkaden 21, , Hamburg, 20354

The Alster Arcades, which were planned in 1842 by the Hamburg architect Alexis de Chateauneuf, are located directly on the Kleine Alster.

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Hamburg Town Hall

Rathausmarkt 1, Hamburg, 20095

Opposite the Alsterarkaden are the imposing Hamburg Town Hall and the Town Hall Lock. Locking into the Old Town canal is only possible on longer tours. The difference in height is 1.5 metres and it takes 15 minutes.

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Alsterfontäne

Jungfernstieg, 20354 Hamburg, Germany

The Alster fountain is 60 meters high and fills an entire bathtub in 3 seconds.

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Jungfernstieg

Hamburg, 20354

The famous Jungfernstieg is located on the south bank of the Binnenalster and we almost always see it from the water side.

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