Last updated: 29 July 2023
You’ve seen Berlin and maybe Munich, so it’s about time you added Hamburg to your To Travel List. A visit to Hamburg isn’t complete without experiencing some fantastic Hamburg photography locations such as the historic Speicherstadt Hamburg, with its red brick buildings and many steel bridges it’s easily one of the most photogenic places in all of Hamburg. So if you’re currently looking for the best photo spots in Hamburg Germany then you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re a fan of culture (and who isn’t) then you’ll probably appreciate the fact that Speicherstadt was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on 5 July 2015 alongside Hamburg’s Kontorhaus District and Chilehaus.
[lwptoc]
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What’s the Speicherstadt District?
If you’ve never heard of the Speicherstadt District then you’re not alone, before visiting Hamburg I’d never heard of it either. Fortunately Twitter came to my rescue. One of my favourite things to do before every trip is to reach out to my favourite social network – Twitter – and ask for tips and suggestions. I feel so fortunate to be part of an amazing Twitter community with many fellow travellers and people who are so passionate about travel that there are always wonderful suggestions, tips, and recommendations on offer.
So when it was suggested that I should definitely visit the Speicherstadt district during my time in Hamburg (recommended by the wonderful Janis and Gary from @OurWorldforYou) I opened my maps and started starring options.
Where is the Speicherstadt District?
The Speicherstadt is a district located in the HafenCity area of Hamburg, the dockland area. This is hardly surprising because Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse district in the world and literally translates as the city of warehouses. One of the most visited places in all of Hamburg, Speicherstadt is home to the famous Miniatur Wunderland – an excellent miniatures museum, Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, and the rather comprehensive International Maritime Museum which I spent hours exploring.
The Speicherstadt is easily accessible by foot, bus, and metro so it doesn’t matter where you’re planning to stay during your visit to Hamburg, you can get around without much of an issue. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in HafenCity so it was relatively short 15 min walk to explore the Speicherstadt district, plus walking there meant photo opportunities aplenty along the way. If you want to book your Hamburg hotel there are plenty of hotels to choose from.
The (brief) History Lesson
If you’re a reader of Roaming Required then you know that there was a very good chance that I was going to bang on about history at some point…
Built on the Elbe river between 1883 and 1927, Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse district in the world (approx 300,000 square metres) and is considered unique because the warehouses were built on on wooden log foundations, as seen in the below photo;
The construction of the Speicherstadt was impacted during World War I which delayed completion until 1927. And during World War II, the Allied bombing campaign (Operation Gomorrah) significantly destroyed parts of the western side of the Speicherstadt.
Hamburg Photography Locations: Where to Begin?
I’m sure plenty of people would disagree with me here but I say open up your Google Maps, type in Speicherstadt, and when it displays the outline of the District, then pick whichever point of the district is closest to you and then go explore it.
If you have time then the best tip I can give you is to just pick a direction and take a walk. There’s photo ops around every corner. One of my favourite memories of Hamburg was taking some time by myself to explore the area with my headphones on and simply enjoying the views. A bit of tranquillity in the middle of an industrial city.
However, if you’re short on time and just want to quickly capture some great photos before exploring the rest of Hamburg then here’s 3 of my favourites which where located in eastern side of Speicherstadt.
Poggenmühlenbrücke
Easily the most famous of all photo spots in Speicherstadt and one that most people have on their photo list. When I visited during the middle of the week day I had the whole bridge to myself but I imagine it must get pretty busy on the weekends.
Corner of Dienerreihe & Alter Wandrahm
Ok. I know, I know. What happens if you visit and there are no bicycles parked there? Good point. However, the photo spot is ideal regardless because of the contrast between the cobbled streets, the bridge, and the buildings. If I had to take the photo again without the bicycle then I’d wait for a person or group of people to walk by because I think that would work a treat.
If you do this, please let me know because I’d love to see the result 👍
Bei St. Annen
This one is my favourite photo from the Speicherstadt district and was of the first photos I took when exploring the area. It’s one of the main entry points into the district, the main road I walked from our hotel, and it at this point that I fell in love with the Speicherstadt area and understood why it was recommended so strongly. All that texture from the bricks and those leading lines make it a photographer’s dream.
Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a visit to Hamburg then one of the best things you can do is set aside some time and take a walk in the Speicherstadt district because your not only going to explore a historic part of the city but you’re going to love the architecture and capturing some real beautiful photos.
If you’re looking to book some activities and experiences during your stay in Hamburg then the below will be a good starting point.
