Boat Trip around Harbor-City in Hamburg, Germany

A few weeks ago, I spent a few days in Hamburg again and had the chance to join a long and very special boat trip through the beautiful harbor area. I had already done a boat tour in Hamburg once before – that was during the BuzzParty, organized by @tibfox, and it was also a great experience with a fun atmosphere and good people.

But this time, the boat ride was even longer – about two and a half hours – and gave us a deeper look into the different parts of the harbor. What made it extra special was that we passed by the Elbphilharmonie twice – once during the daylight, and once again later at night when it was all lit up.

Seeing this building from the water is really something unique. The way it rises above the harbor, with its special glass shape and glowing lights, makes it one of the most impressive landmarks in Hamburg. It honestly looks like a mix of a ship and a wave, standing tall over the city.

And I was lucky enough to not only see the building from the outside. We actually had an exclusive tour inside the Elbphilharmonie before the boat ride – but I will share more about that in another post. It deserves its own story, because the architecture and the view from the top were just amazing.

Along the harbor, you can see many huge cranes standing tall above the water. In the first part of the boat tour, we passed through an area where the "smaller" cranes are located – although they still looked really big to me. Later on, we would get to see the even larger ship cranes, which are used for loading and unloading massive container ships.

At the time we passed this area, it was actually quite calm. There was not much activity going on, so we had a perfect and clear view of the cranes and the surroundings. It was really impressive to see how many cranes were standing there, one after another, ready to go to work.

This part of the harbor was completely new for me. I had never been there before, and it gave me a fresh perspective on how big and complex the port of Hamburg really is. I also saw a very long and wide bridge in the distance. It looked quite important, but I was not sure if I had ever driven across it by car before. Maybe yes, maybe no – I just could not remember.

After that, we passed through a lock – which was a very interesting part of the tour. The captain and the guide, who shared many stories about the harbor and its history, explained how this particular lock works.

What surprised me was that this lock does not really move the ship up or down like most people expect. Instead, its main job is to protect the harbor from outside elements – especially sand. The lock keeps sand from flowing in from the open waters and collecting in the harbor basin. If too much sand gets into the port, it has to be removed again with large vacuum machines, which is a slow and expensive process.

The reason for this is actually very important. Some of the huge ships that come into Hamburg are extremely heavy and have a deep draft. If too much sand collects in the harbor area, those ships could be at risk of running aground. That could cause serious delays and damage.

Right after we passed through the lock, we saw something that really caught my attention. It was the Ever Glory, the sister ship of the Evergiven, which famously got stuck in the Suez Canal back in 2021 and blocked global trade for days.

We drove right past it, and I have to say – the size of that ship was absolutely unbelievable. I have seen large ships before, but this one was on a whole other level. It was so long, so tall, and so massive that I almost lost my words.

It felt a bit unreal to be that close to such a giant. We were just on a small harbor boat, and suddenly this floating skyscraper appeared right next to us. The closer we got, the smaller our boat felt. It was like standing next to a mountain of steel and containers.

Seeing it up close made me realize again how powerful and complex international shipping is. These ships carry thousands of containers across the oceans and make modern trade possible – and yet, when you stand next to one, it is hard not to feel tiny.

All in all, it was a really great boat trip. I enjoyed every part of it – from the calm areas of the harbor to the huge ships and the impressive Elbphilharmonie. The whole experience gave me a new view of Hamburg and its harbor.

At the end of the tour, we sailed through the harbor district one last time. By then, it was already quite dark outside, so it was a bit difficult to take good photos. The light was low, and even with a good camera, the conditions were not perfect anymore. But it was still a nice way to end the ride.

What made this part very special was that the boat trip took place during the Blue Night – a local event where many buildings and parts of the harbor are lit up with blue lights. It created a magical atmosphere along the water. Bridges, cranes, and warehouses were glowing in deep blue tones, and the reflections in the river looked beautiful.