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Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus

Hamburg · Germany

Background

World Heritage since
2015
Type of site
Cultural
Warehouses built
1885–1927

Speicherstadt and the adjacent Kontorhaus district are two densely built areas in the centre of the port city of Hamburg. UNESCO says Speicherstadt, developed on narrow islands in the Elbe between 1885 and 1927 and partly rebuilt from 1949 to 1967, is one of the largest coherent historic ensembles of port warehouses in the world, 15 very large blocks linked by short canals; the Kontorhaus district holds six very large office complexes of the 1920s to 1940s beside the modernist Chilehaus.

Wikipedia explains why it was built: Hamburg stayed a free port outside the German customs union until pressure from Berlin after 1879 forced a deal in 1881, and the warehouse city was built as a free zone where goods could be transferred without duty. Its buildings stand on timber piles of oak, strung 1.5 km along canals called Fleets. Wikivoyage says the centre is walkable, from the warehouses to the Elbphilharmonie, whose plaza is free with a view over the port.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1241Hamburg joins the Hanseatic League
  2. 1881Hamburg agrees to join the Customs Union, keeping a free port
  3. 1885–1927Speicherstadt is built on islands in the Elbe
  4. 1920s–1940sThe Kontorhaus office blocks and the Chilehaus go up
  5. 1949–1967Partial rebuilding after the war
  6. 2015Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    The Warehouses
    Fifteen great brick blocks on oak piles along the canals.
  2. 2
    The Fleets
    The loading canals that thread the district.
  3. 3
    Chilehaus
    The modernist office block at the heart of the Kontorhaus district.
  4. 4
    Kontorhaus District
    Six huge office complexes for port businesses, over five hectares.
  5. 5
    Elbphilharmonie Plaza
    Wikivoyage: free, 37 m up, with the port view and one of Hamburg's best sunsets.
  6. 6
    HafenCity
    The ultra-modern quarter the warehouses now belong to.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Walk the Centre
Wikivoyage: the city centre is not large and the attractions in it are easily done on foot.
Ferry 72
Public ferries are part of the transport system: line 72 runs from Landungsbrücken to the Elbphilharmonie, and day tickets are valid.
Sunset from the Plaza
Escalators take you up to the Elbphilharmonie's circular walkway in minutes; no charge.
Pickpockets
A very safe city, but watch valuables around Mönckebergstrasse, the main station and the Reeperbahn.

Warehouses and Port

Not yet in a GoGo guide

  1. 09:30
    Speicherstadt Canals90 min
    The brick warehouses along the Fleets.
  2. 11:30
    Chilehaus and the Kontorhaus District1 hr
    The office blocks of the 1920s.
  3. 14:00
    Elbphilharmonie Plaza1 hr
    The free viewing walkway over the port.
  4. 15:30
    Ferry 72 to Landungsbrücken30 min
    The port from the water on a public ferry.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jul (84 mm), driest Apr (40 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Lübeck is 57 km away, Schwerin's residence 94 km and Bremen's Town Hall and Roland 95 km, all World Heritage sites.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1467 · Wikipedia: Speicherstadt · Wikivoyage: Hamburg (CC BY-SA 4.0) · UNESCO listing