We loved our time here roaming around the Speicherstadt. It was a fun exploration even on a rainy…read moreweekday morning.
It was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015. That's most likely because it's the largest historic warehouse complex of its kind (low-lying) in the world. The site has been historically protected since 1991 and subsequently restored. What's interesting is that these old red brick warehouses were uniquely built on top of a foundation of oak timbers. They were driven deep down (about 36 feet) into what was technically once considered marshy sandbars along the Elbe River. The wood with the surrounding sand petrified over time to create a solid foundation to build upon. This whole complex was needed to store global market items such as spices, tea, and coffee. The warehouses have entrances from the canal and at the street level for easy access. I was actually more impressed with the Gothic Revival look of the buildings as well as the steel bridges connecting them all together.
We walked up and down the blocks and across the various different bridges to get a feel for the area. I don't think the pictures really convey the scenery here. It comes across as gloomy on rainy days, but it really wasn't that way in person.
I really like that this area has become so popular. There are many attractions, shops, museums, cafés, and restaurants in and around it. The beautiful Water Castle can be seen from the furthest bridge known as Poggenmühlen. There's an International Maritimes Museum housed in one of the oldest buildings (1878) in the Speicherstadt. You'll see it right away when you see the massive propeller at the south entrance. The Sandtorkai-Hof and Speicherstadt Rathaus are other beautiful buildings that deserve a mention.
There's way more to Hamburg than Speicherstadt and HafenCity. This was just a cool visit to the historical port of Germany. It's definitely a place that I would revisit if given the opportunity.
