Hamburg has always been a city of many faces. What’s less well known is how many ways there are to experience it sustainably — from low-impact ways to get around to the best eco-conscious souvenirs. Consider your feel-good trip fully mapped out.
By Laura Finkeldei
Getting Around, Sustainably
Arriving in Hamburg by train or bus rather than car is the better choice on two counts: it’s kinder to the environment, and frankly more practical. Thanks to the sheer range of transport options once you’re there, a car is the last thing you need to explore the city.
Beyond the classic public transport network run by the Hamburger Verkehrsbund (HVV) — buses, trains, and harbor ferries included — there’s a whole further layer of ways to get around.
StadtRAD and Hamburg City Cycles
StadtRAD
Prefer to get around on two wheels? Renting a bike through StadtRAD is the obvious move. The app makes it simple to pick up a bike at any of the 250 rental stations scattered across the city. The best part: your first 30 minutes are free the first time you sign up. In total, 3,100 StadtRAD bikes are in circulation across Hamburg.
Hamburg City Cycles
Hamburg City Cycles also rents out bikes, and stocks cruisers and trekking bikes alongside city bikes, so there’s the right ride whatever you have planned.
Their guided bike tours are a particular highlight — a great way to get your bearings in Hamburg while taking in all the major sights. There are 14 different tours to choose from, all running daily, with the option to upgrade to an e-bike for a small surcharge.
Electric Scooters and E-Scooters
Not a cyclist? No problem — Hamburg has plenty of other ways to get you around town.
VOI E-Scooters
VOI’s scooters, from the Swedish brand, have been a fixture in Hamburg since 2019, offering a quick, convenient way to cover ground. The app makes unlocking and riding them straightforward.
Once you’ve reached your destination, simply park the scooter somewhere safe and end the ride. One thing to note: the operator designates certain no-parking zones around the city, so make sure you leave your scooter somewhere it’s actually allowed to be.
Electric Mopeds
Thanks to Emmy Sharing, 170 electric mopeds are available to rent across Hamburg. Once your license has been verified — done conveniently over a video call — you can browse and reserve available scooters right through the emmy app.
The mopeds’ operating area stretches from Ottensen through HafenCity to Hamm, with Winterhude marking its northern edge. Rides cost 19 cents a minute or 59 cents a kilometer, whichever works out cheaper.
Where to Stay
Now that you know how to get around Hamburg, let’s turn to where to rest your head. Hamburg’s hotels have caught on to just how many environmentally friendly alternatives exist to standard hospitality practices — and plenty of them have embraced the shift.
PIERDREI
PIERDREI sits right in HafenCity and welcomes visitors from near and far with the same warmth it extends to locals.
The hotel takes its social, environmental, and economic responsibilities seriously, pairing excellent guest service with dignified, respectful treatment of its staff and a genuine push to shrink its environmental footprint.
Savings come from efficient resource use, environmentally sound technology, and sustainable purchasing — with a particular emphasis on sourcing fairly produced, local, and organically certified goods.
Above all, PIERDREI places real value on respecting local culture and stays genuinely engaged in cultural exchange with the surrounding community.
It’s an ideal base for exploring Hamburg, whether you’re traveling as a family, a couple, or on business.
One especially quirky touch: you can actually camp at the hotel. Here’s how — perched seven meters up on one of PIERDREI’s rooftops, across 155 square meters, sit three caravans available to rent year-round. It’s a particularly good fit for families, since a cozy seating area sits between the three caravans, along with a dedicated “Racker-Room” where kids can burn off energy.
Things to Do and See
Beyond the classic sights — HafenCity and Speicherstadt among them — Hamburg offers a range of other sustainable excursions and events worth seeking out.
The City Rally
A newer way to discover Hamburg is the Umweltrallye Hamburg, an environmental rally covering 2.5 kilometers, starting at the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken and ending at Stintfang.
Across eleven stops, the rally — guided by the EntdeckerRouten app — delivers information on environmental issues and everyday sustainability tips. It’s part of the “Hamburg.DieWelt.Undich.” project run by the Rüm Hart Foundation.
It’s a refreshing, offbeat way to see the city, equally suited to tourists and locals alike.
Natural Spaces
If good weather has you craving green space over city streets, Hamburg’s many natural areas have you covered. Beyond Stadtpark and Planten un Blomen, there’s one spot you’d never expect to find near Hamburg at all.
Boberger Dünen
In the city’s southeast lies Boberger Düne, Hamburg’s last shifting dune. Set within the Boberger Niederung nature reserve, it’s a beloved destination for day trips — walk along the dunes, visit the nearby glider airfield, or cool off in the lake come summer.
Weekly Markets
Hamburg’s weekly markets are made for unhurried strolling and soaking up the city’s particular charm. Beyond the famous Fischmarkt, there’s a whole roster of other lovely markets where you can pick up regional produce and take in the lively atmosphere.
Goldbekmarkt
It’s admittedly hard to pick a single favorite among Hamburg’s weekly markets, but the one right on the canal wins on several fronts at once.
It runs three mornings a week — Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday — with stalls offering a wide selection of fresh goods: fish, meat, fruit, and vegetables, alongside cheese, pasta, and freshly baked bread.
What makes it especially sustainable is its focus on seasonal, regional produce, complemented by fair-trade and organically grown goods. In short, Goldbekmarkt is the ideal place to start your day in Hamburg and ease into the city’s rhythm.
ATG Alster Boat Tours
No trip to Hamburg is complete without a boat ride on the Alster. It’s all the better, then, that ATG (Alster Touristik GmbH) not only doubled its Alster cruise offering for the start of the 2024 season, but will also field three emission-free vessels in its fleet following the refit of the ship EILBEK.
The various loop and cruise routes let you take in Hamburg and its surroundings from the water, and the twilight cruise offers a particularly beautiful chance to watch the setting sun play across the Alster and its canals.
Restaurants, Cafés, and Farm Cafés
Hamburg is home to an abundance of lovely cafés, bars, and restaurants, making it nearly impossible to narrow down a list. There’s something for every taste, and while the city of Hamburg publishes its own list of recommendations, we’re happy to share our own favorites too.
Restaurants
Like any major city shaped by cultural influence, Hamburg is home to restaurants serving cuisine from around the globe — Asian, Italian, fusion, you name it. So we wanted to spotlight one restaurant serving genuine Hamburg specialties instead.
Oberhafen-Kantine
For 72 years, Anita Haendel served handmade home cooking out of this tilted little house by the harbor. When Tim Seidel and Sebastian Libbert took over the Oberhafen-Kantine a few years ago, they set out to carry that same concept forward. Everything on the menu here is made from scratch, prepared with the seasons and the region firmly in mind.
If you’re after authentic Hamburg cooking, built on regional, sustainably sourced ingredients, this is exactly where you want to be.
Cafés
Given Hamburg’s rich coffee history, it’s hardly a surprise that the city and its surroundings are dotted with cafés. The Kaffeebörse has operated here since 1887, and household names like Tchibo and Jacobs both call Hamburg home.
Elbgold Café and Roastery
Elbgold is a Hamburg coffee roastery based in the Schanzenviertel, with four locations across the city serving up its own coffee alongside cakes and pastries. Coffee lovers are well looked after here, with specialty beans from Guatemala and Ethiopia roasted by hand in the traditional way. You’ll also find a Hamburg specialty that no self-respecting café would be without: Franzbrötchen, the local cinnamon pastry — and Elbgold’s version is particularly good.
Farm Cafés
For an alternative to the bustle of the city center, Hamburg’s charming farm cafés offer a lovely escape. Homemade cakes and idyllic surroundings make for the perfect place to unwind, and these out-of-town stops pair beautifully with a bike tour.
Hof Neun Linden
The farm café Hof Neun Linden serves homemade cakes and fresh coffee. Its terrace is a lovely spot to relax in summer, while winter calls for a cozy seat by the crackling fireplace. Hof Neun Linden works with regional produce, much of which is also sold in its own farm shop, alongside goods from neighboring farms.
Shops and Concept Stores
Whether you’re after a shopping spree for yourself or hunting down the best sustainable souvenirs and gifts, Hamburg delivers. Flea markets, secondhand shops, and concept stores turn up on nearly every corner.
Werte Freunde
Werte Freunde is an eco concept store stocking an extensive range of natural cosmetics, fair fashion, and sustainable fashion and home accessories, alongside beauty treatments using natural cosmetics.
Across 350 square meters, Werte Freunde carries roughly 100 different national and international brands spanning fair fashion, natural cosmetics, and accessories.
Anyone looking for inspiration, thoughtful advice, and considered purchases, made with real care, will find exactly that here.
Hello Love
This concept store has been a fixture in Hamburg’s Eppendorf neighborhood since 2016. For founders and friends Rike and Anni, curation matters above all — their handpicked selection of fashion, accessories, and interior pieces comes from around the world, largely from brands founded and run by women.
In-store, you’ll find sweaters and T-shirts from their own hello love collection, alongside other distinctive pieces you won’t find just anywhere.
Love it Green
Love it Green is a fashion shop and label selling eco fair fashion in Eppendorf and Volksdorf. Its range includes well-known fair fashion brands like ARMEDANGELS alongside eco-conscious accessories.
Love it Green has even developed its own label: Nö by LOVEITGREEN. The colorful prints on its tops are guaranteed to lift your mood — because sometimes you just feel like saying “nö” (nope). The clothing is made from GOTS-certified cotton and recycled materials, and is PETA approved.
Hey Du!
The Hey Du! Store in St. Pauli is a singular mash-up of studio, pop-up shop, tattoo parlor, and workshop, stocking all the classic Hamburg souvenirs alongside distinctive regional finds.
Beyond handmade jewelry, you’ll find illustrations, surf wear, and T-shirts. What makes it stand out is how many small, creative artists and labels display and sell their work there — which means regular events and opening parties at the St. Pauli shop.
Beauty Products and Treatments
A holiday isn’t just about resting yourself — treating your skin well matters too, and Hamburg’s wellness and spa spots have you covered. If natural cosmetics and sustainability are priorities for you, here’s exactly where to look.
Werte Freunde
Werte Freunde sells natural cosmetics, but also offers a range of beauty treatments in-store. Alongside pedicures with massage, you’ll find a variety of treatments geared toward relaxation or skin cleansing, depending on what you’re after.
The “Relaxing Treatment,” for instance, includes a foot massage, neck and shoulder relaxation, and a mask.
All treatments need to be booked in advance.
Mimulus Natural Cosmetics
Mimulus offers a range of cosmetic treatments and massages in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel, using certified, cruelty-free natural cosmetics and stocking an extensive vegan cosmetics range.
Its treatments center on facials, tailored to either cleanse the skin or deliver a lifting effect, depending on what you need.
Massages, performed by Sunya Bergunde, range from classic back massages to treatments designed specifically for expectant mothers.
Inspiration and ideas for this guide came in part from the City of Hamburg’s own site.
