One of the most famous sights in Hamburg can be called Speicherstadt - a warehouse district, a full-fledged city in which all buildings are built on deep wooden foundations. Locals are proud to have such an interesting place near them, and call this neighborhood a piece of Venice because of the canals and island structures.
Hamburg has always held a special place in maritime trade, which has left its mark on everything: lifestyle, customs, trade preferences and even architecture. The city in the city is a must-see for anyone interested in extraordinary sights.
Speicherstadt - Hamburg harbor
All areas that are located on the water look romantic. It's not about the Speicherstadt, and that's what makes it unique: It's the only storage area in the world that's supplied with water. At first glance, it seems that life has stopped here; that it is here, reminded by passing ships and rare cars.
The neighborhood is located in Hamburg and stretches for one and a half kilometers. The main feature is the houses standing on deep wooden foundations. Oak logs were used in the construction. The date of the founding of the district is thought to be 1883, although in fact life boiled up later when the city authorities declared Speicherstadt a duty-free zone.
During the 1945 bombing some of the buildings on unique wooden foundations were irrevocably destroyed: in their place at the beginning of the 21st century was built a modern shopping center.
What to visit?
There are no sidewalks along the street, which means traffic on the water. Thanks to this, the place quickly became popular with tourists, and interesting locations were formed here:
- The Speicherstadt Museum - everything related to the area: ancient ways of transporting goods, detailed stories about the construction of houses. Visitors become tea and coffee tasters.
- Spice Museum. On Sundays, a man with a pepper mill hat, the Pepper Man, comes out and tells the story of spices. There are 50 kinds of interesting spices on display at the museum.
- Customs Museum, where you can learn all about the history of the development of the phenomenon of customs.
- Museum with interactive elements: here you can observe and participate in the work of a shoemaker, get acquainted with the work of a porcelain maker, a baker and a craftsman.
- A miniature wonderland whose main exhibit is the world's largest "decorative" railroad.
Interesting Facts
- All warehouses in the district are six to eight stories high.
- Each floor has cargo hatches and winches.
- The warehouses have stores, cafes, and shopping centers.
- In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, warehouse buildings served as offices for wealthy merchants.
