Flyer Planten un Blomen englishGrüner Wallring
A green oasis in the city Planten un Blomen is the green heart of Hamburg – a tourist
attraction, an urban park and a garden monument all rolled
into one. The park is the ideal place for jogging, for enjoying
a lunch break in a green setting, for playing, for winding down
after work or for attending one of the many events it hosts. It
gives visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature and garden art
with all the senses, engage in active forms of recreation and
discover traces of the city’s history going back 400 years.
In addition to vast lawns, the park is also home to a diverse tree
population, enchanting flowering shrubs and numerous themed
gardens. Museums, university buildings, play areas, an ice rink, a
miniature golf course and a variety of eateries are also nestled
among the greenery. Between the months of May and September,
a varied programme of events is held in the park – one of the
highlights being the famous Water and Light Concerts.
At the same time, the park is an important component of
Hamburg’s first Green Ring, providing an attractive walkway
linking the Landungsbrücken to the Alster Lake. This haven of
green improves the urban climate and provides a habitat for
many animals and plants: birds and bats love the old trees,
insects are attracted to the colourful flowers, and newts and
fish benefit from the water areas.
Welcome!
History Those who know the history of Planten un Blomen will
discover evidence of the past all over the park.
A fortification belt around the city
The Stintfang vantage point and the area around the Bismarck
Monument offer wonderful panoramic views: the Albertus and
Casparus bastions are remnants of 17th century fortifications.
The famous fortress architect Johan van Valckenburgh was
commissioned by the Senate to construct a belt of fortifications
belt around the city; it was completed between 1616 and 1625.
The only other comparable fortress in Europe at that time
was the system of fortifications around Vienna. The virtually
impenetrable system featured high bastions, each named after
an alderman, a deep moat and the counterscarp – the side
of the moat opposite the wall – as well as ravelins and other
shenanigans. The enormous construction project – built, of
course, without the use of industrial machinery – required
many pairs of hands and cost a vast amount of money. Later
maintenance of the fortifications did not come cheap either.
However, protection was particularly important for such a
significant merchant city as Hamburg. Along with payments
to potential attackers, the fortifications withstood all attacks
from the Thirty Years’ War through to the beginning of the 19th
century. After that, new weapons came to be developed and
parts of the fortress buildings were demolished starting around
1802. In 1806, Hamburg was taken by Napoleon’s troops, due
in part to the political situation in the surrounding areas.
Creation of the green ramparts
After the end of the wars of liberation and the restructuring of
Hamburg, the city, acting on plans from 1805, commissioned
garden designer Isaak Altmann to start converting the
fortifications into green ramparts in 1820, following on from
a similar project he had undertaken previously in Bremen.
The main idea behind Altmann’s plan was to create a green
circular promenade around the city where people of different
status could intermingle freely. A stroll through the park
provided many opportunities for learning. Memorials told
of personalities such as Johann Georg Repsold, who was
honoured for his accomplishments for the fire brigade,
and Johann Georg Büsch, co-founder of the charitable
Patriotic Society. Education was also available in the form
of museums – from the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe
Hamburg and the Kunsthalle to the Natural History Museum
(destroyed in 1943) and the Museum for Hamburg History –
and scientific institutions such as an observatory, a botanical
garden together with an institute, the zoological garden and
the Institute for Physics. In addition to all these educational
and cultural institutions, courts and a remand prison were also
built around what is now Sievekingplatz. Many traces from
the past are still visible today. The best place to see how the
fortifications were landscaped is in the Old Botanical Garden:
from the former Rudolphus Bastion, which is now somewhat
more flattened and is home to the Café Schöne Aussichten,
the steep counterscarp is clearly visible over the last remnants
of the moat. This is where the former Botanical Institute
stood – it is now the Bucerius Law School – as well as the
architecturally outstanding show greenhouses by Bernhard
Hermkes (1963). The latter are freely accessible and belong
to Universität Hamburg’s Botanical Institute. Just below the
greenhouses, the Mediterranean terraces nestle into the sunny
slope – Hamburg’s most popular sunny spot almost all year
round.
The ramparts and Planten un Blomen were the setting for
several horticultural shows between 1869 and 1973. Every
single exhibition has left its mark on the park, most notably
the remainders of the 1963 International Horticultural
Exhibition (IGA). Not only were the show greenhouses and
the Mediterranean terraces created for this event, but also
numerous water elements – from the gargoyles at Millerntor
and the fountains on the ramparts, to the well head and
waterfall in the Old Botanical Garden. The 1869 IGA left
behind woody plants and pathways in the Old Elbpark, and the
water cascades and walls of the Citizens’ Gardens in Planten
un Blomen are relics of the 1935 Low German Garden Show.
The name Planten un Blomen also originates from 1935 – the
National Socialists had organised the Low German Garden Show
on what remained of cemeteries and the zoo, fully reflecting
German chauvinism; later on, they also held military parades
on the site. For several decades now, the entire park has come
under the name of Planten un Blomen. The most striking
remnants of the 1973 IGA include the wide trails and numerous
opportunities for exercise in the park, such as the ice rink and
the Bullerberge play area. The bandstand and the park lake,
featuring the Water and Light Concerts were also revamped for
this IGA.
with the 1973 IGA, which was less popular, featuring excessive
amounts of concrete. In the 1980s, the city instead organised
a landscape planning competition in a bid to bring more
horticultural qualities back into the park. The results included
the Rose Garden as well as the Japanese Landscape Gardens
and the Japanese Garden with Teahouse, both of which were
designed by Japanese landscape architect Professor Yoshikuni
Araki. Asphalt was removed from the pathways, and new
opportunities for play were created.
The story has not yet ended: the park continues to gently evolve
to this day, with refurbishments, additions and modifications,
whilst preserving its historically valuable essence.
The green ramparts Together, several different sections make up the Green Ring
and Planten un Blomen. Knowledge of how they are divided
makes it easier to get your bearings.
The Green Ring is a relic of the historical ramparts
that surrounded the urban core, initially as a belt of
fortifications and, from 1820, as a park. In the east and
south of the city, much of the ramparts were lost to
railway construction and the port in the early 20th century.
References to the history of the area can still be found in
street names. In the west, the Green Ring stretches in an
arc from Stintfang through the Old Elbpark, the Große
Wallanlagen and Kleine Wallanlagen, the Old Botanical
Garden and Gustav Mahler Park, to the Alster Lake. The
part of the park called Planten un Blomen is connected to
the northwest edge of the arc of the Green Ring. Following
previous uses as a cemetery, a zoo and an amusement
park, the site became the venue of the Low German Garden
Show, “Planten un Blomen”, in 1935, which is how the park
got its name.
the Old Botanical Garden and the original Planten un
Blomen area now define the boundaries of the Planten un
Blomen park, which is cared for by a dedicated park team.
Planten un Blomen
Alter Botanischer Garten
Stintfang
Millerntorplatz
Garden diversity Planten un Blomen is a large park containing lots of small seats provide a haven away from the hustle and bustle of
gardens, many of which reflect the park’s long tradition of the city.
hosting horticultural exhibitions. The Apothecary’s Garden slightly further to the east
The Japanese Landscape Gardens and the is also surrounded by white walls featuring artistically
Japanese Garden with Teahouse are special wrought gates and grilles. The seven garden courtyards,
places to relax. They were created by each referring to a certain organ of the body, contain a
the famous Japanese landscape architect multitude of medicinal plants, some of them poisonous!
Yoshikuni Araki, following a decision not to Tours are offered regularly, giving visitors deeper insights
host an IGA in 1983. They represent two types into herbal medicine.
of Japanese garden art. The Japanese Landscape Garden
was designed in 1988. The running water and artistically The traditional Rose Garden is located in the north of the
arranged plants start drawing crowds when the cherry Planten un Blomen part of the park. It was planted in 1993.
trees are in blossom in spring, until the autumn colouring Bedding roses, shrub roses and rambling roses create
of Acer japonicum, a type of maple tree. The Japanese an explosion of scents and colours, above all in summer.
Garden with Teahouse was inaugurated in 1991. It is the Accompanying shrubs and container plants complement
venue of Japanese tea ceremonies and other Japanese the magnificent show of flowers. In summer, visitors flock
events during the summer months. In spring, Japanese to the central pavilion to listen to classical music.
azaleas flower beneath trimmed pine trees. The Große Wallanlagen and Kleine Wallanlagen host
The Citizens’ Gardens in the northwest of the park are remnants of international gardens
surrounded by walls dating from the 1935 Low German designed for the 1963 and 1973
Garden Show. They were originally built to protect a international horticultural exhibitions.
rose garden. Nowadays, flowers bloom throughout the These include the Hungarian Garden
year – from irises and summer-flowering perennials to from 1973 and the Moroccan Garden
Michaelmas daisies. The garden areas with Strahlensessel from 1963.
Water experiences In places, water gushes and rushes, in others it gurgles and In addition to the moat and the watercourse in the
trickles, sometimes reflecting trees and sky – water in all its Japanese Landscape Gardens, the Old Botanical Garden
forms plays a major role in the park. harbours another favourite spot – the Bald Cypress Grove.
Beneath these specimens of Taxodium distichum, which give The historic fortifications themselves were surrounded by the garden its name, wooden decks create small areas that a moat – today, the last remnants are visible in the Old prove popular as seats. Botanical Garden, underneath the Rudolphus Bastion and the
Mediterranean terraces – it is impressive what people were The Planten un Blomen part of the park boasts other water
able to build without any kind of industrial machinery in the highlights besides the pond in the Japanese Garden. The
16th century. The moat forms an arc between the waterfall Water Cascades in the west originate from the 1935 Low
and the entrance to Stephansplatz, taking in the bastion and German Garden Show – the special seating provided there
Café Schöne Aussichten. Magnificent weeping willows and is ideal for unwinding. Visitors enjoy reading, sunbathing or
waterfowl add to the picturesque setting. If you look carefully, simply taking in urban nature.
you may discover turtles taking in the sun in the summer. In the day time, the park lake at the heart of Planten
Equally impressive is the “water axis”, which traces the un Blomen shows reflections of the sky – sometimes
historic moat in modern style, introduced for the 1963 interspersed with droplets from the fountains. In the
International Horticultural Exhibition. Water is displayed evening, the lake springs to life during the summer months:
in all its forms, from calm to agitated and from bubbly the famous Water and Light Concerts, originating from
to raging, whether at the Millerntor gargoyles, in the the 1930s, are now presented live using state-of-the-art
ponds and fountains of the Große Wallanlagen, the water technology installed in 2019. Here, brightly lit fountains
staircase and ditches of the Kleine Wallanlagen, and the dance clever choreographies to the sounds of music –
well head and waterfall at the transition to the moat. sometimes classic, sometimes jazz or pop music. Every
The fountains help to dampen the noise of the city traffic. evening, the fountains and light delight thousands of
What’s more, they are also a popular photo motif for visitors.
visitors to the park.
Experiencing nature Meticulously tended flower beds and nature need not be
mutually exclusive – those who look closely will come across
lots of wildlife at Planten un Blomen: bats and squirrels,
songbirds and waterfowl, fish and amphibians. The park also
provides feeding and breeding grounds for all kinds of insects,
such as bees, bumblebees, dragonflies and beetles. Scattered
patches of light and shade, wet and dry areas, old trees and
flowering plants are particularly beneficial for the animal world.
Ornamental shrubs and exotic woody plants that blend in with
native plants and enrich biodiversity are well accustomed to the
urban climate. Given that the flowering phases of such plants
differ from those of native species, they ensure an extended
supply of pollen.
The park also contains nesting boxes, insect hotels and
beehives, the latter located a safe distance from children’s play
areas and culinary establishments, even though bees are gentle
creatures.
show gardens as part of a major conservation project called
“Natürlich Hamburg!”. Every two years, landscape architects,
gardeners or artists will design a small garden containing a
large proportion of wild plants – giving visitors to the park the
opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature in the heart of
the city, and offering inspiration..
Memorials, monuments and art One memorial on the historic green ring stands a whole 34
metres tall – and is controversial: the Bismarck Monument in
the Old Elbpark (formerly the Casparus Bastion) is the largest
monument in the world erected in memory of the former Imperial
Chancellor. The granite statue, designed by architect Johann
Emil Schaudt and sculptor Hugo Lederer, was unveiled in 1906.
The bourgeois national monument was soon appropriated by
nationalist groups, and is criticised today for being a symbol
of the colonial interests of Hamburg’s merchants. The city is
currently developing a concept to enable a critical analysis of
German colonial history and its portrayal in public spaces.
Another 31 sculptures and memorials are scattered
throughout the park, the oldest being a renaissance portal
from 1617 from what is now the Speicherstadt. Most of the
sculptures originate from the 1953 and 1963 horticultural
exhibitions. The most recent work of art is the paving art by
Hartmut Mumme (2004 – 2005) in the Jungiusstraße underpass.
Besides presenting water and garden art, Planten un Blomen
also hosts special works of architecture. These include, above all,
the Museum for Hamburg History by Fritz Schumacher, which
opened in 1922, and the show greenhouses and the Johan van
Valckenburgh Bridge by Bernhard Hermkes from 1963.
Recreation, entertainment and sports Besides offering a place of tranquillity and rest all year round, different organisations offer this service, including the The park is popular with joggers all year round. Cycling,
the Planten un Blomen park also offers educational and cultural Freundeskreis Planten un Blomen e. V., which offers tours unfortunately, is not permitted – but you won’t find a more
activities, as well as the opportunity to do sports and exercise. for free. beautiful and relaxing place to push your bike through in all
of Hamburg. From May to September, Planten un Blomen puts on a varied Children looking for recreation are spoilt for choice – the
summer programme for visitors of all ages. park has several popular play areas with or without water,
jungle gyms and hill slides, not to mention the children’s Concerts at the bandstand range from the well-known Jazz theatre productions and circuses, pottery courses and Opens to spirited swing and tango dance events, from laid- children’s parties. back singer-songwriter concerts to choral music and the
ever-popular police orchestra. The famous Water and Light A miniature golf course and the adjacent streetball field
Concerts take place close by at the park lake every evening. attract young and old alike. Mental exercise is the name
The programme changes fortnightly, from classical music, to of the game for visitors to the Chess Gardens – some of
jazz, to film music and pop. whom are regulars.
Literature enthusiasts love the atmospheric readings and Educational fun can also be had at the Museum for
especially the Wortpicknick reading festival in the park. Hamburg History and in the show greenhouses. The
museum is packed full with fascinating items and has a lot The Japanese Garden is home to tea ceremonies and other of stories to tell about Hamburg. The show greenhouses aspects of Far Eastern culture – and has its own fan base. Go take visitors into the tropics or the desert. and shogi board games, music performances and lectures are
just some of the activities open to the public. In winter, the ice rink, installed in 1973, acts as a magnet
for ice-skating enthusiasts of all ages. Here, skaters can be Those with a thirst for knowledge are invited to go on one seen performing spins and jumps. Those preferring to stay of the themed guided tours or walks through the park, on the ground can try their hand at a round of curling. In sometimes offering a glimpse behind the scenes. Several summer, the area doubles as a roller skating rink.
The park is growing Whereas in the past, parts of the park were “chipped away”
to make space for court buildings, the CCH (Congress Center
Hamburg), underground train stations and roads, Planten un
Blomen is now expanding again:
A high concrete wall opposite the Dammtor train station was
removed and the park was extended towards the train station.
From 2021, a “green window” will open up from the Old
Botanical Garden to the train station, offering a flowering vista
of the city. It’s a much prettier way to welcome guests to the
Hanseatic City.
A whole hectare of new parkland will soon be created on what
was once Marseiller Straße – visitors will then be able to relax
and enjoy the sun on the meadows; a new wheelchair-accessible
route will be open all day in the future, connecting the CCH,
Heiligengeistfeld and the Landungsbrücken to Dammtor train
station, even after the park has closed.
As the number of visitors and residents of Hamburg’s city centre
grow, there will be a perceptible increase in demand for the park.
This important recreational function and the positive role that
green spaces play in climate change are reasons enough for
expanding the park. There may also be additional possibilities to
extend the park in other places. We’lll keep our eyes open!
We’re there for you! Planten un Blomen is particularly important to Hamburg programmes, we maintain the website, and we keep our
and further afield – all employees of the city feel a strong ears and eyes open on social media, so feel free to reach
commitment to the park. out!
A 30-strong team cares for the park: besides the Contact horticultural management, master gardeners, gardeners Hamburg-Mitte District Office
and garden assistants, each year around three young Public Space Management
people are taken on to train as gardeners specialising in Caffamacherreihe 1–3
garden and landscape construction. The team plants spring 20355 Hamburg
and summer flowers, prunes herbaceous perennials and plantenunblomen@hamburg-mitte.hamburg.de
waters them in summer, cuts back shrubs and maintains
paths. Professional gardening and landscaping companies Events
help perform many of the tasks. Phone: (040) 4 28 54 47 23
plantenunblomen@hamburg-mitte.hamburg.de The team also includes four employed craftspeople working
as carpenters, plumbers and electricians. They make sure Park/operations that the fountains work, that the wooden furniture is Phone: (040) 4 28 23 21 50 maintained, that the playground equipment is safe, that the
wooden decks are repaired, and much more. Park supervision and lost property
Planten un Blomen / Old Botanical Garden The team is complemented by an event management unit, Phone: (040) 4 27 31 05 45 complete with public relations. This unit is responsible Wallanlagen for planning activities that suit the park, teaming up Phone: (040) 4 28 23 21 57 with partners to organise attractive events that cater to www.plantenunblomen.de almost everyone. We create information brochures and www.facebook.com/plantenunblomen.hamburg/
Service Opening hours
Planten un Blomen, Kleine Wallanlagen, Old Botanical Garden 1 May – 4 Oct 7.00 am – 11.00 pm
5 Oct – 31 Mar 7.00 am – 8.00 pm
1 Apr – 30 Apr 7.00 am – 10.00 pm
Große Wallanlagen 1 Jan – 30 Apr 7.00 am – 10.00 pm
1 May – 30 Sep 7.00 am – 11.00 pm
1 Oct – 31 Dec 7.00 am – 10.00 pm
Show greenhouses of Universität Hamburg in the Old Botanical Garden March – October
Weekdays 9.00 am – 4.45 pm
Sat, Sun, public holidays 10.00 am – 5.45 pm
November – February
Sat, Sun, public holidays 10.00 am – 3.45 pm
Last entry 30 minutes before closing
Leisure activities
www.plantenunblomen.de
www.facebook.com/plantenunblomen.hamburg/
www.plantenunblomen.hamburg.de/minigolf-trampolin/
• Skating rink
• Ice rink
www.eisarena-hamburg.de
Phone: (040) 4 28 38 29 21
• Show gardens of the major conservation project
“Natürlich Hamburg!”
www.hamburg.de/natuerlich-hamburg/
All parts of the park are within easy reach of rail and bus services
Planten un Blomen: Bus 35 Hamburg Messe Old Botanical Garden: U1 Stephansplatz, S11, S21, S31 Dammtor, Bus 112 Stephansplatz Kleine Wallanlagen: U2 Messehallen, Bus 112 Johannes-Brahms-Platz Große Wallanlagen: U3 St. Pauli, Bus 112 Handwerks- kammer / Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte / St. Pauli Old Elbpark: U3 St. Pauli
For all other connections, go to www.hvv.de
Published by
Neuenfelder Straße 19, 21109 Hamburg
Responsible within the meaning of the German Press Law:
Jan Dube
Editing: Ina Heidemann, Axel Iwohn
Text: Eva Henze | Translation: Teresa Gehrs
Drawings: Wittek | Cover picture: Thomas M. Krenz
Design: Agency for Geoinformation and Surveying (LGV)
Hamburg-Mitte District Office
www.plantenunblomen.hamburg.de/
ENGLISH GUIDE
Kleine Wallanlagen
Water and Light Concerts The Bullerberge play area Planned extension of the parkThe ice rink The park team At work Show greenhouses with Mediterranean terraces Good vibes at the bandstand
Isola Bella at the park lake
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Gardeners at the Wallanlagen (1897)Tourist attraction and city park
The Japanese GardenA frenzy of blossoms The Rose Garden The well headThe water cascade The park as a habitat The Bismarck Monument in the Old Elbpark
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Isaak Altmann
Hamburg’s belt of fortifications around 1690 After demolition, the wall became a green space (1834)
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PARK CAFÉ “SCHÖNE AUSSICHTEN”
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Black-and-White Composition, 1953, sgraffito in clinker brick wall, K. R. H. Sonderborg3
Girl with Folder, pre-1953, bronze, unknown artist
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Allegories of Industry and Seafaring, 1912, shell limestone, Arthur Bock21
Allegories of the Hanseatic Cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, 1912, shell limestone, Arthur Bock20
Artistic Wrought Iron Gates, 1963, Heinz Neumann
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Allegory of the Imperial Act, 1903, Johannes Schilling
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Organs of Man, 1963, enamel murals, Vera Marie von Claer and Ragna Sperschneider8
Osaka II, 1972, steel tubing, Kenneth Snelson
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Panther, 1963, bronze, concrete, Hans Martin Ruwoldt
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Group of Flamingos, 1953, bronze, Hans Martin Ruwoldt
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Allegory of International Trans- port, 1903, Johannes Schilling
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Burial Monument for Dis- placed Citizens of Hamburg, 1815, sandstone, Carl Ludwig Wimmel13
Reclining Figure, 1976, Bronze, Edgar Augustin
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Rose Garden
Japanese Garden with Teahouse
Museum for Hamburg History