The HafenCity Hamburg planning initiative is a bold city regeneration project responsible for the continuing transformation of one of the world's biggest warehouse districts into a thriving city quarter, complete with commercial, retail and residential zones.
The initiative, which is expected to go on until 2020, is the largest of its kind in the whole of Europe and has already brought huge changes to the New Docklands area. A stroll through this central area interspersed with canals will bring you past the famous red-brick warehouses of the Speicherstadt district and a number of the fine new architectural achievements already completed along the banks of the River Elbe.
The project's figurehead is the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg's new concert hall, due to be completed in 2016. It is a modern glass structure designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron and is being constructed on the site of the old Kaispecher, a cocoa warehouse building. HafenCity Hamburg run free guided tours through the area for anyone interested in the current and planned features of this ambitious project. Tours can be taken by bike or on foot, they last around two hours and you can book a place at the area’s tourist office or online.
If you're looking for some perspective on the New Docklands area there's nowhere better than the 13-metre ViewPoint building. It's hard to miss this orange tower and a trip to the top will be rewarded with fine views across the concert hall, the cruise ships in the Überseequartier area and the new buildings on the waterfront – all easily identifiable through photos and descriptions.
Reach New Docklands using Line 4 of the U-Bahn. Stop at either the Überseequartier station, an area that has plenty of shops and restaurants, or the HafenCity University station. Parking is available in the vicinity of Überseequartier.
The New Docklands area is open 24 hours a day and there's no charge to enter.
