Status: 03/14/2023 1:17 p.m
It used to be ships and fishing, today Hamburg-Finkenwerder is best known for the Airbus factory. At the same time, the district on the south side of the Elbe offers a lot of greenery.
High-tech industry and natural landscapes, apple orchards and shipyards: Finkenwerder is one of the most diverse districts in Hamburg. In the past, the district south of the Elbe was known primarily for fishing and shipbuilding, today it is an important location for aviation technology. Around 15,000 people work there at the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
186 fishing cutters were once in Finkenwerder
The pilot house at the entrance to the port of Finkenwerder was built in 1914 according to plans by Fritz Schumacher.
Up until the 1970s, Finkenwerder was known for shipbuilding. A number of shipyards, including one of Hamburg’s most important shipyards, Deutsche Werft, had settled there. Today only a few small shipbuilders exist. The Rüschpark is now located on the former site of the Deutsche Werft, which merged with the Howaldtswerke in 1968.
In addition, a large fishing fleet was once based in Finkenwerder, as early as the 17th century fishermen sailed from the Elbe island to the North Sea. At the end of the 19th century there were around 186 fishing boats in the port of Finkenwerder. One of them was the deep-sea cutter “Landrath Küster”, built in 1889. The historic sailing ship is now in the cutter harbor. It is still drivable and offers regularly Cruises on the Elbe an.
The blue and white striped “Finkenwerder Fischerhemd” and the traditional dish plaice Finkenwerder Art, in which the fish is served with bacon, are a reminder of the long history of Finkenwerder as a fishing village.
Gorch Fock: Parental home of the local poet
In some places, the district has retained a village character to this day. For example, there are several pretty historic brick houses on Steendiek Street. That is also worth seeing Gorch Fock House am Neßdeich, the family home of the well-known local poet, built in 1880. It is open to visitors every first Sunday of the month (2-5:30 p.m., except from November to February).
30 minutes by ferry to the Landungsbrücken
As a residential area, Finkenwerder scores with its proximity to the city center: the Landungsbrücken can be reached by ferry in half an hour. Due to the good accessibility with the harbor ferries, Finkenwerder is a popular destination, especially on the weekends – however, most passengers do not leave the ship at the port of Finkenwerder, but return straight away. You use the ferry for sightseeing and enjoy the beautiful view over the banks of the Elbe and the harbour.
Green Finkenwerder
It’s worth getting off, because Finkenwerder is very green. To this day, fruit growing characterizes large areas in the south of the district. Traditionally, apples are mainly grown here, the old apple variety “Finkenwerder Herbstprinz” comes from the Elbe island.
The nature reserve Alte Süderelbe is still considered an insider tip among the green excursion destinations in Hamburg.
The district also includes two nature reserves, the Alte Süderelbe, a former southern branch of the Elbe, and the Westerweiden. To the west of the Airbus site, the Süderelbe is separated by a dam. It was created after the great storm surge of 1962, when the dykes on Finkenwerder broke in several places. Since then, Finkenwerder is no longer an island. But before that there was already a road connection to the mainland.
Finkenwerder is also a good starting point for walks along the dikes or bike rides in the Altes Land. If you visit the district in summer, you can also plan a detour to the outdoor pool, which is not far from the ferry dock. Special feature: From the sunbathing lawn you can watch the huge container freighters sailing on the Elbe.
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