Matching products and services for Hamburg
Planten un Blomen is the large park in the middle of Hamburg, directly adjacent to the city center and the exhibition grounds. The name is Low German for "plants and flowers." For visitors, it is primarily one thing: the place where you can do nothing for an hour in the middle of the city's hustle and bustle, without having to travel outside the city.
The areas
- The Japanese Garden with a tea house, the largest of its kind in Europe. The quietest part of the park.
- The Rose Garden, the most striking area in summer.
- The Tropical Greenhouses, open year-round and one of the few free indoor options in the city when it rains.
- The large playground with a water play area, a popular spot for families in summer.
- The Park Lake with the stage for the water light concerts.
The Water Light Concerts
From May to September, water light concerts take place in the evenings on the Park Lake: fountains illuminated to music. They run daily, later in midsummer than in spring, because they require darkness.
Admission is free. If you want a good seat, arrive half an hour beforehand, as seating around the basin is limited. It's one of the few evening events in Hamburg that costs nothing and still makes an impression.
In winter
In the cold season, the roller skating rink transforms into an ice rink and is one of the largest in the city. Skates can be rented on-site, and because the rink is in the park, the backdrop is different from an indoor arena.
The rest of the park is quiet and sparsely visited in winter. The greenhouses are then the warmest free indoor space in the city center, which more people should know about.
When to come
On weekday mornings, the park is almost empty. Sunny weekend afternoons in summer are the busiest times, especially on the lawns and at the playground.
Matching products and services for Hamburg
For a city trip, it's intended as a stopover, not a destination: an hour between the city center and evening activities. If you want a full day in nature, it's better to go to Stadtpark or Jenischpark, see Insider Tips for the Weekend.
Directions and Practical Information
The park has several entrances and is located between Dammtor, the exhibition halls, and St. Pauli. It's just a few minutes' walk from Dammtor train station, which is the most convenient access point.
There is no entrance fee, neither for the park nor for the greenhouses or the water light concerts. This makes Planten un Blomen one of the destinations that make a day in Hamburg affordable, see Hamburg Attractions.
What the park is not
It is not a day trip destination and not an attraction in the sense of a sight. Anyone who comes with this expectation will be done and disappointed after forty minutes.
It is a break. For this, it works better than anything else in the city center, and anyone who plans their city trip with a real break instead of three destinations in a row will feel better in the evening. In case your legs give out completely, there's the NAIPO Relax Lounge in HafenCity with twenty minutes in a massage chair.
Matching products and services for Hamburg
Written by NAIPO Editorial Team · Massage & Product Experts from Hamburg
Product experts, service technicians, and massage enthusiasts at Alsterwell GmbH — specializing in massage technology for over a decade, with our own workshop and showrooms for test sitting.
Fact-checked by David Eberst · Co-founder of NAIPO
