Sunrise over Hafencity in Hamburg

In summer, the sunrise in Hamburg is very early, long before the daily ferry and boat traffic begins. On a calm day, this gives you a good chance of a smooth surface on the Elbe, allowing for a sharp reflection of the Hamburg city skyline. The magnificent architecture of Hamburg’s new landmark, the Elbphilharmonie, stands out with its wave-shaped roof.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to visit the Elbphilharmonie construction site back in 2013. At the time, there were major discussions about cost increases and delays, which began to fade when looking at the finished building. The view of the harbour and the city from the flats was truly grand. A glass facade with recessed balconies, whose openings are modelled on ‘tuning forks’, rests on the brick base. I wonder if that often provides a nice place to sit in windy Hamburg? So, there I was standing on the banks of the Elbe in the early morning, marvelling at the impressive building after the atmospheric sunset, at night, and finally at dawn.

While taking photos, I spoke to a worker from the Blohm & Voss shipyard. He told me that he likes to stop by here before or after his shift to relax and take in the impressive panorama. Among other things, he mentioned that new living space is being created in a central location behind the Elbphilharmonie in Hafencity, and that many Hamburg residents were outraged (out of envy?) because affordable social and student housing is also being built in Hafencity – with a view of the Elbe! While the rising sun bathed the city in increasingly glistening light, we comfortably brewed and drank our morning coffee. Finally, we set off to cover the rest of the way to our destination, the north of Denmark – via the motorway, which was still relatively quiet on an early Sunday morning before the day-trippers head for the sea.