Attraction
Elbphilharmonie
Herzog & de Meuron's glass concert hall on a 1960s brick warehouse, with a public Plaza 37 metres up that gives a full circuit of views…
Speicherstadt
A 1.5-kilometre run of red-brick Neo-Gothic warehouses on oak piles and canals, inscribed by UNESCO in 2015 together with the Kontorhaus district and the Chilehaus.
At a glance
- Type
- UNESCO World Heritage warehouse district
- Area
- Speicherstadt, Hamburg, Germany
- Official site
- hamburg-travel.com
Good to know
- Free to explore
- Canal bridges
- Museums
- Boat tours
Why we recommend it
The Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse district of its kind and one of the most photographed places in Hamburg. It was built from 1883 as a free port zone, where goods could be stored and handled without customs duties after Hamburg joined the German customs union. Clearing the site meant demolishing the old Kehrwieder and Wandrahm quarters and moving more than 20,000 people. The result is a district about 1.5 kilometres long, laced with canals known as fleets and lined with tall red-brick warehouses with Neo-Gothic gables, towers and turrets, all standing on oak timber piles.
About half the buildings were destroyed in the bombing of 1943, and careful rebuilding was completed in 1967. The warehouses were built and run by the Freihafen-Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft, a predecessor of today's port operator HHLA, and Franz Andreas Meyer designed the red-brick facades. The district was listed as a protected heritage site in 1991. In 2015 UNESCO inscribed the Speicherstadt and the neighbouring Kontorhaus district, including the Chilehaus, as a World Heritage Site. The Chilehaus, completed in the 1920s for shipping magnate Henry B. Sloman, is worth the short walk across the canal: its brick facades meet at a sharp angle that resembles a ship's bow.
Some warehouses are still used for storage, and the district has long been linked to the trade in carpets, coffee, tea and spices. Many others now hold offices, shops and attractions, including Miniatur Wunderland, the German Customs Museum and the International Maritime Museum in Kaispeicher B, one of the oldest warehouses in the area.
The district is free to wander, and the bridges over the fleets give the classic views of brick facades rising straight out of the water. It is also the focus of most harbour boat tours, which give a different angle on the warehouses from water level and are a good way to understand how the free port worked.
Allow an hour for a walk, or most of a day if you add museums. The district became part of the HafenCity quarter in 2008, and the Elbphilharmonie and the modern HafenCity promenades are on its doorstep.
Speicherstadt FAQs
Is the Speicherstadt free to visit?
Yes, the streets, bridges and canal sides are public and can be explored at any time without a ticket.
Why is it a World Heritage Site?
UNESCO inscribed the Speicherstadt with the Kontorhaus district and the Chilehaus in 2015 as an outstanding example of port warehouse and office architecture.
When was it built?
Construction began in 1883 to create a free port zone, and the district was rebuilt after heavy bomb damage in 1943.
How big is the district?
It is about 1.5 kilometres long and 250 metres wide, covering 26 hectares.
What is inside the warehouses today?
A mix of storage, offices and attractions, including Miniatur Wunderland and the International Maritime Museum.
Can you see it by boat?
Yes, the Speicherstadt is the focus of most Hamburg harbour tours.
How long should you allow?
About an hour for a walk, or a full day if you combine it with museums nearby.
What is the Chilehaus?
A 1920s office building by Fritz Höger in the neighbouring Kontorhaus district, known for its sharp, ship's-bow corner; it is part of the same World Heritage Site.