2021 - September - Hamburg Blankenese with stair quarter

In Hamburg, just a few bus or train stops are enough and you will find yourself in one of the upscale villa districts from the trendy district of St. Pauli or the Schanze.

And since Hamburg is proven to have the most income millionaires in Germany, there are certainly more villas here than elsewhere. Wealthy people have to live somewhere, after all.

But there is a district in Hamburg that has a completely different charm than all the others, and that is Blankenese. The former fishing village has the character of a suburb, and everything is really idyllic here. Let's take the only bus line (488) from Blankenese as an example. When we rode it, everyone knew the driver Birgit and she knew everyone. And in the bus, everything that is currently going on is immediately discussed.

Since Blankenese is actually hilly and the streets are narrow, the 488 operates as a circular bus line and essentially always drives in a circle.

While there are some very large villas up on the hill (with doorbells that consist only of initials), the houses are generally smaller. However, it can be assumed that the prices in this great location are not to be despised.

The houses in this sloping location are often only accessible via stairs. There are said to be more than 5,000 steps to climb in the entire neighborhood. It is actually fun to walk through the small alleys. They crisscross and many have names that end in 'Treppe' (for example, Beckers Treppe, Bornholdts Treppe, Bröers Treppe, Möllers Treppe...). And that's why this neighborhood is called 'Treppenviertel' (Stair Quarter).

If you want to explore it in a comfortable way, you can take the 488 bus up to Süllberg and then walk downhill to the banks of the Elbe.

But why stop at the banks of the Elbe, there is even a real sandy beach here! And if you enjoy a relaxed view of the river from there, you can discover something else: the shipwreck Uwe. It has been there since a collision with another ship in 1975.

Or you can simply take a relaxed beach walk to the Lower Lighthouse. The red-and-white eye-catcher is always worth a photo. And along the way, you will definitely find a delicious fish sandwich.

Feeling tempted? Then head to Hamburg Blankenese!