Discover Hamburg Scavenger Hunt
Discover Germany's great port city with a one-of-a-kind scavenger hunt. Wander the brick canyons of the Speicherstadt, ride the elevator inside the Elbphilharmonie, watch ships at the Landungsbrücken and toast the harbour with a Franzbrötchen in hand. Hamburg is your playground for the day.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Hamburg Rathaus
Navigate to the Rathausmarkt in front of the Hamburg City Hall and check in.
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2
Speicherstadt
Navigate to the Speicherstadt warehouse district and check in on any of the canal bridges.
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3
Elbphilharmonie
Navigate to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall on the HafenCity waterfront and check in at the entrance.
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4
Landungsbrücken
Navigate to the Landungsbrücken on the Elbe waterfront and check in.
Challenges (19)
Hamburg kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a typical Hamburg backdrop (a red-brick facade, a canal bridge, the Rathausmarkt fountain) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Hamburg Rathaus
Navigate to the Rathausmarkt in front of the Hamburg City Hall and check in.
Rathaus arches photo
In front of the Rathaus: line the team up under the arches of the facade and take a photo where everyone matches the rhythm of the columns.
Trivia: Rathaus inaugurated
The current Hamburg Rathaus was inaugurated in what year (one year off is fine, the answer is in the 1890s)?
Answers: 1897 / 1896 / 1898
Checkpoint: Speicherstadt
Navigate to the Speicherstadt warehouse district and check in on any of the canal bridges.
Speicherstadt reflection shot
Find a canal bridge in the Speicherstadt where the brick warehouses reflect in the water. Take a group photo with the reflection visible below.
Trivia: Speicherstadt UNESCO
In what year was the Speicherstadt added to the UNESCO World Heritage list (one year off is fine)?
Answers: 2015 / 2014 / 2016
Checkpoint: Elbphilharmonie
Navigate to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall on the HafenCity waterfront and check in at the entrance.
Elbphilharmonie wave roof
The Elbphilharmonie has a wave-shaped glass crown on top of an old brick warehouse base. Take a group photo where the team mimics the wave with their arms, the whole building behind you.
Checkpoint: Landungsbrücken
Navigate to the Landungsbrücken on the Elbe waterfront and check in.
Ship-spotting group shot
At the Landungsbrücken: take a group photo with a container ship, a harbour ferry or the dock cranes clearly in shot. Hamburg is the third busiest port in Europe, you will not wait long.
Trivia: Hamburg port rank
In Europe, Hamburg is the third busiest port. Which two ports rank above it (just one of them is enough)?
Answers: Rotterdam / rotterdam / Antwerp / antwerp / Antwerpen
Fish sandwich moment
A Fischbrötchen (fish sandwich) is the Hamburg snack. Find one at any harbour stand, share with the team and take a photo with everyone biting into one at the same time.
St. Michael's steeple from below
St. Michael's Church (Michel) has the tallest baroque steeple in Hamburg. Find a spot where you can see the green copper top and take a photo with the team pointing skyward.
Trivia: Hamburg founded
Hamburg was founded as a fortress in roughly which century? (Just the century number is fine, e.g. "9th".)
Answers: 9th / 9 / ninth / 9e / 9th century
Reeperbahn neon shot
Hamburg's Reeperbahn is the most famous entertainment district in Germany. Take a group photo on the Reeperbahn with neon, signs or theatre marquees in shot. Daytime is fine.
Local Hamburg tip
Convince a local Hamburger to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Brick texture team pose
Hamburg is the city of red brick. Find a brick wall with character and take a group photo where everyone leans against it in the same direction.
Hamburg finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Hamburg spot (a canal, the harbour, a Speicherstadt bridge) and take an amazing closing group photo. Moin from Hamburg!
Frequently asked questions
Plan four to five hours to walk the route from the Rathaus through the Speicherstadt to the Landungsbrücken at a relaxed pace, with photo stops and a coffee break. The route is roughly five kilometres point-to-point, mostly along the Alster and the harbour, so most of the time goes into the actual challenges rather than transit.
The core route is walkable, but Hamburg is large. The Rathaus to the Speicherstadt to the Landungsbrücken is roughly two kilometres of easy walking along the canals. To reach the Elbphilharmonie viewing terrace or the fish market you may want to hop one stop on the U-Bahn or the harbour ferry, both of which run frequently.
Yes, the Plaza viewing level inside the Elbphilharmonie is free but requires a timed ticket that you collect at the entrance or book online in advance. The actual concert hall needs a ticket. The challenge in this hunt only asks for an exterior photo, which is dramatic enough on its own.
May through September gives the longest daylight and the most outdoor harbour activity, with the fish market in full swing on Sunday mornings. October through April still works but expect wind, rain and cold along the Elbe, so pack layers. Avoid running the hunt in heavy rain because the Speicherstadt photos lose their charm.
The Rathausmarkt is the natural starting point: it has good public transport access (U-Bahn Rathaus, S-Bahn Jungfernstieg), photogenic facades for the opening group photo and the Speicherstadt is a fifteen-minute walk south. From there the route flows naturally to the Landungsbrücken via the harbour.