Elbphilharmonie
A wave-shaped glass concert hall built atop an old warehouse; its 37-metre circular public viewing platform offers free views over the harbour.
The Elbphilharmonie, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in 2017. Its base is a 1960s red-brick cocoa warehouse; above it rises a wave-like 'crystal' of more than a thousand curved glass panels, reaching about 110 m at its highest point. It has become Hamburg's new landmark. Most visitors head to the Plaza, the public observation deck on the 8th floor, reached by the 82-metre curved escalator known as the 'Tube'. Walking one full circle, you can see the harbour cranes, the Elbe, the warehouse district and the spires of the old town's churches. Free timed tickets for the Plaza can be collected on site; online reservations incur a small fee, and during peak season booking ahead is recommended. Entry to the main concert hall requires a concert ticket, which usually sells out weeks in advance, and paid architectural tours are also available. Take U-Bahn line U4 to Elbphilharmonie station, or harbour ferry line 72.
Opening hours
Plaza about 9:00am–midnight (hours vary during events)
Nearby sights
- Miniatur Wunderland
- Hamburg Dungeon
- Krameramtsstuben
- Speicherstadt & Kontorhaus District
- Cap San Diego Museum Ship
- St. Michael's Church
- St. Nikolai Memorial
- HafenCity