Cherry blossom in Hamburg

If you ever have the chance to visit Hamburg in spring, do not hesitate to do so. Right in the center of the city, there are some wonderful spots to see some cherry blossom trees!

According to the German city’s official website, there is even an annual “Kirschblütenfest”, which literally means “Cherry Blossom Festival“. The festival, which is helad annually in May, features a mix of fireworks, art and music. Hamburg is a sister city of the Japanese city Osaka. Since the Cherry Blossom Festival was first held in the ’60s, the Japanese community donated over 5000 cherry blossom trees, also known as sakura, to the city!

Unfortunately I did not have a chance to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival myself, as I visited Hamburg on a layover in the very last week of March this year. But because of the relatively warm month of March this year in Germany, many cherry blossom trees had just started blooming!

When to see Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) in Hamburg?

While the exact time you will see the first- and last cherry blossom trees blooming depends on the weather each year, it is safe to say that you should be able to see plenty of cherry blossoms in April. Cherry blossom trees bloom for about six weeks, the first weeks they are prettier than the last ones. Keep in mind that some trees might bloom a bit earlier- or later as well.

Where to see Cherry Blossom trees in Hamburg?

Binnenalster (Kirschblüte an der Alster)

My first stop were the trees along the Binnenalster, part of a lake in the city center. At the northern side of the lake you will find a row of Sakura trees lined up on the Kennedy Bridge, with the city centre in the backdrop. I went in the afternoon, but the light wasn’t really in my favor. The next morning I went again. It was a very foggy morning, but later on the sky cleared and turned blue. Google maps: Kirschblüte an der Alster.

Planten un Blomen (Japanese Teahouse & Garden)

First I thought I couldn’t find the name of the park I just visited. On Google Maps is just says Planten un Blomen, which literally means “plants and flowers”. But that’s actually the name of the park. Inside of the park you will also find a Japanese garden and teahouse. One part of the park is full with cherry blossom trees! This is the perfect place to take pictures with the iconic Heinrich Hertz Tower in the backdrop. If you post a story of the cherry blossoms with the tower in the backdrop, some people might think you’re in Japan!

Other places to see Sakura trees in Hamburg

While I only had time to visit above two places on my 24h layover in Hamburg, I found some other places online that are said to be full of cherry blossoms in Hamburg too. The most mentioned one is the Alsterpark. Another famous spot seems to be Altonaer Balkon. Both are a little bit further away from the city center than the other places mentioned above. If you do visit those or any other spots, please drop a comment below as I’d love to see the pictures you took there!

Visited: last week of March, 2022.