Alter Elbtunnel

Opening hours of the St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel
Pedestrians and cyclists: For cyclists and pedestrians, the St. Pauli Elbtunnel is open all year, except New Year's Eve, from 21:00 to 04:00, the St. Pauli Elbtunnel is closed to all users for security reasons.
Motor vehicles: open Mon - Fri 08.00 - 18.00
Closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays!

You can walk through the tunnel on foot under the Elbe to Steinwerder (free). From there you have a nice view of the harbor - sometimes from the other side. Back one can z. B. take the Elbe ferry (to the local transport tariff) as a mini-harbor cruise or walk back through the tunnel and again admire the technical facilities, but also the small beautiful stoneware reliefs on the tiled walls.

The more than 100-year-old tunnel that runs under the Elbe is unique. It is always open for pedestrians. A free experience - and a spectacular view of Hamburg from the other side is added as an encore.

Who does not know, should visit the tunnel. Easy with the elevator up and down, you can take bikes etc. Admission free!

You just have to go through the old Elbtunnel and admire the skyline of Hamburg from the other side.

The old Elbtunnel with its car lift is not only a technically fascinating building, it is also really beautiful. You should - at least once - do without the elevator and take the stairs.

However, as with all Hamburg's top attractions: avoid the weekend if possible! At the tourist weddings you can not really enjoy the tunnel. This also applies to the viewpoint in Steinwerder. But since most of the tourists run back directly, you only need to walk along the ferry channel to the small beach next to the Stage Theater (access is currently closed (December 2017) due to a construction site). There one has usually - except for the ship parade on the port birthday;) - his rest.

December 2017: The tunnel is being renovated. A tube is therefore blocked.

Als der alte Elbtunnel, der auch "St. Pauli Elbtunnel" heißt, 1911 eröffnet wurde, war er eine technische Sensation. Heute ist er ein nostalgisches und liebevoll gepflegtes Stück Hamburger Geschichte - und feierte bereits 100-jähriges Jubiläum.
Der markante quadratische Kuppelbau an den St. Pauli-Landungsbrücken beherbergt die Maschinerie und die vier großen Fahrkörbe, die Menschen und Fahrzeuge seit 1911 in fast 24 Meter Tiefe transportieren. Nach 426,5 Metern unter der Elbe und durch zwei gekachelte Röhren mit 6 Meter Durchmesser geht es in Steinwerder wieder ans Tageslicht.
Der Elbtunnel ist übrigens die ganze Nacht geöffnet, also ein echter Geh-Heim Tipp nach jeder nächtlichen Clubtour.
Der Alte Elbtunnel war die erste Flussuntertunnelung des Kontinents - und notwendig geworden, da sich das Wachstum des Hamburger Hafens vermehrt auf die südliche Elbseite verlagerte und eine verbesserte Verkehrsverbindung erforderte. Gebaut wurde er schließlich nach Vorbild des Clyde-Tunnels in Glasgow, nachdem Pläne für Schwebebahn, Trajekt und Hochbrücke verworfen worden waren. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden das Schachtgebäude des Elbtunnels auf der südlichen Elbseite durch die Bombenangriffe schwer getroffen. Von den Majolika mit Darstellungen von Wassertieren und volkstümlichen Motiven sind aber viele erhalten geblieben.
Seit 2003 steht der Alte Elbtunnel unter Denkmalschutz - und anlässlich des 100. Geburtstages zudem als "Historisches Wahrzeichen der Ingenieurbaukunst in Deutschland" geehrt. Zahlreiche Filmteams haben hier unten gedreht, und auch einen erfolgreichen Weltrekord der Modelleisenbahner hat dieser altgediente Tunnel schon beherbergt. Zudem kann der St. Pauli-Elbtunnel auch für Veranstaltungen gemietet werden. Eine etwas andere Idee für einen Spaziergang: Nach der Durchquerung des Tunnels kann man dann vom südlichen Elbufer aus das unvergleichliche Panorama mit Blick auf den Hafenrand, den Michel und die "Rickmer Rickmers" genießen.
hamburg-tourism.de/sehenswertes/historisches-hamburg/der-alte-elbtunnel

The tunnel is closed from 4 December 2017 due to renovation work. abendblatt.de/hamburg/article212558789/Alter-Elbtunnel-bleibt-vom-4-bis-8-Dezember-gesperrt.html

The 1911 opened St. Pauli Elbtunnel - in contrast to the existing since 1975 New Elbe Tunnel also called Alter Elbtunnel - underpasses the Norderelbe on a length of 426.5 meters and connects with two tunnels the northern harbor edge at the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken (♁ North entrance) with the Elbe island Steinwerder (♁south entrance). It is used as a public transport route by pedestrians and cyclists as well as motor vehicles. It was considered a technical sensation at its opening, has been a listed building since 2003 and was awarded the title Historic Landmark of Civil Engineering in Germany on 7 September 2011 by the Federal Chamber of Engineers and the Hamburg Chamber of Engineers. The honor panel was attached to the northern entrance (St. Pauli).
No access ramps were created for the tunnel. The vehicles are instead transported by lifts - four shafts each with a car on each bank side. With a usable length of about 9.5 meters, the middle elevators have a load capacity of ten tons each (10,000 kilograms). They are longer than the two outer elevators each of six tonnes and a length of about 7.3 meters. According to the plans of the Altona architectural community Raabe & Wöhlecke, two similar buildings were erected above the shafts - on the St. Pauli side of tuff stone, on the Steinwerder side of bricks - with copper-clad domes. There are also the drives for the cars housed. The southern entrance to Steinwerder was partially destroyed in the air raids on Hamburg; The dome was replaced during reconstruction by an inconspicuous flat roof. The preserved dome of the northern entrance was renovated in 2008.

Super nice tunnel! Recommended for everyone!

The 1911 opened St. Pauli Elbtunnel - in contrast to the existing since 1975 New Elbe Tunnel also called Alter Elbtunnel - underpasses the Norderelbe on a length of 426.5 meters and connects with two tunnels the northern harbor edge at the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken (♁ North entrance) with the Elbe island Steinwerder (♁south entrance). It is used as a public transport route by pedestrians and cyclists as well as motor vehicles. It was considered a technical sensation at its opening, has been a listed building since 2003 and was awarded the title Historic Landmark of Civil Engineering in Germany on 7 September 2011 by the Federal Chamber of Engineers and the Hamburg Chamber of Engineers. The honor panel was attached to the northern entrance (St. Pauli).
No access ramps were created for the tunnel. The vehicles are instead transported by lifts - four shafts each with a car on each bank side. With a usable length of about 9.5 meters, the middle elevators have a load capacity of ten tons each (10,000 kilograms). They are longer than the two outer elevators each of six tonnes and a length of about 7.3 meters. According to the plans of the Altona architectural community Raabe & Wöhlecke, two similar buildings were erected above the shafts - on the St. Pauli side of tuff stone, on the Steinwerder side of bricks - with copper-clad domes. There are also the drives for the cars housed. The southern entrance to Steinwerder was partially destroyed in the air raids on Hamburg; The dome was replaced during reconstruction by an inconspicuous flat roof. The preserved dome of the northern entrance was renovated in 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pauli-Elbtunnel

Nice tunnel. Beautiful photo motive

You just have to see it in Hamburg!

A very nice highlight, for me always a must visit when I'm in Hamburg. 👍🏼

Down stairs and walk through the tube (newly renovated) to the other side - that's awesome!

Great location in Hamburg, visit is worthwhile!

When the old Elbtunnel, also called St. Pauli Elbtunnel, was opened in 1911, it was a technical sensation. Today he is a nostalgic and lovingly cultivated piece of Hamburg historyThe distinctive square dome structure on the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken houses the machinery and the four large cars that transport people and vehicles since 1911 to a depth of almost 24 meters. After 426.5 meters under the Elbe and through two tiled tubes with a diameter of 6 meters, Steinwerder returns to the daylight.The Old Elbe Tunnel was the first river underpass on the continent - and became necessary because the growth of the Port of Hamburg increasingly shifted to the southern side of the Elbe and required an improved transport connection. It was built after the model of the Clyde Tunnel in Glasgow, after plans for suspension railway, Trajekt and high bridge had been discarded. During the Second World War, the shaft building of the Elbe Tunnel on the southern side of the Elbe was hit hard by the bombing. Many of the majolica with representations of aquatic animals and folk motifs have survived.In the course of the globalization of world trade, ever larger ships (especially container ships) are being built. The number of large and very large vessels has increased significantly. These have a great draft (up to 15 m) and can therefore no longer start the docks above the Old Elbe Tunnel. Up to the commissioning of the container terminals, a large part of the port transshipment took place in these harbor basins. Because of the Old Elbe Tunnel especially the Waltershofer ports were expanded. The volume of traffic has clearly shifted to these port areas; There is a lot of goods handling from sea to land transport and vice versa.Since the large cruise ships have less than ten meters of draft, they can call across the Old Elbe tunnel, the cruise terminal on the HafenCity. Until the end of the 1930s, the passenger halls of the Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG) were located at the beach harbor.Even today, the Old Elbe Tunnel is open for pedestrians and cyclists free of charge and for an unlimited period of time (with the exception of New Year's Eve from 9 pm to 4 am).Source:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pauli-Elbtunnel
hamburg-tourism.de/sehenswertes/historisches-hamburg/der-alte-elbtunnel

No access ramps were created for the tunnel. The vehicles are instead transported by lifts - four shafts each with a car on each bank side. With a usable length of about 9.5 meters, the middle elevators have a load capacity of ten tons each (10,000 kilograms). They are longer than the two outer elevators each of six tonnes and a length of about 7.3 meters. According to the plans of the Altona architectural community Raabe & Wöhlecke, two similar buildings were erected above the shafts - on the St. Pauli side of tuff stone, on the Steinwerder side of bricks - with copper-clad domes. There are also the drives for the cars housed. The southern entrance to Steinwerder was partially destroyed in the air raids on Hamburg; The dome was replaced during reconstruction by an inconspicuous flat roof. The preserved dome of the northern entrance was renovated in 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pauli-Elbtunnel

One more note:

"At the Elbe depression in 1981/82, the tunnel cover was reduced to one meter, during which work parts of the tunnel were separated from the rest of the tunnel system by a reinforced concrete wall, and a reinforced concrete structure was placed on the tunnel to protect against floating and damage. whereby the water depth on 10.6 meters could be increased relative to the old SKN (middle Springlow water).

In the course of the globalization of world trade, ever larger ships (especially container ships) are being built. The number of large and very large ships has increased significantly. These have a great draft (up to 15 m) and therefore can no longer start the docks above the Old Elbe Tunnel. Up to the commissioning of the container terminals, a large part of the port transshipment took place in these harbor basins. Because of the Old Elbe Tunnel especially the Waltershofer ports were expanded. The volume of traffic has clearly shifted to these port areas; There is a lot of goods transfer from sea to land transport and vice versa.

Since the big cruise ships have a draft of less than ten meters, they can call the cruise terminal on the HafenCity across the Alte Elbtunnel. "

Source:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pauli-Elbtunnel

"The fascination of the tunnel does not detract from the long-standing construction site either - those who climb down the 132 steps or drive in one of the goods lifts with the vertically opening wooden gates are still amazed by the artistic and effective layout." Interior and exterior and The unique construction without ramps - that fascinates people today, "says Sven Bardua, the Old Elbe Tunnel is the only tunnel in the world that works on this principle and is still used as a traffic route." His model in Glasgow was completely shut down in 1980. "

Quote from:
ndr.de/kultur/geschichte/chronologie/Ein-Baudenkmal-zum-Staunen-Der-Alte-Elbtunnel,alterelbtunnel105.html

The Elbtunnel is an absolute must - in the summer also a great cooling.

On foot, by bicycle or by car always a highlight of the city.

Fast connection under the Elbe to W'burg

You just have to see the old Elbtunnel, a historic building that belongs to Hamburg. There are several lifts up and down there. You can also cross the Elbtunnel by bicycle or wheelchair. Started from the jetties you come out after 426.5 meters under the Elbe on the other side in Steinwerder.