Hamburg Altona Elbe Running Route

Click here for route map 
Length: 12.2 km (7.6 miles), terrain flat, with moderate hills at Jenisch Park


Hamburg running routes:
Alster lake loop
Altona Elbe River run 
Planten en Blomen downtown park
Elegant Eppendorf and Stadtpark 
Klein Flottbek and eastern Elbe 
For other running routes, see the Route List. 
I've lived just outside Hamburg, Germany for almost 30 years, and I've only written-up one Hamburg route so far: shame on me! (See Alster Loop route description.) Hamburg is a great place to run, with beautiful, large parks (Stadtpark, Planten un Blomen, Wallanlage, Volkspark, etc.), lakes and rivers, lots of tree-lined streets and elegant old neighborhoods. It's amazing that a city that was half bombed-out in the war offers so much.

Neptune fountain in Platz der Republik

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
Here's a route that will take you through the west side of town, in the Altona neighborhood. Altona was a separate town until the 1930s. It was part of Schleswig-Holstein, built by the Danish king to compete with the Hamburg harbor. And it offers a wonderful stretch of riverside paths for some fine, scenic runs.

This route is an out-and-back, starting at the Altona train station, heading to the Elbe River and then downriver through a lot of varying, interesting scenery.

So, ready to start? Let's go!

Altona Rathaus

The south side of the Altona station borders a park called Platz der Republik. The park stretches toward the elegant old town hall and the Elbe River beyond. Just head straight out through the park, passing the gigantic Neptune fountain. On your right side, you'll pass the Altona Museum, housing lots of ship models and old toys, then the Altona Theater.

At the white town hall (Rathaus) building, stay on the right side, with the beautiful old church to the right, the Christianskirche (named after Danish King Christian VI). In the big churchyard, one of Germany's classical poets is buried, Friedrich Klopstock.

Behind the town hall, you have to cross the busy street, Palmaille, which turns into the Elbchaussee to the right. Cross to the other side, then also cross Kaistraße, which goes downhill diagonally from the same corner. You are now in a little park high up on a bluff overlooking the river, with the harbor behind. This is Altona's Balkon (balcony). There are several such parks along the bluff.

View from the Balkon

Take a look at the view of the harbor's industrial landscape across the river: cranes, mountains of containers, gas tanks, ships crawling about. As we run downriver, the scenery will get less and less industrial. Now turn to your right and follow the path as it goes downhill next to Kaistraße.

At the bottom of the hill, Kaistraße runs into the riverside street, Neumühlen, where you keep running straight ahead. You now have a choice of either running along the street, or cross it to the left to run behind the waterfront buildings, to jog directly along the water. This part of the river is lined with new office buildings and some older warehouses.

After half a kilometer, Neumühlen enters the beautiful Övelgönne neighborhood. Övelgönne is full of old houses built by sea-captains, with a museum harbor full of old Elbe sailing freighters and lighthouse-ships.

The museum harbor at Övelgönne

There are a few restaurants at the water's edge, too. The road ends at a beach, where you now have a choice of either running down along the loose sand, or turn right to go up the little lane that goes in front of all the old captains' houses that face the river. The houses all have front gardens to the left side of the lane, going down towards the beach.

Övelgönne café

You will definitely have trouble not envying the people who live in this great spot.

Old houses in Övelgönne

The lane sometimes takes a turn to the right or left, but continues for quite a while, parallel to the beach. Finally, it goes down closer to the water, and the Elbwanderweg begins. This tree-lined riverside footpath stretches for many kilometers ahead, until, west of Wedel, it runs along a dike through sheep pastures and estuary.

Along the Elbwanderweg

Just past Övelgönne, you'll see a giant boulder, der alte Schwede ("the old Swede"), pushed here by glaciers and then dug up when deepening the Elbe.

After about 2 more kilometers, the path comes to a small yacht harbor, and past it, a ferry landing, at Teufelsbrück. The path turns to the right to go around the harbor. At this point we will leave the river to cross the street, Elbchaussee, and do a loop through the park across the street, Jenisch Park. There are zebra-stripes at the crossing.

NOTE: The buildings across the river past Teufelsbrück are the Airbus aerospace factory, where they build the A320.

When you cross the street, take the path to the left side and follow it as it goes uphill above the small valley. Jenisch Park was once a private park around a classical mansion. The land surrounds a stream valley, with a nature preserve around the stream, and wide lawns all around.

In Jenisch Park

You will soon come to the white mansion, then loop around to the right, and come back out to the same zebra stripes at Elbchaussee again.

Mansion on Elbchaussee

So now you just head home. You have a choice: either head back the same way you came, along the Elbwanderweg, or run up Elbchaussee. Elbchaussee is lined with big villas of every style, size and shape, and several parks, but has a steady stream of traffic. It comes right out at the corner where you crossed to the Balkon earlier.

Another Elbchaussee house: not every house is classical!

Whichever way you go, you won't regret it!

NOTE: If you want to do even more distance, you could leave out the Jenisch Park loop and just continue along the Elbe past Teufelsbrück. In  3 kilometers you come to Hamburg's most scenic neighborhood, Blankenese, with its hillside houses connected with a maze of stairways and little lanes: truly charming!

Auckland Domain / Parnell Running Route

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Length: 5.2 km (3.2 miles), terrain hilly with two 50-meter hills

Auckland running routes:
Auckland Devonport island run
Auckland Domain park and Parnell route
For more running routes, see Route List

NOTE: I neglected to take pictures inside the Domain, so I added some screenshots from Google Maps StreetView

Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, is a very vertical place. It's almost impossible to avoid hills during a run, unless you stay next to the (mostly beautiful, but not everywhere) waterside the whole time. So, if you want to experience all the town's hidden treasures, you'll just have to embrace the idea of a few hard uphill slogs. That's just what this run will do.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
But the scenery will make it all well worth it, believe me. This route winds from the hilltop Albert Park  downtown, down across the valley separating it from the huge hilltop Domain park (sits atop an old volcano rim), and then looping downhill through the hip main street of Parnell before going back up the hill to Albert Park again.

Banyan and bandstand in Albert Park

Let's start right in the middle of Albert Park, at the floral clock, a flower bed whose flowers make up the face and numbers for the giant clock hands rotating in the middle. Do a short loop through this pleasant park before we head out: run the few steps to the fountain, then turn left to run south the short way to the little bandstand. This end of the park is lined with gigantic banyan trees, always an impressive sight.

Turn left to exit the park on Princes Street. Across the street you'll see some of the University of Auckland buildings, which sprawl over the next few blocks. Go left a few steps to take the side street, Alfred Street, which becomes Grafton Road after just a block. Grafton Road goes downhill, going over a big expressway (Stanley Street) and ends at the bottom of the Domain.

Cross the intersection to the park and continue straight uphill through the park lawn, with the lawn-bowling club to your right, and the boulders to your left. This path leads up into a little woods. The most scenic way is to keep to your left side, within the ravine, where the path becomes a boardwalk going through jungle and blooming trees. You've just found paradise in the middle of a big city.

NOTE: If you prefer a graded asphalt surface, take a side trail to your left up to Lovers Lane, which runs parallel to the trail, and which is hardly less scenic.

Heading up Lovers Lane in the Domain, from Google StreetView

Both the trail and Lovers Lane come out together in the main Domain parkland at the duck ponds, which you'll see when you cross Domain Drive. Run along the left edge of the duck ponds and keep going straight uphill, and you'll see the rounded greenhouses of the Wintergarden up ahead. Run by (or, better yet, through!) the Wintergarden, and come out on the backside, with all the cricket fields ahead of you.

Domain Wintergarden, from Google StreetView

This area was once a swampy volcano crater, and the duck ponds are naturally fed from the crater watershed. Turn left here, on Wintergarden Road to head towards the massive War Memorial Museum on the crater rim ahead. You can't miss it. Running straight ahead brings you right by the front facade of the building, with the cenotaph memorial out front. From the front steps, you have a view over the Hauraki Gulf, with Rangitoto volcano, and the many other islands in the distance. This is the highest point of the run.

War Memorial Museum and Cenotaph in the Domain, from Google StreetView

Keep running past the museum, running down the steps and cross the street to keep going straight on the dirt path curving to the right. This puts you on Domain Drive again, heading southeast to exit the park.

You come out on Parnell Road, where you turn left and go straight for almost a kilometer. You will pass the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral on the right side. The older, wooden building is more interesting than the newer brick one that they built behind it.

Along Parnell Road

After the cathedral, the road starts going downhill, and Parnell's hip shopping district begins. Parnell is Auckland's oldest suburb, full of little wooden houses with tin roofs and tidy lawns. And Parnell Road is full of galleries, boutiques, good restaurants, homemade chocolate shops, etc. The best part begins after you cross Birdwood Crescent. On the left side for the next few blocks the restaurants and shops have beautiful gardens and courtyards out behind the main buildings, full of terraces for eating, browsing or just hanging out. Make sure you zig-zag through a few of them.

In a Parnell Courtyard

Back on Parnell Road, on the right side, at Denby Street, you'll see the little white Catholic church, and then, appropriately, Auckland's best Irish pub: The Bog. They have regular, entertaining live music sessions.

Another Parnell Courtyard

Continuing running downhill, Parnell Road becomes less scenic, and curves to the left to become Parnell Rise. There is a triangular park on the right side, Fraser Park. To avoid the loud streets ahead, take a turn off to the left just when Fraser Park ends, on the little side-street, Carlaw Park Avenue. It leads through a small tunnel under the train lines that separate Parnell from the Domain.

Carlaw comes out at Stanley Street, just 2 blocks north of where you first entered the Domain earlier. Cross Stanley and head up your last hill on Alten Road. Alten runs along the north side of the university, past some of its oldest buildings. You'll also pass beautiful St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on the left.

After half a kilometer, you'll come to the intersection of Princes Street. Turn left and run past the beautiful tower of the main university building to turn into Albert Park again on your right side. Might as well sit down somewhere here now and enjoy it!

Paris Parc Chaumont Running Route

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Length: 5.4 km (3.4 miles), terrain hilly

Paris Running Routes:
Best Paris Running Routes: Overview
Seine island of St. Louis, St. Paul, botanical garden  
Left bank and Luxembourg Gardens 
Paris' green heart: Bois de Boulogne   
Canal St. Martin  
Montmartre/Pigalle
Rock formations of Parc Chaumont  
Seine loop with Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower  
Seine riverside run 
Bois de Vincennes 
Versailles Palace Gardens 
La Défense/Nanterre 
Saint Germain 
For more running routes, see Route List

NOTE: This route partially overlaps with the Canal St. Martin route. 

The (for tourists) little-known Parc des Buttes Chaumont is one of the recreational jewels of Paris. Located in the northeast part of town, it's one of the few bigger parks in the city, set in a dramatic landscape. The ex-quarry has massive cliffs and a big lake, and it's very steep, and beautiful from every angle. And better yet, it includes 5 kilometers of really scenic trails.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
Just make sure that you show up before nighttime: the park closes at night, at 11 pm in the summer and 9 pm in the winter.

The square at Gare de l'Est

To start our run, we'll meet in front of Gare de l'Est train station, just 2 blocks from Gare du Nord, and easy to reach from a variety of Metro lines. Facing the station, turn to your right and then cross the street (Rue de Faubourg St. Martin) and run into the side street (Avenue de Verdun). Immediately turn right to run through the green gate in the ivy-covered wall, and you'll enter a small park, Jardin Villemin. Run through the park and you'll come to the street (Quai de Valmy) along the Canal St. Martin.

Canal St. Martin: run under the bridge, up the steps and then over the same bridge

At the canal, turn left and run up to the first bridge, then cross over the bridge to continue the run on the other side of the canal.

But after just 10 meters, at the zebra stripes, turn right to run into the entry between the apartment buildings on the right side, at the Quartier de la Grange-aux-belles sign. Running through the plaza between the apartments, you'll come out at the oval plaza, the Place du Colonel Fabien. Run straight across the oval, towards the street leading away on the other side, at the modern glass building with the white UFO parked on its lawn. This is Avenue Moreau.

Way into the apartment plaza: Grange-aux-belles

Run uphill along Moreau. After a few blocks, the street ends at Parc des Buttes Chaumont. You'll see an old red-brick house inside the park gates. Run into the park and turn left at the house. The path forks after just a few steps: run on the right-hand (uphill) section where the path splits. This is definitely a hill run, with a 70-meter rise (did I forget to mention that? Ooops).

Parc Chaumont lake

Up at the top of the ridge, you'll see a path turning off to the left, leading over a ridge to another hilltop, carved out of the surrounding valley when it was a quarry. Run up to the round pavillion, the Belvedere de Sybil, 30 meters above the lake, for the best view around.

Belvedere de Sybil in Parc Chaumont

From the pavillion, run south again back over the high stone "suicide bridge" and curve around towards the east (to the left). Don't forget to look back from where you came: the view to the pavillion is amazing. You'd never think you were in the middle of Paris, but in some fairy landscape. You'll also pass a man-made grotto with waterfalls.

Parc Chaumont grotto with waterfalls

Along the way, you'll pass one of the trendiest bars in Paris, Rosa Bonheur: people regularly have to wait in line to get in. A single park gate is left open for guests at night, at the intersection of Rue de Crimée and Rue Botzaris.

When you get towards the southeast corner of the park, near the Rue Botzaris entrance, take the path that curves downwards to the left, into the valley below. At the bottom, take the path to the left to head around the lake at the bottom of the belvedere, near the outside edge of the park.

Once around the lake, the path heads uphill (again!) towards the entrance way.

Another plus for the park: it has free wifi. In the summer, the lawns are covered with people sitting there typing away with their laptops. Cool idea!

Parc Chaumont lawn on a spring evening

When you get to the red-brick house again, head back out Avenue Moreau again the same way you came, this time downhill.

You'll definitely have to get back here again to explore the other corners of the park!