Alter Elbtunnel (Old Elbe Tunnel)

The Alter Elbtunnel opened in 1911 as an engineering solution to get shipyard workers across the Elbe without relying on ferries, running about 24 meters beneath the riverbed to connect the Landungsbrücken with the Steinwerder shipyards on the opposite bank. Two domed entrance buildings mark either end, and inside, large freight elevators, originally built to lower horse-drawn carts and later automobiles to the tunnel floor, are still in operation today alongside stairs for pedestrians. The pedestrian and cyclist tunnel itself is lined with glazed white tiles and lit by a row of overhead lights along its roughly 426-meter length, giving it a distinctly early-20th-century industrial character. Walking through to the far side and back, including time on the elevators, takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and the Steinwerder side offers a quieter, less-visited view back across the river toward the Landungsbrücken and Elbphilharmonie. Because the elevators only run during set daytime hours, visits are best planned within that window; outside those hours, the tunnel remains walkable via the stairs. Daytime crossings, particularly in clear weather, give the best views of harbor traffic from the pier decks on the Steinwerder side.