The combination of city and river is unique in this form. There are industrial and harbour locations on the river, but right next door are idyllic side arms and picturesque cruising destinations. Variety is guaranteed, it never gets boring here. And every sailor will find exactly what they are looking for.
The attraction is not obvious at first glance. The water looks scruffy, the current is strong and the traffic is heavy. Nevertheless, the area on the doorstep of the Hanseatic city has countless absolutely worthwhile destinations and impressive experiences in store. Anchoring on seal banks and sheltered islands, for example. Unexpected wilderness in the side arms. Culinary and cultural highlights in abundance. YACHT is dedicated to these special features in a detailed special section.
Author Marc Bielefeld, for example, reports on the scepticism with which he moved his yacht from the Baltic Sea to the river for a season because he was forced to do so. But the doubts faded with every sailing lesson. They gave way to a genuine enthusiasm for the great river. And Bielefeld is not an isolated case, it happens to many.
YACHT asked area experts for their personal tips and they revealed their favourite destinations. You can read about the 25 highlights that emerged in the new issue of YACHT. We can reveal in advance that there are likely to be a few surprises among them, even for experienced Elbe sailors.
The region's water sports centre is the 2000-place marina in Wedel. It's called the Hamburg marina, but is located just outside the city. Find out why this is the case, what sailors can expect and what happens there every day in a large portrait of the harbour.
And finally, Ingo Rieger describes the peculiarities of the coexistence of pleasure craft and commercial shipping on one of the world's busiest waterways. And Rieger knows what he is talking about: he is both an Elbe pilot and an enthusiastic sailor. He wishes that sailors could see themselves from the perspective of the tall ship: "The 'aha' effect would certainly have a lasting effect on the behaviour of some sailors."
