Stand-up paddling on the Dove Elbe? Even long-established Hamburg residents have to do a bit of thinking to categorise and locate the tributary of the Elbe in the south of Hamburg. The 1.8 million inhabitants of the Hanseatic city know "their" Elbe, but the tributaries? And for stand-up paddling, there is the Outer Alster with its canals, where hundreds of paddlers - standing and sitting - can be found on warm summer days. If you want to enjoy a leisurely paddle, this is definitely not the place for you.
But there is another way: the Alster is of course the most convenient SUP option for us Hamburgers, but a trip on the Dove-Elbe is definitely worth the little extra effort it takes to get there. The tributary of the Elbe, which was created in the 15th century, is 18 kilometres long and is perfect for stand-up paddling and exploring tranquil, idyllic natural landscapes - and all within Hamburg city limits. Really?
This really still belongs to Hamburg
Yes, this section is still part of Hamburg. Via the A25 motorway from the Allermöhe exit, it is just one kilometre to Eichbaumsee, from where we have already started several times. There are adjacent, free car parks, but these are no longer an insider tip, especially on sunny weekends. The people of Hamburg like to come here in large numbers to go for a walk, swim, barbecue, chill out or, like us, to go SUPing. The queue in front of the ice cream van on warm days reflects the popularity of this local recreation area. We use the jetty of the "Youth Group Sailing Centre". On this early summer's day, two horses are allowed to bathe at the neighbouring bathing area, which they clearly enjoy and happily stamp their legs in the water.
We head north towards the Tatenberg marina and Möller sports boat harbour and several boat hire companies. Boarding points are more difficult to find here and with the Tatenberg lock we reach the northern end of the Dove-Elbe. The Norderelbe makes a short turn to the Dove-Elbe here.
Hamburg Allermöhe
From the anchorage known among boaters as "Rentnerbucht", the route heads back south, where the Dove-Elbe widens. If you want, you can really let your paddle fly here on the "Hamburg-Allermöhe regatta course". The 2000-metre regatta course is designed for international rowing and canoeing competitions and, together with the performance centre, forms the Olympic training centre. However, it is rarely used. More often, however, you see small, floating "water BBQ" islands where everyone is in a good mood. On our Sunday afternoon paddle round, it's a clique of lads who only eat a little salad, but all the more steaks and beers.
Gose-Elbe
A short turn to the west and we are already in the Gose-Elbe, the second branch of the Elbe. We paddle a little further, to the riding dyke. This is where most stand-up paddlers meet, as this point is either used as a starting point or to celebrate a birthday, take a short break or have a quick picnic. In any case, it's fun to have a chat here.
Dove-Elbe
We head back in an easterly direction and return to the Dove-Elbe. We continue paddling along the wide regatta route and the Allermöher Deich road, which we can only rarely see from the water.
Peace, idyll and animals. After a few kilometres, a couple is sitting on a piece of land and we strike up a conversation. "Stand-up paddlers? Yes, they come by occasionally. But we have a small paddle boat that we use to explore the Dove-Elbe and sometimes the Gose-Elbe. On a sunny day, we did the circuit of both tributaries, it was a full day's trip, we paddled hard and ended up with a sunburn!"
Most of the time you are alone on the water
While we still saw a few people on and around the Allermöher regatta course and the Eichbaumsee, there were fewer and fewer as we travelled south. On a tour lasting a good two to three hours, there are just three rowing boats that we encounter upstream or downstream; we are alone on the water most of the time. By the way, you don't have to be afraid of currents on the Dove-Elbe. The side arm is more of a quiet canal.
Cows standing on the dyke come running towards us, and a dairy cow stands eye to eye in front of me. Is she coming into the water and towards me? I prefer to take a step back. This rural and flat North German landscape with green meadows - not called Marschlande for nothing - doesn't suggest that we're still paddling through Hamburg.
There are a few houseboats moored at the Allermöher shipyard that have already suffered the ravages of time. A farmer mows his meadow on a tractor and we continue through a somewhat narrower Dove-Elbe, from which the neighbouring densely built-up district of Bergedorf can only be glimpsed. In the midst of this atmosphere, we suddenly spot an otter swimming through the thicket of the embankment! For us, it is the first otter we have ever seen in the wild. The "Animal of the Year 2021" is on the "Red List of Threatened Species". As suddenly as we spot this otter next to us, the one-metre-long animal quickly disappears again under a tree jutting out into the river. In addition to ducks and geese, we also occasionally see a grey heron. With a wingspan of almost two metres, these birds find rich fishing grounds in the Dove-Elbe.
Reitbrook mill
The Reitbrook mill is located around two kilometres behind the Allermöher shipyard. The approximately 150-year-old grist mill was still in operation until the 1940s and is still an eye-catcher today. The opposite bank is often used as a fishing spot and as there are parking facilities, we have also launched our SUP boards here. At this point, we meet two paddlers who tell us enthusiastically about their two-hour tour southwards along the Dove-Elbe.
After two more kilometres, we paddle straight towards the Krapphof lock. This leads to the districts of Nettelnburg and Bergedorf, and there is a roller conveyor on the right-hand side for transferring boats or boards. For us, however, the route continues upstream. The Bergedorfer Kanu-Club and the Ruder-Club Bergedorf are based in this section of the Dove-Elbe with their clubhouses and jetties. "Oh, the stand-up paddlers!" a woman smiles at us from an eight-person rowing boat. Do other SUPers often get in your way? "Yes, that happens all the time. But I also have a SUP board and I always like to go out on the water with it. Would you like to join our group?" "Eight women and me, that's too much for me!"
Neuengamme boatyard
Continue upstream towards the Neuengamme boatyard. This short section is more densely populated around it. Smaller motorboats can be hired at the boatyard and a canoe hire centre, the "Kanu-Hafen", make it clear that we are in a local recreation area of the Vier- und Marschlande. Until the construction of the Tatenberg lock, this area was repeatedly flooded by the Elbe, but this has been history since 1952. Plans to turn the Dove-Elbe back into tidal waters - with a tidal range of up to two metres - were recently rejected.
The protests of local residents and water sports enthusiasts have had an effect.
Round trip
The Neuengammer Durchstich offers us the opportunity to paddle around 20 kilometres. The canal, the "Durchstich", was built 100 years ago as a connection between the Dove and Gose Elbe to channel water into the Gose Elbe during floods. This was the aim of the building authorities. Today, the culvert still has a water depth of around 0.5 metres and, according to reports, is to be deepened to 1.2 metres in the next few years.
From a paddler's point of view, the breakthrough is popular because you can make a nice tour through the Vierlande. From 15 April to 15 June, paddling on this link is not permitted for nature conservation reasons.
Summary of the tour on the Dove-Elbe
The Dove-Elbe for paddling is little known, even among Hamburg residents, and the large circuit of the Dove-Elbe and Gose-Elbe is still a real insider tip. The often overcrowded Outer Alster is the place to be for paddling, chilling out and partying. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle, the Dove-Elbe offers a contrast and peace and quiet. It's hard to believe that the Dove-Elbe is still part of Hamburg.
INFO DOVE-ELBE
Currents and tides
There is hardly any sign of a current and thanks to the locks, the tributaries of the Elbe are independent of the tide.
Hire and surf shop:
- Letting ISUPs in Hamburg Curslack
- Surfshop Windsurfing Hamburg at the Oortkatensee lake, about eight kilometres away
Restaurants
- Zum Eichbaum, Moorfleeter Deich 477
- Bamboo Thai, Tatenberger Weg 1
- Fährhaus Tatenberg, Tatenberger Deich 162
- Stender farm shop, Tatenberger Deich 154
