Hayns Park

Hayns Park sits in the Eppendorf district of Hamburg, right on the bank of the Alster. It opened to the public in 1931 as a green space for rest and recreation. The Alsterwanderweg, the well-known walking and cycling route along the river, runs straight through it. Cherry trees, flower beds and a small bridge between two lawns set the scene.

Senator Max Theodor Hayn bought the garden in 1873 and used it as a summer residence, villa included. In his day the property covered a full 27,300 square metres. The canalisation of the Alster then redrew the land, and little of the original garden survived. The survivor is the Monopteros, a small circular structure shaped like a classical temple. Structural problems forced a renovation that ran from the summer of 2016 to April 2019. In the warmer months, families gather around the children's wading pool that Otto Linne designed.

On a warm day you will find picnics, barbecues and games of frisbee or slacklining on the lawns. Ducks and geese wander the grounds alongside everyone else. Boat rentals nearby extend the outing onto the Alster itself. Artists redesign the Monopteros twice a year, a habit that keeps the old survivor from ever standing still.