Sprawling on the edge of the St. Pauli Piers, Wallringpark consists of four beautifully maintained gardens to the west of the Altstadt and Alster Lake. It includes the Kleine and Grosse Wallanlagen, which are laid out along the line of the old fortifications, and the Old Botanic Garden, together with the 116-acre Planten und Blomen that was created in 1821.
The first plant to be established in the Planten und Blomen gardens was by Johann Georg Christian Lehmann and it can still be seen next to the Hamburg Dammtor station entrance of the park. The gardens are particularly renowned for their fountains that are illuminated at night while being accompanied by a musical soundtrack.
Planten und Blomen is home to the largest Japanese garden in Europe, which features tranquil rock gardens, miniature tress and meandering pathways designed around its central lake. A rustic Japanese tea house nestles on the shores and traditional tea ceremonies are performed here between May and September, as well as calligraphy and taiko drum workshops. The gardens also boast a classical-style rose garden with around 300 different varieties and a central pavilion where you learn about rose care, as well as terraces planted with a variety of Mediterranean species.
The Alter Botanischer Garter (Old Botanical Garden) lies on the southern edge of Planten und Blomen and is renowned for its rare plant specimens and tropical flora greenhouses. The Kleine (small) and Grosse (large) Wallanlagen parks are more oriented towards recreational activities, with playgrounds and roller-skating rinks that transform for ice-skating in the winter.