The Hamburg cycle network (Radnetz) -
find new routes through your city
Are you planning your way to work? Do you want to get to know your neighbourhood or take a bike trip into the city’s surrounding on the weekend? The Hamburg cycle network (Radnetz) will take you where you want to– on the safest and fastest routes there are. We show you how to get there!
Cycling map:
the Hamburg bike trail at a glance.
On the way up, on the way down – whether on your way to the stadium or to work, our cycling map shows you the options for riding through the city while indicating where to find particularly good and safe stretches – and in future, there will be more and more of them.
Our interactive map not only shows you where the cycle routes (Radrouten) hrough Hamburg run, but also where you can park your bike when you want to continue on foot or by bus or train. Then you can use one of the many bike stations (Radstationen) in Hamburg, it’s very convenient.
Your city. Your way.
Bike stations (Radstationen)
The newest cycle network (Radnetz) highlights
Cycle routes (Radrouten)
cycle network (Radnetz) highlights in the pipeline
The Hamburg cycle network (Radnetz): underway to modern and safe cycling paths.
For us, cycling goes together with Hamburg, just like the Elbe and the Fischmarkt. We are working to make cycling in Hamburg as pleasant and as safe as possible. Our goal is to make riding your bike an essential part of more and more people’s everyday life. To achieve this, the bike trail linking the residential areas of the inner and outer parts of the city with the city centre is being constantly expanded.
The cycling network…
- supplements the cycle route network developed since 1998 with further high-quality connections.
- makes connected sections visible where safe and comfortable cycling is already possible today.
- hows which sections are currently being worked on to create new quality.
- makes it clear which further sections should be implemented as a priority in the future.
Cycle routes (Radrouten), Cycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus), long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwege) and recreational cycle trails (Radfreizeitwege): what is what?
Cycle routes (Radrouten) –
your day-to-day ride
The existing and planned cycle routes (Radrouten) form the main network for cycling in Hamburg. Looking ahead, these will also include, besides the former velo routes (Velorouten), the district routes (Bezirksrouten) as well as further attractive connections to the cycle routes (Radrouten). They take you from A to B on your daily ride. Today, a total of 23 high-level of these routes run through Hamburg, almost all of them on low-traffic stretches. The bike paths and routes are especially attractive, safe and, on many sections, have consistently good infrastructure. Since these are not currently signposted along the whole route, the City of Hamburg is working in top gear to install signage and road markings indicating the route and making it better visible.
You can find out more about the cycle routes (Radrouten) here.
Future cycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus) –
All roads lead to Hamburg
The nine cycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus) (formerly known as bike expressways - Radschnellwege) link Hamburg with the surrounding metropolitan region. Seven of these nine corridors lead directly into the city and are aligned with the major commuter routes. Cycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus) can boast:
- a Plus in terms of convenience, since two people can ride abreast (still leaving space to overtake safely)
- a Plus in terms of safety, since there is less contact with motor traffic
- a Plus in terms of cycling pleasure, since everyone can ride at their own speed without being disturbed by others
- a Plus in terms of connectivity, since you can travel longer distances by bike without any hassle
- Thanks to the well thought out linkage to the Hamburg cycle network (Radnetz), the bcycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus) make a crucial contribution to climate protection and the mobility transition.
Here is an overview of the Cycle routes Plus (Radrouten Plus).
Long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwege) –
through Germany by bike
Are you up for an adventure? Several national and European long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwege) run through the beautiful Hanseatic city of Hamburg. The Elbe bike route (Elberadweg) has been the most popular of these for years. With its numerous sights and cultural highlights, this offers the best prospects for a bike trip with a few days spent in Hamburg. Together with the recreational cycle trails (Radfreizeitwege), the long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwegen) constitute the “cycle trails” (Radwanderwege).
All you need to know about the long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwege)
Recreational cycle trails (Radfreizeitwege) –
relaxing on two wheels
Let yourself unwind at the weekend - how about a trip out into the country? 14 recreational cycle trails (Radfreizeitwege) in Hamburg take you through parks and green spaces by allotments, woods and watercourses as well as through agricultural farming landscapes. Some of them will form part of the cycle network (Radnetz) in future, so that they will be provided with the same signposting as the cycle routes (Radrouten) as of 2024/25. Together with the long-distance cycle routes (Radfernwege), these constitute the “cycle trails” (Radwanderwege).
So off you go here to your next micro-adventure!
Quality on Hamburg’s cycle routes:
are they all the same?
Besides the cycle routes (Radrouten) and the signposted recreational sections, the City of Hamburg also provides attractive and safe cycle paths. But one route is not always the same as another here. Depending on where you are and the traffic situation, you can choose different routes for your ride through the city:
bicycle street (Fahrradstraßen)
bicycle street (Fahrradstraßen) are streets which are designated as cycle paths across their entire width. According to the German road traffic regulations (StraßenVerkehrsOrdnung – StVO), they are “Special roads reserved for cyclists”. These roads may only be used by cyclists. Riding next to each other is explicitly allowed here and the maximum speed is 30 km/h. Where the signage indicates it, residents, visitors and delivery vans may also drive on the bicycle street (Fahrradstraßen). There are already more than 50 such bicycle street (Fahrradstraßen) in Hamburg with a total length of over 24 km, for instance as part of the cycle routes (Radrouten) around the Alster or the Thaden- and the Chemnitzstraße. Further bicycle street (Fahrradstraßen) are planned to be designated as part of the expansion of the cycle network (Radnetz).
Protected bike lanes (Protected Bikelanes)
Protected bike lanes (Protected Bikelanes) are protected lanes for bikes on roads and separate cyclists from other road users by means physical barriers so that cars are prevented from driving or parking on them. They are mainly located on major thoroughfares.
Pop-up bike lanes (Pop-Up-Bikelanes)
Pop-up bike lanes (Pop-Up-Bikelanes) are bike lanes which are set up at short notice, so that we can speak here of ad hoc measures. They are installed on roads which either have no cycling infrastructure or where it is inadequate, but which play an important role in connecting the cycling network.
marked cycle lane (Radfahr- und Schutzstreifen)
marked cycle lane (Radfahr- und Schutzstreifen) are indicated by bicycle pictograms. While bike lanes are separated from the roadway by a broad continuous line, reserved lanes are part of the roadway. Reserved lanes are indicated by a broken line and may be crossed by particularly wide vehicles such as buses or refuse collection trucks when necessary.
