HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY: Playtime for the whole family

Exciting children’s programme at HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY

Playtime, fun and entertainment for the whole family
 
The world’s greatest port festival, from 10 to 12 May 2019

Hamburg, 10 April 2019. Standing like a captain on the bridge of a ship, getting a first taste of sailing, or searching for pirate’s treasure – the 830th HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY makes children’s dreams come true. From Friday 10 May to Sunday 12 May, the world’s greatest port festival puts on an action-packed range of activities for families with children.

Sailing taster trips and sport in Grasbrookhafen
Children and youngsters aged from 7 to 14 years can set sail themselves at the HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY. Taster sailing at Grasbrookhafen in the HafenCity district on Friday 10 May gives young visitors an opportunity for their first sailing experience as captain of an Optimist dinghy, under the expert supervision of members of the Mühlenberger Sailing Club. No need to book in advance. This initiative is held as part of the Hamburg Active City Championships, which also invites youngsters and adults to try their hand at hockey and beach volleyball.

Sand bowling
This year’s country partner Occitania/South of France brings Mediterranean flair to Kehrwieder­spitze. The picturesque region of Occitania, located between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, offers not only its characteristic regional food, drink and cultural activities, but also a game that enjoys great popularity in the region – “quilles de huit”, which translates into “eight-pin bowling”, played by a great many enthusiasts in the Department of Aveyron, North Occitania. The aim of the game is similar to that of nine-pin bowling, that is to knock over the pins which are set up in the target area. But the rules are a bit different – there are just eight target pins rather than nine or ten, and they can be knocked over firstly by throwing the bowl to hit them, and subsequently by hitting the striker pin (ninth pin) with the bowl (as if with a hammer) so that it is flies through the air to knock down target pins. “Quilles de huit” is played outdoors on sand, rather than indoors in a bowling alley, and is great fun especially for children.

Treasure hunting with Captain Goldherz
The children’s festival of the Falkenflitzer Foundation for Youth Work will be held on Saturday 11 May and Sunday 12 May with the theme of “Harbour Pirates on a Treasure Hunt”. Children aged 4 to 19 years can join in on the Lawn at Saint Michael’s Church, and go on a treasure hunt with pirate captain Goldherz. Their hunt takes them through Hamburg’s biggest playmobil with roller slide, and three more playmobils, to various activity stands. The treasure hunt also takes the children to a climbing frame, a bungee-jumping stand, and a climbing hill.

Activities and picnics in HafenCity
“Welcome aboard” the MS Wohldorf, at the heritage harbour in HafenCity – small children and their parents are invited to join in the craft activities on board this lovingly restored HADAG harbour ferry from 13:00 to 18:00 each day – a haven of unlimited imagination and creativity, with fun games, face painting and culinary treats.
Grasbrook Park is a great place for a family picnic, located between Überseequartier and Marco-Polo-Terrassen in HafenCity. While their parents relax, small children in particular can have fun in the play park with its water landscape, pirate ship and lots of apparatus for playing and climbing.
 
Varied programme with farmer’s market and pirate village for young and old
The REWE supermarket chain plays its part in the 830th HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY with activities for the whole family. The area covers some 8,000 square metres right next to Sankt Pauli Fish Market, inviting visitors of all ages to play, relax and indulge in culinary delights on Friday 10 May and Saturday 11 May. A new feature here is the farmer’s market with a bouncy castle of straw. The pirate’s kitchen invites young buccaneers to cook healthy food under expert guidance. The pirate’s village has lots of fun with a climbing ship, with an area to throw grappling irons, a pirate show, and other attractions.

Legends of the ocean invite you on board
One of the most popular attractions at the HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY is the Open Ship invitation. This year again, many of the 300 vessels invite landlubbers of all ages to come aboard for a visit. Ship lovers can get first-hand experience of maritime diversity, and immerse themselves in the exciting history of shipping. It is an unforgettable experience, especially for children, to stand at the helm of a majestic tall ship such as the Kruzenshtern or the Sedov, to explore lovingly restored museum ships at close quarters, or to take a look below the deck of a modern working vessel of the Federal Waterways Police or other institutions.

Morse code and knots made easy
Youngsters can also learn nautical skills at the HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY. Children and young people can get instruction in how to tap the Morse code on board the museum ship Cap San Diego, learning for example how to transmit their own name in Morse code. A radio licence will be handed out as a reward to all youngsters that try their hand at the dots and dashes of Morse code.
Knot experts from the German Navy will give instruction at Überseebrücke, teaching visitors of all ages to tie genuine sailor’s knots. There will also be opportunities to view a new remote-controlled vessel of the Federal Navy, designed by students at the Helmut Schmidt University.

Free-of-charge service for families
The organisers provide a free-of-charge “Child Finder” service for parents and their children. Special children’s armbands are distributed at the stands on the Harbour Promenade and other event areas, and by the mobile Infoteam, for the parents to write the name of their child together with their own phone number. The service helps to re-unite children and parents faster if they get separated.

APPsolut information
The programme for the world’s greatest harbour festival is as varied as its visitors. Information on the various activities, programmes and tours is available in the free-of-charge HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY app, available via iTunes and Google Play. Many of the functions of the app can be used even without an Internet connection.

The HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY would like to thank all its sponsors, especially its longstanding principal sponsor AIDA Cruises. Thanks to their support, the world’s greatest port festival thrills more than a million visitors from all parts of the world every year.