Grüner Ring: Veddel to Stillhorn

The hike starts at Veddel station (S3, S31).

(S) We cross the car park and turn right onto Veddeler Straße. We take the next left, cross Veddeler Straße, then turn right. The trail runs along a stream to a pond. We turn right and follow the stream along an allotment garden colony. At the end, we turn left.

(1) Continue south alongside the stream and railway tracks. Keep left at the fork in the path. Catch a glimpse of the picturesque Wilhelmsburger Dove Elbe before the path curves away from the water. Follow the path around a right-hand bend, then turn right and right again.

(2) We are back at the Wilhelmsburger Dove Elbe, which we follow for quite a while. The Green Ring would now lead to the right over the Hövelweg bridge, but this is currently closed (as of May 2023, probably until 31 August).

(3) After a left-hand bend, we cross the Brackwettern and turn right. At the end, we turn right and then left.

(4) Here there are benches right next to the Dove Elbe, perfect for a break. Then we turn left at the next junction, then right. The path leads us along a stream.

(5) We reach the Wilhelmsburger Windmühle Johanna. Here we leave the Grüner Ring, turn around and walk back to the rest area on the Dove Elbe (4). Then we turn right and follow the Hövelpromenade. At the end, turn right, then left onto a beautiful footpath along the Dove Elbe. The path takes us around a right-hand bend.

(6) We follow the Neuer Bullertwettern south. At the end, we turn left, then right and continue along the Neuer Bullertwettern. At the end, we turn left and are back on the Grüner Ring. We pass under the A1 motorway.

(7) Detour: Turn left onto a narrow path that leads to the Rhee nature reserve. Follow the path for a while, watch the deer and birds, then turn back. At the end, turn left and follow the Grüner Ring again. You will pass some pretty thatched houses. At the end of the road, turn right.

(8) The path now leads us south, parallel to the Norderelbe. If you like, you can walk on the dike. After about one kilometre, we turn right into the street "In de Huuk", then take the second right into Stillhorner Weg. At the end, we turn right.

(9) We have reached the Stillhorner Weg bus stop (line 351 to the Wilhelmsburg S-Bahn), the official end of this stage of the Green Ring. As we still have some time before the bus arrives, we continue walking past willow trees and farms to the next stop, Schützenhof (also line 351). (E)

• The Green Ring runs for about 100 kilometres, divided into 8 stages, around the city centre of Hamburg. The hiking trail is mostly well signposted with white lettering on a green background. We follow the Green Ring with a few deviations.