The Alster is a right tributary of the Elbe river in Northern Germany. It has its source near Henstedt-Ulzburg, Schleswig-Holstein, flows somewhat southwards through much of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and joins the Elbe in central Hamburg.
Aerial view of the Alster's two lakes in Hamburg
Iron plate at the Alster's source in Henstedt-Ulzburg
Panoramic view of Kleine Alster looking "upstream"; Alsterarkaden (left), Reesendammbrücke (center) and Rathausmarkt (far right)
Paddleboats on the Alster near Rathsmühlendamm
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Western Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia, then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 kilometres northwest of Hamburg. Its total length is 1,094 km (680 mi).
The Elbe (Labe) near Děčín, Czech Republic
The Middle Elbe in the North German Plain near the village of Gorleben. In this section, the river had been part of the Iron Curtain between West and East Germany during the Cold War. For that reason, the river banks even today look relatively natural and undeveloped. (Photo taken 2011)
View of the Elbe in Saxon Switzerland, an area in Germany
The Port of Hamburg on the Elbe
