Bubendey-Ufer Oberfeuer

The red-and-white striped Oberfeuer Bubendey-Ufer lighthouse stands beside the western entrance to Hamburg’s Parkhafen. It forms a leading light pair with the Unterfeuer Bubendey-Ufer, guiding ships upstream on the Elbe. The two towers sit about 1 010 metres apart in the Waltershof district of Hamburg-Mitte. Their lights keep vessels in the deep-water channel as they approach the city. The Oberfeuer’s red lantern house is a distinctive landmark against the dockside skyline.

The present tower is due to be replaced by a taller black-and-white striped structure. Plans drawn up for 2013–14 envisaged a 99.2-metre tower that would surpass Europe’s current tallest, the Phare de l’Île Vierge in Brittany, by 16 metres. The redesign aims to prevent confusion with nearby container cranes. Work has yet to start because the western extension of the Eurogate container terminal has been delayed.

Visitors reach the site along the Elbe promenade west of Waltershof. The red-and-white tower remains in place beside the Parkhafen entrance, its colours bright against the grey water and cranes. The empty space where the new tower will rise is clearly visible. From here the Elbe curves eastward toward the city centre, lined by docks and warehouses. The contrast between the old lighthouse and the planned giant shows how Hamburg’s port keeps changing.