Altona

Altona is one of Hamburg's seven districts. It stretches along the north bank of the Elbe from the edge of St. Pauli to the city boundary in the west and includes 14 neighbourhoods: Altona-Altstadt, Sternschanze, Altona-Nord, Ottensen, Bahrenfeld, Groß Flottbek, Othmarschen, Lurup, Osdorf, Nienstedten, Blankenese, Iserbrook, Sülldorf and Rissen.

On 31 December 2025, 283,232 people were registered in the district on about 78 km², according to the Statistikamt Nord's neighbourhood profiles. Altona was an independent town, for more than 200 years under Danish rule, before it became part of Hamburg in 1938; the city portal notes that this history of openness still shapes its liberal identity.

The city portal describes Altona as alternative, trendy and wealthy, and as probably Hamburg's most varied district.

The dense east: Ottensen, Altona-Altstadt, Altona-Nord, Sternschanze

Close to Altona station, these neighbourhoods are densely built and lively, with older apartment buildings, small shops, bars and street festivals such as the altonale. Altona-Altstadt is described as crowded and culturally diverse. The Sternschanze quarter (Schanzenviertel) is one of Hamburg's busiest going-out areas, with streets full of people on summer evenings. See the separate Ottensen profile.

The north: Bahrenfeld, Lurup, Osdorf, Groß Flottbek

A looser mix of apartment blocks, larger high-rise estates, terraced and detached houses. The Volkspark, with the Volksparkstadion and the Barclays Arena next to it, lies in this part of the district.

The Elbe suburbs (Elbvororte)

Othmarschen, Nienstedten, Blankenese, Iserbrook, Sülldorf and Rissen are known for villas along the Elbchaussee and the steep Elbe bank, with sandy river beaches and the Treppenviertel staircase quarter in Blankenese. Nienstedten and Blankenese are among Hamburg's highest-income neighbourhoods.

• S-Bahn: the S1 runs west from Altona along the Elbe suburbs to Blankenese and Wedel and east through the city tunnel to the centre. The S3 connects Altona with the centre and continues south to Harburg. The S7 runs between Altona, the city tunnel and Bergedorf. The S2 serves Sternschanze and Holstenstraße on its way to Diebsteich, and the S5 also stops at Holstenstraße and Diebsteich.
• Regional and long-distance trains stop at Hamburg-Altona station.
• Buses: large parts of the north, such as Lurup and Osdorf, are reached only by bus.
• Ferries: HADAG ferries stop at Neumühlen/Övelgönne and Teufelsbrück on the Elbe and are part of the hvv fare system.

S-Bahn routings around Altona, Holstenstraße and Sternschanze have changed since 2025 because of a bridge closure, so check the hvv journey planner for current connections.

• Older apartment buildings (Altbau), many renovated, in Ottensen, Altona-Altstadt, Altona-Nord and the Sternschanze; demand is very high.
• Post-war blocks and large estates in Lurup and Osdorf.
• Terraced, detached houses and villas in Groß Flottbek, Othmarschen and the Elbe suburbs.

In 2025 the average flat in the district measured 81 m² (Hamburg: 76 m²), and 6.3% of flats were subsidised social housing in January 2026 (Hamburg: 7.6%). Listed prices for owner-occupied flats in January 2026 ranged from about €5,800 per m² in Bahrenfeld to about €7,700 per m² in Ottensen (Hamburg average €6,278), according to the neighbourhood profiles.

At the end of 2025, 18.8% of households in Altona included children (Hamburg: 17.5%), and 17.4% of residents were under 18. The district had 202 day-care centres (Kitas, March 2026) and 32 primary schools (2025/26).

Families value the Volkspark, which the city portal calls Hamburg's largest park, the Jenischpark and Hirschpark along the Elbe, and the river beaches. Inner neighbourhoods such as Ottensen are popular with young families, while the Elbe suburbs and Groß Flottbek offer houses with gardens at higher prices.