Die Colonnaden – the historical arcade 
  turns Hamburg's history into a real experience

Until 1765, the opera, which was a leading musical center in Europe, was located here on the Gänsemarkt.

As a private street of the brothers Wex, the Colonnaden gradually developed into a grand boulevard around 1870. Already around 1880-1890, the first houses of the Gründerzeit began to develop together with the beautiful arcade; an ensemble that spreads its historical flair to this day.

The naming of the "old lady" refers to the so-called pillar corridor, even though, strictly speaking, it is an arcade. By the will of the city planners of those times, the Colonnaden were originally to be called Kaiserstraße. However, the historian Otto Beneke (1886-1964, attorney, ministry official, and cultural politician) fought against an aristocratic name because he found it completely inappropriate for the bourgeoisie Hanseatic city.

Since 1974, this charming spot in the city center of Hamburg is by and large reserved for pedestrians, and since 1978 falls under the protection of historical buildings and monuments.

A distinctive feature in regard to city planning, the Colonnaden stand out from the shopping streets of the city center to this day.