Christmas storm tide 1717

NOTE: due to our annual revision our boat ride is currently out of order. As soon as it is back up and running again we will let you know here.

On Christmas Eve 1717, the citizens of Hamburg ring in the holy night like they do every year: they attend the church service in a stiff breeze before celebrating the Christmas feast together with their families.

Yet when they turn in for the night after their cosy celebration, they have no idea of the brewing danger that is about to pull them from their peaceful sleep just a few hours later…

The storm surge that befalls the city on the night of December 24th takes the citizens of Hamburg completely by surprise. It had been storming the entire day yet by nightfall the wind suddenly shifts to northeast and then grows into a hurricane. The water rises rapidly and when the church bells eventually ring their alarm, it is already too late for many. But there is still hope! “To the boats, the dikes can’t hold much longer!” a voice offers a warning through the roaring storm – and so you’re off, fleeing the relentless floodwaters that are coming closer and closer by the minute. But the trip to the lock that promises safety is long and perilous…

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• At what time did the dikes break in Hamburg?
• Which one of your fellow travelers has a particular fear of water?
• Can you escape the deadly masses of water?

HAMBURG DUNGEON UNCOVERED

The boat ride is one of the most popular shows of the Hamburg Dungeon. Most visitors are surprised to encounter an indoor boat ride of such size. We built a 60-meter-long artificial canal right into the old warehouse that houses the Hamburg Dungeon and filled it with roughly 430 tubs of water.

That was quite the feat of our technical team because space is limited and so the work was very challenging. If you pay attention to your surrounding during the boat ride, you will be able to make out interesting details hidden within the set.

Did you know that Hamburg is basically surrounded by water and that the city has more than 2500 bridges? With that number Hamburg holds the record among European cities.