Anyone visiting Hamburg for the first time will be astounded by the number of bodies of water in the city. The Hamburg port, the Elbe, Alster, and Bille rivers, as well as numerous smaller tributaries and canals, shape the cityscape. This is why Hamburg is frequently referred to as the "Venice of the North." In fact, Hamburg has nearly 2,500 bridges – more than Venice and Amsterdam combined.

The vertical-lift bridges are especially intriguing. If necessary, they can be opened for shipping traffic, i.e., separated in the middle. A well-known example is the Kattwyk Bridges in Hamburg's port. The adjacent lift bridges, which can be raised 46 meters, are used for both road and rail traffic. The rail bridge, which opened in 2020, is Germany's largest lift bridge. The longest road bridge in Germany is also located in Hamburg. It is a 4.2-kilometer-long elevated road that crosses the Elbe River and is part of a highway.

Hamburg's most famous bridge is the Köhlbrand Bridge, which has become a landmark in the city and is also the second-longest road bridge in Germany. The bridge, which has long dominated the cityscape, is set to be demolished by 2030. The structure, which was built in 1974, is now dilapidated, and its average clearance of 53 meters is insufficient for modern container ships.

There are also many interesting small bridges in Hamburg. The naming system of the Bille bridges is well-known. They are named after the color of the railing, which can be red, yellow, or blue. This was done in the 19th century to help workers navigate the city.