WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A HÖFT ?
By Marilya V . R .
Germans and Americans alike often embark on a nigh-irresistible autocorrection when pronouncing the names of “ W ” - landmarks : Wittenbergen lighthouse , for instance , and Willkommhöft in Wedel . Though both share the distinction of being linguistic and geographic outliers , it ’ s the latter that drew me back in the summer of 2021 , almost 50 years after I discovered it as a child . During my long absence from Hamburg , I often , and not a little enviously , recommended Willkommhöft ’ s sidewalk eatery to Hamburg-bound travelers for its Fischbrötchen or Eis ( for the thrifty or hurried ) and the smoked eel , Sekt , or cake on its lovely terrace ( for those feeling more extravagant with their pocketbooks or schedules ). So it was the first place I wanted to go when I arrived back here this July . However , it ’ s only now that I finally learned about its name .
So humor me as I digress to etymology before returning to things culinary and touristy : Höft does not come from Hof — despite the words ’ visual similarities — but instead from Mittelniederdeutsch Hövt or Altsächsisch Hovid , meaning head / main . Presumably , it was accorded this name by dint of being Hamburg ’ s main greeting locus for ships of at least 1,000 gross tonnage exiting and entering the harbor , and that is also its reason for being my favorite Hamburg spot to take visitors .
Several small tables with umbrellas are located along WIllkommhöft ’ s sidewalk not a hundred meters from the eponymous bus stop , kitty-corner from a thatched cottage surrounded by roses . Just beyond , in the actual Fährhaus above , expansive and more expensive terrace café and indoor ballrooms beckon .
The tiny chippy-cum-Biergarten ( at some 60 years of age , the oldest of its kind in Hamburg ) affords a view of a ferry quay and accords a collection of picnickers , wedding parties , and families the opportunity to buy a whole batter-fried fish — head and all — on a bun or an impressively-sized portion of potato salad with fish and chips hot out of the Friteuse . A nice bottle of Pinot Grigio in an ice bucket can be had for only € 14 . People lounge in the clover and lush grass along the bank adjacent to the ferry landing — no sand beach here , unlike at the Wittenbergen lighthouse visible upstream .
Willkommhöft isn ’ t touristy at all ( arguably because it ’ s an hour-plus S-Bahn-plus-bus ride on the 189 from Blankenese ). While the fairytale greenness of the forest en route between Blankenese and Rissen is appealing in its own right , for me , it ’ s that moment when any vessel noses into view : seeing the flag run up the very tall mast above the terrace gives even this landlubber a thrill .
In order to greet each of the roughly 50 ships that exit or enter the Hamburg harbor daily , the Fährhaus Schulau employs five Begrüßung Kapitäne , at least one of whom predates even my childhood here all those years ago . “ Willkommen in Hamburg , wir freuen uns , Sie im Hamburger Hafen begrüßen zu dürfen ,” is heard , then the same sentence is repeated in the language appropriate to the ship ’ s origins . A similar phrase goes out over the loudspeakers for ships exiting . According to the website , a Kapitän ’ s work involves updating a handwritten card catalogue of some 17,000 ships — quite an accomplishment , since the first ship was greeted in this fashion in 1952 .
The tradition was started by the global circumnavigator and polar explorer Carl Kircheiß , who christened the flagpole in 1952 with a bottle of rum instead of champagne . The Greeting Captains pride themselves on knowing the records of each day ’ s harbor traffic . They play a recording of each ship ’ s national anthem as that country ’ s flag goes up the flagpole along with its particular shipping flags . Via loudspeaker , the announcer reads the stats on that ship ( size , load , destination , homeport , etc .) while conversation stops at both terrace and food truck for a moment of maritime , well , time .
Willkommhöft is a locale with a name from another time ; fitting , in that it transcends time on many levels , and it is worth a few hours of your time to enjoy . I know all my visitors have found it a relaxing contrast to the big city . Fährhaus Schulau at Willkommhöft is open until 11pm , and the venue is even more magical at night , thanks to the illumination of both the 60-meter pontoon ferry landing and the terraces . Small wonder that this attraction has even made it onto seafaring charts . Wedel styles itself Tor zur Welt , Gateway to the World — not an exaggeration !
The primary draw for me has always been the fact that www . awchamburg . org 25