Elbtunnel

• Photographer
  Mario Basner

The old Elbtunnel in Hamburg, Germany was opened in 1911 and considered a technical sensation in engineering. The 2 single lane vehicle tunnel tubes connected the main city with the port and shipping docks in Hamburg harbor - the second largest harbor in Europe. Huge lifts would lower the cars from street level and back to the surface on the other side. The tunnel sits 80ft below the surface and runs under the river Elbe - which frequently accommodates the Queen Mary. The tunnel is still in operation today, though mainly used for nostalgic reasons.