In October of 2015 we visited Ohlsdorfer Park and took a leisurely walk around the grounds. The park is more accurately described as a park-cemetery - the world's largest, in fact! It is situated in the northern part of Hamburg, and covers an area of 391 hectares (about one and a half square miles).
Landscaping and construction work for the park-cemetery began in 1877, including the creation of numerous paths, hills and small lakes. It was intended not only as a pleasant resting place for the dead, but also as a recreational space for the living and to provide a sanctuary for a diverse range of wildlife.
As well as various chapels, and the large and impressive tombs of some of its more wealthy inhabitants, the park-cemetery provides a final resting place for many of the fallen of both world wars. There is a collective grave for the estimated 37,000 people who died in the Hamburg firestorm created by allied bombing in 1943, and another for victims of the 1962 storm surge.
Ohlsdorf offers numerous walks that take you through different parts of the park, and several visits will be required if you wish to explore them all. Information boards and maps can be found at strategic points in the park, and the facilites include a cultural centre, and special areas where families can have a picnic, or even a barbecue!