Waterfront properties in Hamburg, Germany, can be difficult to come by because families tend to hang on to them for generations. That’s a signficant part of what makes this 1905 Art Nouveau residence combining contemporary aesthetics with turn-of-the-20th-century architecture on of the shore of the man-made lake Außenalster such a rare opportunity.

The elegant mansion was designed by the architectural firm Lundt & Kallmorgen, which was also responsible for the Hamburg Higher Regional Court, the Thalia Theater, and the landmarked Brahms Kontor. Proponents of Hanseatic design, the duo created a proudly tall, flamboyant structure whose backside leads down to the water. of the man-made lake Außenalster. 

Original details abound, including intricately carved ceilings, a sturdy wooden staircase, and colorful stained-glass windows, though a series of ultramodern interventions throughout the house—the sleek kitchen and contemporary baths—bring the 130-year-old home squarely into the 21st century.

The formal living room includes a wood-burning fireplace, and there’s a simple dining room for entertaining—don’t forget to grab a bottle of the good stuff from the wine cellar downstairs—while a massive island topped by a thick slab of marble runs down the center of the kitchen, which has a detailed ceiling and a dining area backed by a row of ceiling-height windows.

The sprawling second-floor primary suite has a private sitting room, two enormous bathrooms that sport the same veined marble as the kitche, and two walk-in closets. In one bathroom, an freestanding soaking tub sits beneath original stained-glass windows. The residence offers another five bedrooms for family, guests, and staff, each with a private bath, plus three more powder rooms.

Bibliophiles will likely want to hole up in the library, and after putting in some reps at the fitness center, you can relax your muscles in the sauna. Balconies line both the front and the back of the home, and there’s a glass-enclosed patio at the rear, too. Manicured lawns and gardens add a touch of greenery on both sides of the home. The Hamburg home is listed for $25.6 million with Thorsten Möller at Sylt Sotheby’s International Realty. 

As a design hub with deep avant-garde roots out of which bubbled the still influential Bauhaus movement, Germany is no stranger to contemporary design or mixing historic architecture with modern updates. A fashionable, art-filled home in Munich that came up for sale in 2024 serves as both a residence and a gallery, and last year, a waterfront villa in Berlin that, similarly to the Hamburg spread, dates back to the early 1900s and has undergone a restoration to preserve original details while adding modern flourishes, became available at almost $28 million.

Click here to see all the photos of the waterfront Hamburg villa.