Crowds gathered Friday along the shoreline and viewing areas to watch the parade as ships sailed through the harbour, with some spraying large jets of water into the air.

The annual event, known as “Hafengeburtstag” or Harbour Birthday, honours Hamburg’s centuries-old maritime history and its role as one of Europe’s major trading hubs.

The celebrations commemorate a charter issued in 1189 by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa granting customs-free trade rights along the Elbe River, an event regarded as the founding of Hamburg’s port.