Sensational St Pauli: A Tour of Hamburg‘s Red Light District

You‘re bound to find a red light district in every port city in Europe, and Hamburg is no different. Yet, as you‘ll see on this walking tour through St Pauli, Hamburg’s red light district has more to offer than meets the eye. It‘s one of the city‘s most dynamic districts, and is bursting with history. One of its claims to fame is hosting Beatles concerts for three years before the band made it big and, today, it’s home to one of Germany‘s most famous football clubs.

Our tour starts outside the Reeperbahn metro, from where you‘ll weave in and out of its main street, Reeperbahn. You’ll pass under the Dancing Towers, a building engaged in a tango, and head to the iconic Mojo Club, which was (literally) moved underground following community protests to save it from developers. As you make your way along Reeperbahn to Astra St Pauli Brauerei, the pub and brewery where our tour ends, you‘ll pass the site of the former Essos-hauses, a prominent residential block that was flattened, and learn about the history of gentrification in this area. You‘ll see Herberstraße, the small street at the heart of the red light district and a ‘men-only zone’, where women are typically harassed by prostitutes. From there, you‘ll see the more savoury Hans Albers Platz, a square named after one of Hamburg‘s most loved sons, the 1930s actor-singer of the same name. I‘ll share the history of the local mafia before taking you down Grosse Freiheit where I‘ll tell you about the street’s famous bands and clubs.

Along the way, you‘ll:

• Learn about the history of the district and how its port-side origins led to its notoriety as the red light district
• Pass the Eros Center or ‘Pink Palace’, St Pauli‘s first ever brothel, and hear some urban legends about crime in the area including the St Pauli Killer!
• Get recommendations on which clubs are worth the hype and which tourist traps to avoid
• Listen to stories of how the community has banded together during times of struggle and which causes have united St Pauli
• Visit the clubs where the Beatles played and take a photo on Beatlesplatz
• Discover Germany‘s most well-known police station, Dawidwache, renowned for its multiple film and television appearances
• Find out which legendary rock stars have performed at the infamous Star Club and Kaiserkeller
• Decode the symbolism behind Football Club St Pauli‘s skull and crossbones

Come along on this hour-long tour to see the eccentric and sometimes seedy aspects of this ever-changing district! Vibrant St Pauli has a lot to offer so get ready for an hour packed full of stories. This alternative district is full of amazing bars, clubs, restaurants, cabarets, events, festivals, concerts, and beer gardens for you to enjoy a quick, or lengthy, break.