Hamburg’s Hotspot: A Walk Along the Reeperbahn
You wouldn’t think by looking at the place now that the main industry here used to be making rope. This short, half-mile stretch in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district was once a place where massive amounts of ship’s rope were produced for the countless sailing vessels that came to dock in Germany’s famous harbor – the name can be translated as “rope street”. None of St. Pauli’s residents are making rope here anymore, however, although more than a few of them are on the make.
As a matter of fact, the only rope you’ll likely find around here these days will be up on the stage of one of the Reeperbahn’s kinkier sex clubs.
The St. Pauli district in general and the Reeperbahn in particular, cultivate an image that is diametrically opposed to Hamburg’s reputation for being home to a more sober Hanseatic business establishment style. This district wasted no time in establishing a few business establishments of its own as a matter of fact and the Reeperbahn quickly earned the title of Hamburg’s “sinful mile”.
The Reeperbahn is the center of Hamburg’s nightlife and also the heart of it’s notorious red-light district. There are more strip clubs, sex shops, casinos, brothels and “erotic theaters” packed into this small area than in any other location in Germany. It is also filled with tamer, more conventional bars, restaurants and discos and is also famous for its now prospering theater district.
“Shady” areas like these can be found in any big city, of course, but very few cities have managed to market them into successful tourist attractions. And this is where Hamburg is different. It has always been known as being a hard-working town, but when the day is done, the Hamburgers like to play hard, too. And play hard they do, as do their visitors, in the second-greatest asset Hamburg has to offer – St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn – only the port itself still brings in more money.
The district’s red-light areas are broken down into particular neighborhoods and a certain hierarchy exists between the women who work here. The most expensive area is on HerbertstraÃ?Â?e. This is where the famous “window shopping” takes place. It is literally fenced-in and only men over eighteen are allowed to enter. A few blocks from here is where the famous GroÃ?Â?e Freiheit (“Great Freedom” street) can be found. Here is where erotic theater is more at home. The street’s name stems from a time when Catholics where not allowed to practice their religion in Hamburg proper, but could here instead.
Hamburg’s famous police station, Davidwache, is just down the street from here. The police are very visible and vigilant in St. Pauli these days (surveillance cameras are being introduced), the Reeperbahn having also unfortunately become a hotbed of violent crime in recent years. A turf war has been taking place between rival underworld groups, many of them having muscled their way into Hamburg from the former Eastern Bloc states.
Back in the days when The Beatles where making a name for themselves here, clubs like the Star-Club, the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten and the Indra were all the rage. Then came the era where clubs like Salambo, Regina, Colibri and the Safari where in. But the times change and St. Pauli changes with them. Today only a few of the once-famous locales are even still in existence (the Safari is the only “live sex” theater left) but new addresses flash on to the scene on a regular basis.
And when you’re in town, and you will be, don’t miss the opportunity to visit these three must-see “sights”:
The Dollhouse
GroÃ?Â?e Freiheit 14-16
(And try their great diner! www.dollhouse-diner.de )
Safari
GroÃ?Â?e Freiheit 24
Colibri
Reeperbahn 66
And then, once you have finished taking your walk on the wild side, don’t forget to enjoy a beautiful sunrise over the harbor. After that you can finish up “for the night” with a leisurely visit to Hamburg’s famous Fischmarkt on GroÃ?Â?e ElbstraÃ?Â?e. It’s well worth the visit.
