Hamburg’s district of St Pauli is not your traditional tourist trap. In fact, at first glance it appears rather sleazy with no more than a bunch of sex shops and girlie bars lining its streets. It is neither pretty, nor an area bursting with historical monuments. But in actual fact, it is where things first kicked off in Hamburg.
St Pauli’s roots go way back into the 17th century when a suburb called ‘Hamburger Berg’ was developed. Businesses that were displeasing to Hamburg’s residents for reasons such as their smell or noise, were relegated to this area and they were soon joined by the rope makers (or ‘Reeper’) who needed enough space to carry out their work. It was not long before the government opened Hamburger Berg to residents, and soon after it was renamed St Pauli after the still existing church. Due to the area’s proximity to the waterfront and docks, St Pauli was mainly used by Sailors for entertainment purposes during their short stay in Hamburg and Altona. Offering them a choice of raucous taverns and prostitutes, St Pauli was the ultimate sailor stamping ground.
To this day, the area remains true to its strong maritime ties and rough-and-ready feel. With its world famous red light district around the busy ‘Reeperbahn’, St Pauli attracts huge numbers of visitors, many of whose visits are sure to be far less innocent than my own.
I can’t say that the area was particularly appealing to me at first but I thought to myself, heck, if I’m going to see Hamburg, I’ve got to see St Pauli.
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I started my visit at the Landungsbrücke on the waterfront and made my way past the Old Elbe Tunnel to the Davidtreppe. Immediately I was met with the sight of tattoo shops and quirky shops, selling all sorts of X-rated goods.
I then turned left onto Erichstrasse as far as Balduinstrasse taking in the striking pieces of street art as I went. Apparently this all changes very quickly as new artists battle to showcase their own work, often painting over anything in their way.
Taking a right at Freidrichstrasse I soon emerged in Hans-Albers-Platz where a statue of the man himself stands. For those of you wandering who this chap is (just like me – I had to do some research!), Albers was the biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1945, and was a born and bred Hamburger.
At the far side of Hans-Albers-Platz, I stepped onto the sinful Reeperbahn, or Strip as it is referred to by the locals. Casinos, sex shops, theatres and bright neon signs were everywhere. I was actually quite taken aback with the vast expanse of the street – it was more like a wide boulevard.
I was soon at Beatles Platz. Yes, as in The Beatles – John, Paul, George and Ringo – they actually lived in St Pauli and played at the Star Club before becoming famous.
My walk then took me up ‘Grosse Freiheit’ (Big Freedom) another street lined with several strip clubs. Visiting in the middle of the day made these clubs appear rather tame but I’m sure it’s a completely different case when the sun goes down!
I have to admit I was quite taken by the ‘Safari’ club sign, that was until I found out Safari used to be a live sex club (yes really!) and was only transformed into a regular bar back in 2014.
At the end of Grosse Freiheit, I turned right along Paul Roosen Strasse, passing by an eclectic mix of shops including this pretty flower shop ‘Saint Paulia’.
At the corner of Talstrasse and Clemens-Schultz Strasse I spent some time admiring the bright colours painted on the walls of an apartment block. The colourful pieces definitely helped to brighten up the area!
Crossing the street, I then continued my walk up Wohlwillstrasse finding a lovely pastel shade sweet store at the end. By this time I had left St Pauli and was entering another of Hamburg’s districts, Sternschanze, a former working class district that is now home to Hamburg’s alternative scene. Sternschanze is full of hip restaurants, bars and boutiques, and gives off a chilled-back vibe. It is within the confines of Sternschanze that many of the city’s locals flock for drinks with friends or to eat along Schulterblatt.
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My tour had offered me many contrasting sights, from the sleaze of St Pauli, to the colourful if not gaudy face of the Reeperbahn to the hip areas of Sternschanze, all dovetailing to give a more complete picture of the working city of Hamburg. This multi-faceted, jigsaw of a place was a source of history, a window on the many aspects of human behaviour and most importantly exhibited a scene that was full of life, in every sense.
What do you make of Hamburg’s St Pauli? Would you stop by and pay it a visit?
