Reeperbahn, St. Pauli football and the harbour: these major attractions have shaped the quarter into what it is today — unique, loud, flashy, flamboyant, hip and, above all, colourful. When it comes to famous St. Pauli residents, the Beatles are usually the first to come to mind! Visit the Beatlesplatz square and see where the band started their stellar career. Ever since the swinging sixties, music has played an important part in St. Pauli. The annual Reeperbahn Festival in September is the perfect way to get an overview of the quarter’s many live music venues. Catch some great international artists as well as upcoming bands from the vibrant local scene! Even more popular, the Schlagermove parade attracts up to half a million party people every year to celebreate this popular genre of German music (often somewhat puzzling to non-German residents).
St. Pauli Must-Sees
The Reeperbahn's flashing neon lights attract party-goers and culture-lovers alike to the many clubs, bars, theatres, musicals and live music venues that stand side by side on this dazzling street. You can still sense a special kind of maritime atmosphere in the small bars along the side streets of the Reeperbahn and, of course, along the banks of the Elbe river. And the Panoptikum wax museum is home to lifelike lookalikes of Hamburg and international celebrities.
Next to the massive St. Pauli bunker you'll find the Heiligengeistfeld square, where Hamburg DOM, Northern Germany’s biggest fun fair, is held three times a year. Closer to the Elbe river at the Landungsbrücken piers, tourists enjoy fish sandwiches while watching majestic cruise and container ships sail by. From there, embark on a harbour cruise or take a ferry over to the south bank of the river. The Old Elbe Tunnel is another major sight and provides great photo opportunities.
North of Landungsbrücken, the Planten un Blomen park has more to offer than its welcoming green areas. Right in the middle of the city, the water fountains, the Japanese gardens, the minigolf course and the ice-skating rink make this park a perfect place to relax from the inner-city stress.
Shopping in Karolinenviertel
Just north of Heiligengeistfeld, the narrow streets of the Karolinenviertel neighbourhood offer many small boutiques and cafés for your shopping pleasure. Here, it's near impossible to miss Hamburg’s highest building, the Heinrich-Hertz TV tower. The tower has an impressive overall height of 279 metres. At 128 metres, the platform is currently being renovated so that a new café or restaurant can open its doors there. The TV-tower is located next to the Messehallen convention centre. About 40 trade shows attract 700,000 visitors every year. The Congress Centre Hamburg is located on the other side of the park, just next to Dammtor station. Together, they make Hamburg a first-class destination for international business visitors.
