By GlobalDetail.com reader rhode

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Probably one of the most (in)famous streets not only in Hamburg, but the world, is the Reeperbahn. Many may only know this street as Hamburg’s neon-lit red light district or the place where The Beatles first broke into fame at the Star Club, but there is so much more to this exciting and dazzling avenue than just sex as a commodity.

The Reeperbahn is firmly tied in with Hamburg’s harbour, and its history is probably as long as sailors have been spending their money on one woman in every port. The Reeperbahn’s 930 metres were traditionally used for producing ropes as well as by the sailors to roll out (and roll back up) the ship’s ropes (the literal translation of ‘Reeperbahn’ being ‘Roping Lane’). As you can easily imagine, this soon attracted bars and not least of all the ‘working women - all after the sailor’s money while they had a few hours on dry land.

It is therefore no surprise that the Reeperbahn became the centre of Hamburg’s red light district and with enough space on this long avenue, there are more than just a handful of strip bars, brothels, and other ‘shows’. But there is also a different side to the Reeperbahn, one that makes the area of St. Pauli more than just a seedy place for those ‘in need’, but instead a popular night spot for people from all walks of life.

The Reeperbahn is home to some of the best restaurants in Hamburg, many of the best night clubs and bars, but also has a long tradition of hosting world-famous musicals such as Cats and Mamma Mia. This diversity means that not only students and the young crowd choose the Reeperbahn as their favourite hang-out, but also many other revellers of all ages.

Where to go?
So where would you go then if you were after a good night out? Well, if you are after bars, music and lively clubs then the choice is yours. But you could start of off on one of the main squares off the Reeperbahn called “Hans-Albers-Platz” (named after one of Hamburg’s sons and legendary folk singer of the 1930s and 40s). Here you will find places for each taste, check out La Paloma for some dancing on tables and chairs, go to Molly Malone’s for some live Irish music, Frieda B will give you all you need for chart music and drink, and the Albers Eck is good combination of bar and club with music of any kind.

If you are undecided what you are after, why not check the whole place out before you decide, take a stroll down one side of the Reeperbahn and back up the other – but believe me there is so much to take in you may feel a bit overwhelmed and need a beer in between. If this is the case you can stop off at one of the kebab places or other fast food shops. They serve beer and both food and beers are for take-away as well. Nobody will look at you oddly if you are walking down the street with a can of beer – this is a liberal place remember, not much you can’t do.

Night Clubs:
If you feel like going to a night club you will, again, be spoilt for choice. Depending on what type of music you want to spend the night boogying to you may want to check out the trendy ‘China Lounge’ (House music), cult house club ‘Tunnel’, former brothel ‘Cult’ (80s music), the very large and well-known ‘Docks’ (mainstream), intriguingly named ‘Funky Pussy Club’ (hip hop and R&B), or one of the Reeperbahn’s institutions ‘Grosse Freiheit No. 36 / Kaiserkeller’ (Rock) – to name but a few. If you happen to choose a club that isn’t to your liking, don’t worry, the clubs are open till 5am and entry is often inexpensive, so you can chop and change with a clear conscience and plenty of time to spare.

Musicals & Food:
If you prefer to have more of a ‘traditional’ cultural experience, you may wish to opt for the musical-and-restaurant combo. There are plenty of musicals in Hamburg (known as Germany’s Musical City) and Mamma Mia – the Abba musical – is on the Reeperbahn. Other musicals in Hamburg are ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Tanz der Vampire’ (which is based on Roman Polanski’s film ‘The Fearless Vampire Killers’). There are hundreds of great restaurants throughout the city, but some of the best are on the Reeperbahn. Try Cuneo, a well known and liked Italian, which is frequented by some of Hamburg’s artists, celebrities and intellectuals yet maintains an understated and relaxed atmosphere. For an eclectic mix of French-German-Italian-Indian food, check out Abendmahl which serves value for money food in a relaxed atmosphere. At Schatteau Pauli you can get good French food, from small snacks to fully fledged multi-course menus. The chandeliers add to the atmosphere and the location, just off the main party area, allows you to get away from it all.

The Red Stuff:
But let’s face it – when you are in Hamburg and you are on the Reeperbahn, you may as well check out some of what the place is really famous for. Don’t worry, you won’t be dragged into the darkest depths of sex and filth (unless you want to). Hamburg has been doing this for decades and has made a smoothly run business out of it. There are of course plenty of smaller strip clubs that may look attractive from the outside, but can only boast one (yes ONE) stripper. Quite often these are the ones that try to get you in the hardest. By far the best strip club in town is the ‘Doll House’. It is clean, mainstream, for men and women and run professionally. It is almost a mixture between night club and strip club. You pay to get in, get your first ‘Doll House Dollar’ – the currency to ‘tip’ the girls and off you go. If you are after a table dance, make sure you get one of the many tables for up to 10-12 people. You can stay seated, as long as you have a dance every now and again, and enjoy the views. The girls are all stunning and there is something for everyone. Even women will have something to look out for as the Doll House also has male strippers.

For the more physical side of things there is enough choice not to have to make recommendations. However, any visit to the Reeperbahn should not miss out a visit to the ‘Herbert Strasse’. Unfortunately, this is where only the guys will be able to go on as this street is off-limits to women and boys under the age of 18. It is not just a gimmick either, women venturing beyond the gates of this street will be thrown out by force. Whereas the guys await 100 meters of windows with a variety of young and beautiful women. No doubt they will be knocking on their windows to ask you over, and don’t feel scared to go over for a chat. What you do after is up to you.

Davids Wache:
The Reeperbahn also boasts the most famous Police Station on Germany, the Davids Wache. Over the decades it has had to deal with all kinds of troubles. However, these are mostly between ‘professionals’ so there is not really any need to worry. If you do feel uneasy about something or you wish to report something or ask for help, this is the place to do it. Just follow the signs for ‘Polizei’ or ask for the Davids Wache.

So what is the conclusion to a night out on the Reeperbahn then. It is what you make of it, and several thousand people a night can’t be wrong. It is dazzling and exciting and the whole place just has a buzz about it that I find is hard to beat. The mixture of liberalism and enjoyment is intriguing and contagious and you may well go home with quite a different impression of the Germans than you used to have. This place really is a lot of fun and as long as you use your common sense on where to go and what to do you will be fine. There are so many more places to tell you about, but the best thing to do is just to find out for yourself!

Reeperbahn Insider Tips:
Bars and Pubs: For the most genuine bars and pubs dare to go into the side streets where you will often find bars stuck in the 70s and characters behind and in front of the bar to go with it. A word of warning though, it is a red light district and the side streets can come with the common risks. Use your common sense. Safe places to go are up the David Strasse (try the Windjammer cellar pub), Grosse Freiheit (try Gretel & Alfons), and Erichstrasse (try Komet).

Hanging out: You don’t have to be in a restaurant, musical, bar or club to enjoy the Reeperbahn. There are people out and about and it’s great to do some people watching. You can have your drinks outside in Hamburg, so why not pick up some beers or wine from the Reeperbahn Petrol station (yes they sell alcohol) and chill out on the street. The Spielbudenplatz is the main square on the Reeperbahn and surrounded by clubs – a great place to hang out.

Avoiding the girls: The ‘girls’ can be quite adamant, especially on the David Strasse and the Hans-Albers-Platz. You can stop to have a chat, but the longer you chat the less they will want to let you go. A friendly smile and a ‘No thanks’ will get you past the droves of girls stepping forward.

Getting home: There are night busses leaving from a number of stops along the Reeperbahn, and the trains also run throughout the night. They cover most areas of Hamburg, so check the timetables or http://www.hvv.de for more info. If you want to get a taxi flag one down or get it from the taxi rank. If you are staying on the outskirts expect 30 minutes drive and a 35-40 Euro bill. If you’re accommodation is in town you’re looking at around 15 Euros.

Background Hamburg:
Hamburg is Germany’s 2nd largest city behind Berlin. Despite its 1.8m inhabitants Hamburg comes across as very laid back and you would be forgiven for thinking Hamburg was smaller than it is. The low skyline, largely dominated by the city’s 7 main churches, is as beautiful as the buildings that make it up. The architecture originates from the city’s heritage as a trading city – with many trading and merchant’s houses making up the city centre. Also in the city centre are the two big lakes, fed from the river Alster. The outer lake (Aussenalster) is larger and is home to many sailing clubs, while the inner city lake (Binnenalster) is surrounded by the city’s stunning shopping arcades and top hotels. The city’s second (and larger) river – the Elbe – cuts the city in two with the main commercial and residential parts to the north and large parts of harbour to the south. To people who have not yet been to Hamburg, the city is often believed to be dominated by industry. This may be true for the southern harbour parts, but the main city area is lush and green with many parks, lakes, canals and inner city gardens. Did you know that Hamburg has more bridges than Venice?

Mamma Mia
Operettenhaus
20359, Spielbudenplatz 1
(U3 St. Pauli, S-Bahn Reeperbahn)
Telephone +49 (0)40 31 11 7 - 0

Tanz der Vampire
Neue Flora
Stresemannstrasse 159
http://www.tanz-der-vampire.de

Cuneo
Davidstraße 11
Telephone +49 (0)40 31 25 80

Abendmahl
Hein-Köllisch-Platz 6
Telephone +49 (0)40 31 27 58

Schatteau Pauli
Kastanienallee 32
Telephone +49 (0)40 31 77 88 17

Cult
Grosse Freiheit 2
Telephone +49 (0)40

Docks Club
Spielbudenplatz 19,
Telephone +49 (0)40 317 88 311

Funky Pussy Club
Große Freiheit 34,
Telephone +49 (0)40 314 236

Große Freiheit / Kaiserkeller
Große Freiheit 36,
Telephone +49 (0)40 319 36 49

Hans-Albers-Eck
Hans-Albers-Platz 20,
Telephone +49 (0)40 317 59 60

Komet
Erichstraße 11

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