Reeperbahn | Hamburg sights

City Sightseeing, Hamburg, Reeperbahn, St.Pauli — Hamburg Reeperbahn

The 930 m long Hamburg Reeperbahn is one of the most visited attractions in the city of Hamburg. It is an entertainment and red light district in the Hamburg district of St. Pauli. The street achieved world fame through the films by Hans Albers and Freddy Quinn in the 1950s. The Reeperbahn runs from the Millerntor westwards to the Nobistor, and then turns into Königstraße.

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History of the Reeperbahn in Hamburg

The name Reeperbahn is of course also associated with the port of Hamburg. It comes from the word “Reepschlägern”, a somewhat older term for the professional group of Taumacher and Seiler. These needed a long, straight track to make ship ropes. Voilà the Reeperbahn.

Until the expansion of Hamburg and the lifting of the Hamburg gate lock in 1860/1861, the Reeperbahn lay between the suburb of Hamburger Berg (today St. Pauli) and Altona. It was exactly the place where people and businesses that were not wanted in both cities settled. Due to the proximity to the port – where potential, wealthy customers landed with the ships – amusement establishments and red light businesses emerged.

This trade is part of the quarter. In addition, an alternating nightlife has established itself. Because the Reeperbahn is now much more than just a sinful place.

Sights of the Reeperbahn in Hamburg

If you are in Hamburg, you should definitely visit the Reeperbahn in the St. Pauli district in addition to the harbor. Every year over 100,000 tourists visit the countless clubs, bars, shops, musicals and shows.

Of course, various strip bars, burlesque, erotic cabarets or the world-famous Herbertstraße, which runs parallel to the Reeperbahn in the south, characterize the district.
The latter can only be reached on foot and through two screens. Women and people under the age of 18 are not allowed in Herbertstraße. But you shouldn’t reduce the Reeperbahn to that alone. Because the Reeperbahn is much more:

The most important sights definitely include the well-known Café Keese (until 2015,), the windowless bar “Zur Ritze” with its own boxing cellar and many other localities, which are located in the side streets, such as the Große Freiheit branching off from Beatles-Platz or the Hans-Albers-Platz, continue. There are also countless clubs – such as Mondoo or the Mojo, the Docks or the Prinzenbar.

Beatles in Hamburg

As I said, music is part of the Reeperbahn. It was here that the Beatles got their first engagement and their world career in a live music club near the Reeperbahn in the early 1960s. Beatles Square is a reminder of this today, with its silhouetted statues of the band. Thousands of Beatles fans have been making a pilgrimage to the Reeperbahn since then to be close to their Liverpool idols.