Getting to know everything about the Red Light District in St. Pauli

The Reeperbahn and its side streets

The name Reeperbahn means ropewalk and was a place were once ropes for sailing ships were made. Long strands of material are laid down a lane before being twisted into ropes. The first residential buildings were designed in 1826 as small apartment buildings in the style of a row of houses on the north side of the Reeperbahn between Millerntor and Hamburger Berg. The boulevard is about 930 meters long and runs from Millerntor at the complex of the "Tanzende Türme" (Dancing Towers) in a westerly direction to the Nobistor. Today the Reeperbahn is lined with restaurants, night clubs, discotheques and bars. You will find also strip clubs, sex shops, brothels and related businesses here.

Herbertstraße - for men only

Herbertstraße is a street in Hamburg that has been used for prostitution since the beginning of the 19th century. It is located on St. Pauli near the Reeperbahn. The street is about 100 meters long, in the houses the prostitutes sit on stools in windows, present themselves and wait for clients or speak to the male passers-by while the window is open. No one can see in passing, since screens were erected at both ends of the road in 1933. They are a remnant of a brown past. Posters prohibiting "Young people under 18 and women" from entering, which legally is more than doubtful. It is a public road that can be entered by anyone and every woman. All non-male visitors should be aware, that once a woman will venture behind the wall, she is prompted to leave again very quickly with the most hefty swearwords, rotten eggs and sometimes also solid arguments.

Große Freiheit and Spielbudenplatz - for party people only

In 1611/12 a special district called Freiheit (Liberty) was established, which at that time belonged to Altona. The streets belonged to a special economic zone. Independent craftsmen were able to pursue their trade against an annual tax and Catholics were allowed to practise their religion here; they were forbidden from doing so in Protestant Hamburg proper. 

Especially on weekends, the famous side street Große Freiheit is equally popular with tourists and locals. Many bachelor parties end in the striptease-bar dollhouse. Concerts are offered in numerous venues, the most famous of which is the "Große Freiheit 36". In the early 1960s the Beatles started their career in the Große Freiheit and played in several clubs around here. To commemorate the history of the Beatles, a public square on the Reeperbahn was named after the Beatles. This place is intended to recall the importance of Hamburg, where the foundation stone for her world career was laid. We will also take a look at plush dancing pubs and scantly clothed ladies.

The Spielbudenplatz extends on the south side of the Reeperbahn in Hamburg-St. Pauli from the high-rise complex of Dancing Towers to the Davidwache. Located right next to the lively Reeperbahn, the square attracts residents and visitors alike with events such as St. Pauli Nightmarkets, Food Truck Festivals, flea and design markets as well as live music. In between you will find the Operetta House, the Wax Museum Panoptikum, Schmidts Tivoli as well as the St. Pauli Theatre.

Davidwache - for the bad ones only

The Davidwache is the building of the Hamburg police station 15 and, through film and television, the most famous police station of the Hanseatic city. The police station is located in the St. Pauli quarter near Reeperbahn, at the corner of Spielbudenplatz square and Davidstraße. During our St. Pauli Tour some funny and thrilling stories will be told about the famous police station „Davidwache“. Did you know that Paul McCartney and Pete Best e.g. had to spend a night at the Davidwache?

Important information about your online booking - St. Pauli tour

* Weather in Hamburg may change on a dime.
* Please do not photograph people in this quarter.
* City tour tickets are tied to the date and time.
* Please arrive 15 minutes before tour start at the meeting point.
* No compensation for delays or non-commencement of the tour.
* The tour takes place in any weather
* The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the tour if participation is too low. In this case, the ticket price will be refunded.
* Tickets must be printed out after online booking and submitted to the Organizer upon entry into paper form.
* The online prices are only valid when booking online via HTI Hamburgtourist.info. 

We also offer this guided walk for groups at individual times, or different languages.