Reeperbahn

Reeperbahn Review

The hottest spots in town are concentrated in the St. Pauli Harbor area on the Reeperbahn thoroughfare and on a little side street known as the Grosse Freiheit (Great Liberty—and that's putting it mildly). In the early '60s a then obscure band called the Beatles polished their live act at the now-demolished Star Club.

The striptease shows are explicit, but a walk through this area is an experience in itself and costs nothing. There are crowds every night but it's especially busy on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, when the area pulsates with people determined to have a good time.

There are quiet pubs, crazy bars, and booming dance clubs lining the street where rope makers once worked. On most nights of the week, people move from bar to bar in search of fun. (Although it is legal to drink alcohol in public in Germany, glass bottles are verboten on the Reeperbahn.) Many clubs have either no cover charge or €3 or €4 entrance fees.

Herbertstrasse, a small side street not far from Hans-Albers-Platz begins with a tall red wall warning women and children under 18 not to enter. This is the place to witness department-store-window prostitutes similar to those in Amsterdam or meet women offering their services as they walk down the street. Anyone can walk down any street in Germany but the reception for women and children on Herbertstrasse may not be very warm. Among the attractions in the St. Pauli area are theaters, clubs, music venues, discos, and all kinds of bizarre shops.