Hamburg Travel Guide

Reeperbahn

Hamburg's notorious red light district to the east of the city centre in the St Pauli zone has become its second-greatest tourist attraction, according to the city management. The Reeperbahn (Rope Street) is where rope used to be produced for the ships in the harbour. It is now a half-mile long street which, along with its cross-streets, is filled with bright lights and flirtatious prostitutes, crammed with bars and establishments offering erotic entertainment. The Reeperbahn became the neighbourhood where sailors of old were encouraged to seek entertainment after they were banned from invading the city's more respectable areas in the 19th century. The district also boasts an Erotic Art Museum (at Nobistor 10A), which is privately owned and restricted to persons over 16.