St Pauli, a northern part of the port of Hamburg, is famous not only for the football club of the same name, but also as home of the world-famous Reeperbahn entertainment and red-light district. Despite the cult status of FC St Pauli, the city's more successful club, with multiple league titles and cup triumphs to their name, is the Hamburger Sport Verein, HSV. Formerly a 'dinosaur' of the Bundesliga, having been in the top flight from its creation in 1963 right through until 2018 (a full 54 years without relegation), HSV - at the time of writing - now find themselves in the Second Bundesliga, striving to get back to the top tier again.

Away from football, the port area, the Speicherstadt 'warehouse city', the Reeperbahn, of course, and the striking modern architectue of the new concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie are among the places popular with visitors to the city. A few of these, along with some suggestions on places to eat, drink and stay, are listed below. More can be found on the official Hamburg tourism website.

If you have any tips of your own and would like to share them, I'd be happy to add them here. Please just e-mail me at euro2024ingermany@gmx.com.  

To keep this page uncluttered, I've not included any photos. Instead, I've put together a selection in this Hamburg City and Stadium Gallery.

You'll also find plenty of photos and a few ideas for things to do over at GetYourGuide. 

For hard copy guide books, see my Books page.

Getting to Hamburg

If you're flying into the city from the UK, see my UK Airports page for departure airport information and my Hamburg Airport page for details of your arrival airport. If you're travelling to the Euros by rail, an Interrail pass will cover all your train journeys, while for individual trips within Germany see this page for Deutsche Bahn times and fares. And if your'e coming by coach, then FlixBus have you covered.
 

Eat/Drink

ÜberQuell
"A real MUST", says BVB fan but now Hamburg resident Marc. "A brewery with a restaurant and in my view the best beer in the city. Large outdoor area. A bit away from the Reeperbahn, but near to 'Park Fiction'. Not to be missed!" You can also take in this place as part of a walking craft beer tour around St. Pauli.

Altes Mädchen
The 'Old Girl' is another craft beer place just a few steps from the Sternschanze U- and S-Bahn stop. Located on the Ratsherrn brewery complex, it offers a range of freshly brewed beers, up to 70 different bottled beers and a further range on draft. Oh, and they also do food.

Ratsherrn Bar Mühlenkamp
A waterside bar run by the same brewery as above, a 15-minute journey by bus from the main station. Their German website says they are aiming with their new bar concept to promote beer culture and combine it with regional cuisine. 24 taps serving all sorts of beers, plus a menu ranging from creative salads to beerhouse classics. As their website linked to above is largely in German, here are some reviews in a variety of languages, including English.
 

See/Do

Reeperbahn
"Goes without saying", says Marc. Bars, nightclubs, strip joints and brothels. Where The Beatles first made their mark. A street of diverse, alternative lifestyles, where almost anything goes. Tickets here for a guided Reeperbahn walking tour and harbour cruise.

Speicherstadt
Literally, 'Warehouse City', the canals and red-brick buildings of this harbour area have been classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1883, the complex of buildings is the world's largest integrated warehouse ensemble. The best way to take it all in is on a boat tour from the landing piers in St. Pauli.

Millerntor Stadium Tour
While the Euro 2024 games are being played in the stadium used by HSV, which is a little way outside the city centre, FC St. Pauli's ground, the Millerntor, is right on your doorstep if you're visiting, for instance, the Reeperbahn and well worth a look around. The club tell me that they will definitely be offering guided tours in English during the Euros. However, they can't yet say exactly when, as the ground will be used as a training facility for one or more national teams. As soon as that is firmed up, details of the tours will be publicised. In the meantime, the stadium tour website is here. It's all in German, but starts with a video that is self-explanatory in any language.

There are more ideas on things to do here and elsewhere in Germany on my '100 things to do' page.


Stay

Hotels/hostel:

Lindner Hotel am Michel
Union Berlin fan Felix says he "really liked" this 4-star hotel in central Hamburg. A 10-minute walk from the harbour, the Reeperbahn and public transport, via which you can reach the stadium in around 40 minutes.

Motel One Hamburg-Fleetinsel
A lower budget tip from Felix's other half, Natasha, this hotel is 11 minutes by public transport from the main station, 13 from the Reeperbahn and c. 45 from the stadium.

Backpackers St. Pauli
The last time I was in Hamburg and potentially in the market for a hostel bed, my mates and I were so skint that we instead hopped on a train with our Interrail passes (it was that long ago!) and pulled out the seats of an old 6-seat compartment to make beds for ourselves there. For those in seach of a hostel during the Euros, however, this place looks a fair option. It's 25 minutes by bus from the main station in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg. It offers dormitory accommodation and has a bar.

For other hotels on and around the respective matchdays, plus out of town alternatives, see the Dates page.

Campsites:

KNAUS Campingpark Hamburg
45 mins with U-Bahn and bus to Hamburg main station and 56 minutes (one bus) to the stadium.

Camping ABC am Großensee/Hamburg
500m to Großensee, Hamburger Straße bus stop, then the bus to Rahlstedt Bahnhof (station) and a regional train to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. Total journey time: 55 minutes.

For campsites for other venues, see my Camping page.