Hamburg: A new dawn beyond the seedy image

Nov 10 2009 By John Siddle

FAMOUS for its sex shops and strip joints, Hamburg in northern Germany has long been a port of call for stag parties and lads’ getaways.

The Reeperbahn, one of the oldest red-light districts in Europe, attracts millions of tourists each year.

No wonder John Lennon once quipped “I came of age in Hamburg” – The Beatles were frequent visitors to the district during a near two-year stint in the city.

But leafy Hamburg – a city so wealthy it offers a quality of life virtually unsurpassable in Germany – is shedding its seedy image to spectacularly reinvent itself as one of Europe’s most sophisticated and cosmopolitan hangouts.

The beautiful, leafy city, where the Greens share power with the Conservatives, is a thriving waterside metropolis with a creative climate in the air.

A £2.5m ‘Beatlemania’ exhibition, opened last year, has tapped into the recently ignored market of Fab Four tourism.

Over 300,000 visitors flock annually to the five-story museum – yards from where the boys drank, took drugs and enjoyed some sexual exploits. Paul McCartney called it a “sexual awakening”. George Harrison dubbed it the “naughtiest city in the world”.

Forty years later, though prostitution is legalised, the city’s sex trade is in decline and, although keen not to damage what is still a lucrative tourism attraction, politicians are now focussed on delivering the largest urban development project on the continent.

The 157 hectare HafenCity – Harbour City – will grow downtown Hamburg by 40%, creating a 21st century hub of culture, leisure, work and living in what is currently a rundown former port area. Pats are already open, with the popular spice museum ensuring the city’s shipping heritage is remembered.

At its heart is a £350m conversion of an old Albert Dock-style cocoa warehouse into a spectacular concert hall.

The architectural prowess of the glass-fronted Elbe Philharmonic – which will stand some 338 feet tall – has drawn acclaim from across the world.

When it opens in 2012, experts believe the structure will draw “worldwide attention” to Hamburg, akin to the effect of Sydney’s Opera House.

Magazine journalist Harald Willenbrock said Hamburg is going “all out” to be Germany’s leading light.

Self-renewal is something the people of Hamburg know much about. Rocked by fires, air raids, storms and cholera, the 1,200-year old city has had to rebuild itself on numerous occasions.

Operation Gomorrah, an Allied raid during World War II, left 35,000 dead as 8,344 tonnes of bombs sparked infernos that destroyed half the city.

Its remarkable renaissance is not simply down to blank cheque urban regeneration, however. There is renewed passion for the previously marginalised arts scene – Hamburg’s contemporary offering is now beginning to rival Berlin. Museums are dotted around the Alster lake and there are upwards of 20 theatres.

The city’s retail offering is among the largest in Europe, with a glut of department stores, boutique arcades and top-brand shops. Hamburgers love shopping – and as they earn 70% above the Germanic average, they do so until they drop.

But while Hamburg is no longer simply just sailors, sex and sauerkraut, that legacy has not been entirely forgotten.

Its most stunning sight – until the Elbe Philharmonic is built at least – is arguably the throng of revellers who are still partying pilsner-in-hand as the sun rises on the vibrant Sunday morning Altona fish market.

Rock cover bands keep crowds entertained while yards away boisterous traders auction seafood of all descriptions along the riverside.

And the Reeperbahn – dubbed the ‘street of sin’ by some – is still its most popular attraction.

Some may argue that Hamburg is a city caught in two minds.

One that’s suffered a loss of identity.

They’re wrong. Hamburg is reinventing itself as a cultural metropolis that will see it become a tourist mainstay in the not too distant future.

Travel facts

John flew from Manchester Airport on Friday morning with Lufthansa and returned Monday evening. The flight was around 1hour 45 minutes and costs around £160 return.

The S-bahn, from the airport to the city centre takes 20 minutes.

A three night stay at the five star boutique George Hotel, half a mile from the central train station, costs between £125 and £200 including breakfast and spa facilities.

A Hamburg Card, allowing free access on public transport across the city, costs 18.90 euro for three days and gives 50% discount at about 130 museums, tours, and cruises and 20% off at selected restaurants.

b3Visit www.hamburg-tourism.de