The possibility of games being played behind closed doors will mean the likelihood of a lot of disappointed fans travelling to St Pauli these coming weeks (or even longer), being unable to watch the game from the Millerntor.
However, local ‘Tor Guide‘ Marianna is on the case and has helpfully compiled a list of legal things we like to do (in addition to Mexikaner Quality Control) with the double aim of lifting fans’ spirits – we’ve been gutted by the numerous tweets from friends who’s plans will be affected by the stadium closure – and making me look foolish…
This is an initial list, and we may include additions/updates in the near future. Get in touch by email or Twitter if there’s anything you think should be added.
Today we heard the sad news that St Pauli v Nuremberg will be played in an empty stadium. We know many people planned to travel to watch this game. But you need not despair, there are plenty of über-cool things to do in Hamburg when there is no game on.
Marianna (knitting and drinking)
Museums & exhibitions:
Most of these are located in the old warehouse district, the Speicherstadt. Click on the hyperlinks to navigate to website.
| Miniatur Wunderland | It’s the world´s largest model railway! Get a bird’s eye view on Hamburg. How cool is that? |
| Spice Museum | An interactive museum displaying spices from all over the world. |
| Coffee Museum Burg | A must for coffee lovers. And you get to taste the coffee too, in their own little café. |
| Prototype Museum | An exhibition with lots of Porsche racing cars that St Pauli fans will probably never be able to afford the petrol for (or speeding fines!). |
| BallinStadt Emigration Museum Hamburg | Learn about the history of migration. It’s a short trip to the Veddel, but well worth it. |
| Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis | Take a climb up Michael’s Tower for stunning views of St Pauli district. |
Other things to do
| Planten un Blomen | Stroll around Planten un Blomen, St Pauli’s green space. There’s a botanical garden inside and from May to September they have spectacular water-light concerts. The concerts are free and very popular amongst Hamburgers. Just grab a six pack of Astra & some friends and head down in the evening. |
| Boat Tour to Övelgönne Beach | Hamburg’s favourite beach, still beats all of those beach bars that popped up a few years ago. Watch the big boats go by and enjoy a cool drink in the Strandperle. You can get there with the public transport boats, they are leaving regularly from Hamburg Landungsbrücken. |
| Hamburg Fischmarkt | You have the choice either to get up at 6am on a Sunday morning or just simply go there straight from the pub. Sells all sorts of food stuff, I promise you will come home with a basket full of overripe fruits in one hand and enough biscuits for the next 5 years under your other arm. Unless you decide to continue to party and head straight to one of the many Fischmarkt bars that stay open until the late morning. The Fischmarkt had to ban the sale of life animals as drunk tourists kept buying chickens and then released them into the streets of St Pauli!!! Open from 7am – 9.30am (winter months) / 5am – 9:30am (summer months). |
| Alter Elbtunnel | Free to pedestrians, and able to handle cars/bikes, the Alter Elbtunnel (Old Elbe Tunnel) connects the Landungsbrücken piers with the port. |
| Counting Bridges | Yes, Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam & Venice together. Geoff tried counting them but got distracted by the even more numerous Astra signs & the pubs usually attached to them. |
Food & Drinks
We don’t need to tell you about our favourite St Pauli drinking dens, you probably know them well already. So here are a few favourite restaurants you might not know yet.
| Rodizio Panthera | Huge amounts of lovely Brazilian food!!! Besides their lovely meat skewers they also have a fantastic buffet with sides and an excellent dessert selection. It’s all you can eat for less than €30. Fantastic entertainment as well. Advance booking is a must. |
| The Fire Boat | This is admittedly a tat too touristy and not that cheap. But the food is fantastic and it’s Geoff’s favourite. |
| The Old Commerical Room | Located next to the Michel, it serves Hamburg’s best Labskaus. |
| Erika’s Eck | Want a massive Schnitzel, steak or curry wurst at 4am? This is the place to go to. Located in the Schanzenviertel, just a short walk from all the pubs. |
| Portuguese Quarter | There are plenty of fantastic restaurants just north of the Landungsbrücken. It can be a bit hit and miss, and choices can be limited during busy periods. |
| Krameramtsstuben | A few fantastic restaurants near the Michel. Cute little, old houses that were used as grocers’ apartments in the old days. |
| Kleine Pause | Fantastic burgers (we can highly recommend ordering ‘mit Ei’ as you can’t beat a fried egg). Be warned: As long as you don’t mind “standing for hours waiting to see how grumpy your pigeon German makes the proprietors of Kleine Pause” @AyrDelighted |
| Kokomo Noodle Club | Not too far from the Jolly. Awesome Ramen and Sides. Also Veggie. |
| Sunday Brunch | There are plenty of great Sunday brunch places around St Pauli, many of them with all-you-can-eat cold and hot buffets. Here a short list of our favourites: Pauline Café Miller (vegan & carnivore) Café May |
