Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [615]
Leading venues, open daily (weather permitting), include the following:
Central Park (Map; www.centralpark-hamburg.de, in German; Max-Brauer-Allee 277) A beach bar without water? ‘No problem’, said its enterprising owners, who built this summer garden smack bang in the grungy Schanzenviertel. Music, snacks, massages and a kid’s playground are often joined by sculpture exhibitions.
StrandPauli (Map; www.strandpauli.de, in German; St-Pauli-Hafenstrasse 84) Tuesday is tango night at this Gilligan’s Island stretch of sand overlooking the heart of the busy docks. The reed-thatched shack looks a bit out of place, but the beer, cocktails and sausages hit the spot.
Strandperle (Map; www.strandperle-hamburg.de, in German; Schulberg 2) The mother of Hamburg’s beach bars is little more than a kiosk, but the people watching is tops, as patrons linger over the MOPO (Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper) with a snack, coffee, beer or local fritz-kola.
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Café Knuth (Map; 4600 8708; Grosse Rainstrasse 21; from 10am) Altona stakes its own claim on the olive-green retro style seen across the city. Students, creative types and work colleagues come to chat in its split-level lounge areas.
Aurel (Map; 390 2727; Bahrenfelder Strasse 15; from 11am) This cosy red-tinged bar is a long-standing Altona favourite for its cheap cocktails and crowd-pleasing music.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Nightclubs & Live Music
Opening hours and admission prices for Hamburg’s clubs vary depending on what’s on. Check program details on the online gig guide www.clubkombinat.de (in German).
Astra Stube (Map; www.astra-stube.de; Max-Brauer-Allee 200; from 9.30pm Mon-Sat) This graffiti-covered red building underneath the railway tracks looks totally unpromising, but it’s actually a pioneer of Hamburg’s underground scene, with DJs playing experimental electro, techno and drum and bass.
Beat Club (Map; 3339 6959; www.myspace.com/beati; Hopfenstrasse 32; from 10pm) Identified by its London Underground–style logo, this little cellar bar is a bastion of rock ’n’ roll in Hamburg.
China Lounge (Map; 3197 6622; www.china-lounge.de, in German; Nobistor 14; from 11pm Thu-Sat) Stylish without being snootily exclusive, this leading mainstream venue boasts four areas playing electro, house, hip hop and R&B. A huge laughing Buddha looks down on the main floor.
Golden Pudel Club (Map; 3197 9930; www.pudel.com, in German; St-Pauli-Fischmarkt 27; from 10pm) In a ramshackle wooden fisherman’s hut, this bar-club was established by members of legendary Hamburg band Die Goldenen Zitronen and gets packed to the rafters for its quality electro, hip-hop, R&B and reggae gigs.
Hafenklang (Map; www.hafenklang.de, in German with English sections; Grosse Elbstrasse 84) A collective of Hamburg industry insiders, including Jan Drews (Click here), present established and emerging DJs and bands, as well as clubbing events and parties. Look for the spray-painted name on the dark-brick harbour store above a blank metal door.
Knust im Schlachthof (Map; 8797 6230; www.knusthamburg.de, in German; Neuer Kamp 30) In addition to excellent live music gigs and experimental DJ sets, this former slaughterhouse hosts anything from football fan parties to spoken word.
Komet Musik Bar (Map; 2786 8686; www.komet-st-pauli.de, in German; Erichstrasse 11; from 9pm) Vinyl and only vinyl spins at this treasure of a music bar. Nightly themes range from ska and rocksteady to ’60s garage punk and hip hop.
Molotow Club (Map; 310 845; www.molotowclub.com, in German; Spielbudenplatz 5) An alternative, independent music scene thrives at this much-loved basement venue at Meanie Bar.
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HARBOUR SOUND
The Beatles may have anchored Hamburg’s musical reputation (see the boxed text, Click here), but the distinctive electro-punk sound for which the harbour city is known today kicked off some two decades after the Liverpool lads