Flakturm IV

St Pauli & Reeperbahn


Rising up from the northern reaches of St Pauli, this brooding concrete structure was built during WWII as an anti-aircraft defence position but doubled as a bunker or shelter for those fleeing bombardment – a rather strange combination when you think about it. Around 18,000 people could shelter here behind the 3.5m-thick walls. Now it's a nightclub, Uebel und Gefährlich.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby St Pauli & Reeperbahn attractions

1. Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte

0.41 MILES

Hamburg's history museum has lots of kid-friendly features: it's chock-full of intricate ship models, has a large model train set (which runs on the hour)…

2. Johannes Brahms Museum

0.46 MILES

Master composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was born in Hamburg. Although the house where he was born was destroyed in 1943, this fine 18th-century…

3. Komponisten-Quartier

0.46 MILES

This engaging museum celebrates the classical composers with a significant connection to the city, among them Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Mahler and Carl…

4. Tanzende Türme

0.48 MILES

Watching over the eastern gateway to St Pauli since 2011, the 'Dancing Towers' are a Hamburg icon. The two towers buck and weave by up to 3m from the…

5. Rote Flora

0.52 MILES

One of the most outstanding remnants of the area’s rougher days, the graffiti-covered Rote Flora looks one step away from demolition. Once the famous…

6. St Pauli Nachtmarkt

0.52 MILES

Wednesday late afternoon and evening is a terrific time to be in St Pauli when the weekly night market takes over Spielbudenplatz with food stalls, live…

7. Panoptikum

0.53 MILES

If wax museums are your thing, Hamburg has a decent version with more than 120 figures spread over four floors. Everyone gets a run, from Queen Elizabeth…

8. Pelikan Apotheke

0.58 MILES

This still-functioning pharmacy has been around since 1656… wander in to admire the splendid period touches.