St. Pauli Piers, Hamburg (must see)

Saint Pauli Piers is one of Hamburg’s best places to get close to the working harbor. As you approach from the city, first look for the long waterfront terminal building with its two distinctive green domes. This 205-meter-long building runs parallel to the Elbe and marks the entrance to the piers.

Walk toward the river and cross one of the movable bridges leading down to the floating pontoons. The first pier here was built in 1839 as a terminal for steamships. The present floating piers date largely from 1907 and were rebuilt during the 1950s after suffering heavy damage during World War II.

Once you reach the pontoons, turn toward the river. The floating jetty stretches for about 700 meters along the waterfront. From here, you have an open view across the Elbe, with ferries, harbor boats, container ships, and other vessels constantly moving through the port. This is one of the best spots along the waterfront for photographs, especially if you want Hamburg’s busy harbor in the background.

As you walk along the pier, look for the signs marking the individual ferry and harbor-cruise departure points. Regular ferries and sightseeing boats leave from different sections of the pontoons. If you happen to have tickets to The Lion King performance, you can get ferry transport to the production's musical island.

Now, turn back toward the city. The promenade around the historic terminal building is lined with restaurants, cafés, bars, and small food stands, making it a convenient place to stop while watching harbor traffic.

For another attraction, head toward the western end of the Piers and look for signs reading Alter Elbtunnel or St. Pauli Elbtunnel. The entrance to the Old Elbe Tunnel is inside the historic domed building. From here, elevators and stairs descend deep beneath the river to the tiled pedestrian and vehicle tunnel, which opened in 1911. Even if you do not walk all the way across, the entrance halls, old machinery, decorative tiles, and the long tunnel itself are worth seeing.