WHAT’S THE FLOW?
A Stag do in a yet unconquered city can be good. And your Hamburg Stag do can be freaking amazing too. It’s not that you can’t organize a cool party for your best friends, it's more about that you'd rather enjoy the whole trip with them and leave the busy part to us.
We will give you a couple of days in the most amazing German city you will never forget. A Hamburg Stag Do is waiting for you - let us entertain the crew, Captain!
You already know some jokes and stories about those ports filled with warehouses, whorehouses, booze, gamblers and easy-going women... Well Hamburg is not quite one of those anymore. For centuries it has been one of the biggest harbor cities in the world, thus it’s both cosmopolitan, a bit messy and supertrendy.
In terms of epic party-weekends this buzzing ever-free city will offer you dance clubs, metal pubs, hipster hubs, cocktail bars, rooms with red light, perfect tap beer and Schöne Mädchen too...
Tucked away in northern Germany with its 1.7 million inhabitants Hamburg is the second largest German city. And for many it is the No1. place for urban adventures. Hansestadt Hamburg is a maritime hub with a strategically and commercially perfect location. It's a megacity yet a village, a modern metropolis yet a town with a lot of green spaces, giant boobs and sailor traditions. Millions of tourists flow through the always-restless Hanza city every year. According to the Economist Chart (the most famous of its kind) Hamburg is among the top 10 most liveable cities in the world. Why? It has a lot of liquid (salty and fresh water and plenty of beer). It offers a vast variety of the greatest street and finger foods for fish lovers and burger enthusiasts. Public transport is cozy and super punctual. Hamburg is not a cheap city, but the ancestors of hard-drinking sailormen can still easily obtain a shot of rum or a beer for 2 Euros..
Does it ring a bell when you hear (the name) St. Pauli? There are more than enough possibilities that this district can offer for a perfect Hamburg Stag do. Those nightouts with noisy clubs and dirty chicks you will never forget.
The easiest and possibly cheapest way to get here from the UK is with budget airlines. There are several choices at any date so you can easily book your one-and-a-half-hour flight that's most suitable for your holiday madness. The ones who would rather stay on the ground can also pick from train or bus schedules, a bit longer, but doable. The coolest way of arriving to Hamburg might be on a deck of a thousand-feet-long containership, but that's the only thing we can't arrange... yet.
When you're there the easiest way of cruising in the city is with a bike. Over 1700 kilometers of bike routes is provided along the river banks, the North Sea Coast, forests, dark aisles of St. Pauli or the nearest drink station just around the corner. StadtRAD is the official bike rental service, you can find the red bikes all around the city. After registration you can use the bikes with a free app, the tariff is 8ct/min or 12EUR/day.
"More than a destination" - says the slogan of HVV (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund), and they are totally right. You definitely don't want to drive in a city with a transport system so extensive and rapid. Save yourself the time and stress of driving as buses and over/underground railways operate on weekdays from 5am until around 11pm at 5 to 10 minute intervals. On weekend (Friday, Saturday) nights the suburban and underground railways in Hamburg and Norderstedt operate continuously every 20 minutes.
Do you know what hanseatic stands for? To get the answer we have to go back to the 14th century. The Hanseatic League was a commercial association of towns in Northern Germany to protect and control trade. And after 700 years you can still see the continuously flourishing system of modern shipping and merchandising. This city has never slept. The harbor as a chapter itself hides a lot of history and mystery so a boat trip in the canals is a must.
After that, walk into the biggest European Warehouse District, the UNESCO World Heritage Speicherstadt to get the feeling as if you entered into a scenery of a James Bond movie with snipers watching you from any window - walk to the southern end of the district to catch a sight of the beautifully constructed Elbfilharmonie.
Back in the days this building was the largest storage place in the city today this new cultural and urban landmark wants to become one of the ten best concert halls in the world. Walk in for free, get on the top and take your enviable selfie with the harbor in the background. Leave the classics behind but don't go too far, 'cause here comes another one. One or maybe two decades ago you would have given anything for possessing one of these: here you can stare at the world's largest miniature railway that goes from Las Vegas Casino through the Swiss Alps all the way to Rome's Colosseum. And back… What a ride! Check out the amazing Miniatur Wunderland with more than 15 kilometers of track and 260 000 figures.
While the kids play, let's move to some more adult stuff. Beer. Or Bier. Same, same but different. Hamburg is a famous beer destination - whether you want some refreshment in the park or go crazy with your Hamburg Stag do mates, the city has no shortage of authentic pubs. The bohemian neighborhood of Sternschanze is home to artist punks, hipsters and one of your best bet for good food and drink. Altes Mädchen is a sprawling brewhouse with a noisy garden offering an in-house brewer, Rattshern, and 60 other craft beers from across the world.
You can also get a broad variety of tap beers at Groninger Privatbrauerei or go to Blockbräu for a typical beer hall experience. Actually, no need to worry if you get lost in Hamburg, you still find top quality beer at hand. And the prices? Well, you can get Astra, the "Carling of Germany" for about 3€, but a pint of real quality can easily cost 5 euros.
Although the people of Hamburg are very friendly with tourists, they're also proud of their history and traditions. Just don't joke with Hamburgers! Besides, it doesn't really matter if food historians disagree on the modern burger's origin you can still have great bites in every corner of the city. What the currywurst is to Berlin, the fish sandwich is to Hamburg. You can have both all around the city.
What's the best place to survive hangovers? After a decent night you may just want to lay out in the greenery and enjoy sunshine, doing nothing. Well, Hamburg is one of Europe's greenest metropolises. So if you're lucky enough to catch the sun shining go to Alsterpark for a spontaneous bbq, or enjoy the play of street musicians at the open-air stage in Stadtpark.
"Grosse Freiheit" or Great Freedom is almost tangible everywhere in this traditionally liberal city. You can do quite anything you want as long as it doesn't harm others. So beer-biking, bubble football or a funky boat trip will definitely fit in your Hamburg Stag do schedule. Oh, and there's one last program not to miss: after breaking the night butterfly's heart at Reeperbahn, definitely get to Sunday Fischmarkt by 5 a.m. It's the best free show for an afterparty and you can restore balance to the brain by hunting down some stuffed fish sandwiches.
But let's move back a bit in the chronology. We've already learned that when the sun comes up, the city moves out. Well, the same thing happens when the sun goes down... This is the time when your real Hamburg stag do adventure starts. Hamburg is a zoo filled with party animals. It is neither a Mediterranean lido nor a scenery for moonlight chansons. It is rather made for tough guys hungry for adventures with their balls at the right place. Often the least likely places have the best parties. In this context you only have to remember one name: Reeperbahn.
The alpha and omega of the city's nightlife - but definitely not the only place for a decent hangout. Once it was a place where heavy ropes (Reepe) were produced now it's the center of heavy clubbing. So what can we expect at this legendary "sinful" mile? There are many bars, theatres, clubs, sex shops, erotic theatres, strip clubs all ready at your disposal. On Grossefreiheitstrasse where the Beatles started their career, bands are playing every night at still existing places like Indra Klub or Kaiserkeller. But today's special places are tiny bars with own dj's, free admissions and cheap drinks like Rosi's Bar or Barbarabar. In this area you can leave your dignity outside. You might get it back later.
Dim red lights... Like it or not, the most ancient profession, so to say, has always existed in history. Thus, Germans have a very reasonable approach to prostitution. Actually it has been legal and taxed in all Germany since almost a century and brings in over 15 billion Euros every year. It doesn't mean that the situation is supersafe here, but men can choose a legal way of sexual adventures if preferred. Herbertstrasse is obviously the most notorious street of the red light district.
Once sailormen came here to while away their short shore leave, now adventurous tourists come by to find something special behind those red-lightened windows. It is an unmissable stag do station for sure, better to be conquered according to the advice of one of our experienced guides.
Act and speak like a local, it will surely pay off. Here are some expressions (in chronological order) and single words you can survive with at any party you enter during your Hamburg stag do.
Noch ein Bier, bitte. - Another beer, please
Jetzt geht's ab - The party is on!
Ich bin dicht - I'm drunk
Do bist so schön wie die Morgenröte - You are beautiful as the sunrise
Freibier für alle, sonst gibts Krawalle - Free beer for all, or else we riot
Ich brauch einen Katerfrühstück - I need a hangover cure/breakfast
Ausgezeichnet - excellent
Wunderbar - wonderful
Geil - cool
Fabelhaft - fabulous
In Hamburg you can find any kind of accommodation from plain ground to five-star junior suites. Our helpful operators will find you the right crib to stay at according to your needs and preferences. There are different criterias you must take into account when choosing the right place. These are location, quality, comfort, price and services. Hamburg is definitely not the cheapest city on Earth so you need to pick from the smartest offers.