Warning: This post contains nudity, brothels and talk of intoxicating liquids.

Fail number one, buying a ticket the day before we leave, 50 euros later we paid a very high price for a one and a half hour trip from Berlin to Hamburg. We had one night in Hamburg, staying in the mix of things in Hamburg’s St Pauli, home to the Reeperbahn, Hamburgs red light district, but the coolest part was our hostel, previously a brothel, my travel buddy Nikki had suggested sleeping in a brothel and I was not about to hesitate at the idea.

Hamburg is a big city in the North of Germany, it’s Germany’s biggest port city and the second biggest in Europe. Although Hamburg is a busy, thriving, productive city in much the same way as London or New york, it is not known for its skyscrapers, It is rather residential and a very green area with plenty of parks and water surrounding, not to mention some fantastic nightlife!

The Reeperbahn is in the St Pauli district, which just happened to be where we were situated. It is Europes biggest red light district and hamburgs famous party mile you’ll find many great bars, restaurants, theaters, and clubs here, along with sex shops, sex museums, erotic theaters, and strip clubs. Since the Since the Reeperbahn is right off the port of Germany, you could expect back in the days the navy men and hard workers stuck on the ships away for days would be desperate for some good night life when their ship rolled in, hence the history and begginings of the Reeperbahn.

In all honesty, most of our trip we struggled to find some good nightlife, rather disappointing for Europe, even in Berlin… but not in Hamburg, here we hit the spot!

First things first, checking into our ultra cool brother hostel and checking out the cool interior of the hostel, (you’ll have to excuse the photos, I only had my phone on me at the time)

Cant forget about the total privacy in the bathroom! two showers in the one… I’m sure that’s a lot of fun and has its place in the brothel… little bit awkward otherwise.

We decided to get out and check out the beach bar and get the drinks started, though the weather was not completely there for a beach bar, but what would you expect from Germany. It was nice, overlooking the port on beach decks with what I assume was fake sand all around us, the setting made me feel like I was in Spain, the prices made me feel like I was in Dubai drinking from a pure gold champagne glass rather then a beer bottle. The bar had some very cool toilet doors, so whilst I didn’t get my shot in Berlin, but I got it in Hamburg.

After spending some time in the beach bar and walking around St Pauli’s famous port, we got food! and I must say, the best kebab I have ever had! Their is a huge turkish population in Germany, that mixed with the Germans great meat! Germany is by far the best place to get a kebab!

We later retired to the hostel, ready to let our hair down! We walked into the bar of the hostel with its relax feel, it wasn’t a famous, popular youth hostel by any sense of the way, it was a hidden gem! An old brothel, turned small time home ran hostel, the bar was not full of back packers but I liked this, the small community feel is much more what I look for in a hostel. We go downstairs and the bar tender/owner hands as a girly low alcohol level beer, “no thanks, ill have what their having” I say pointing to the Astra the boys in the bar was having.

(line of the trip) “no that, you cant have that” he says “that’s a man beer!” Me and Nikki crack up laughing at that sentence with its German accent. Knowing he was just kidding around, before again prompting us with the “girly beer” “Nah I’ll take a man beer” I say and he stops kidding around and hands me and my friend 2 man beers.

The Asta beer is a St Pauli brewed beer, and as I always say “gotta go the region” when in italy, drink wine, when in Poland drink Vodka straight… when in St Pauli, drink Astra! Now that I see the 6.0% I understand why its a “Man Beer.”

With only me, Nikki, the bar tender and 3 guys in the hostel pub we all got talking quick, we found out they were a bunch of Aussies as well and with conversation of Melbourne VS Sydney and our past and future travels, over a couple as “Man Beers” It was time to head into town and let our hair down!

Berlin’s parties were good, but hard to find, Hamburg, it was easy! walk down to the Reeperbahn! We soon found great kebabs, more beers and cool pubs!

Strolling along the Reeperbahn, always something to entertain us

Cool and creative bars, always fun

Strolling around in cool bars, one after the other with something different to entertain us, eventually finding a club to dance in to the wee hours of the morning. To be honest, there’s no way I could even remember the name of the bars to recommend, much of the details are a blur but heading into the Reeperbahn there was always something happening!

Before we knew it, it was the am and the bars were closing, I slowly realised it this when they kicked us out of the bar and wouldn’t let me in the next one because the sun was up. We stumbled back to the hostel (what a way to end a night, stummberling back to a brothel in Europe biggest red light district-the joke never ends) When my friend decided she wanted to get breakfast and my dancing feet had sent me to sleepy lane, so with only one key I told her to just knock of the door when she wanted back in.

Thats right Nikki “Knock on the padded door” Needless to say I didn’t wake up and this caused the same discussion in the morning… don’t let Rebecca make plans when shes been drinking! thanks to the brothel hostel I had a room to myself for the night.

The next day, I wont lie, not much sight seeing was done! a lot of eating, fair bit of walking around and lying in the green parks of Hamburg, with its nice, the clean fresh air and getting set for our overnight train to Munich. I could of done with another night out in Hamburg that’s for sure!