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Category 10 of 11 · Hamburg

Off the Reeperbahn, the pavement is a vinyl record 29 metres across.

From museum football to the Reeperbahn — the places where Hamburg wrote pop culture, and keeps writing it.

Hamburg · 5 spots≈ 2 h on footSeal for the complete set

What is worth seeing around the Reeperbahn?

Pop culture in Hamburg does not sit in an archive; sometimes it is literally in the pavement. Beatles-Platz, where the Große Freiheit meets the Reeperbahn, is a circle 29 metres across laid out like a vinyl record, with metal figures of the band and song titles engraved in the ground. In the Speicherstadt, Miniatur Wunderland has been running since 2000 and is, according to Guinness World Records, the largest model railway in the world as well as one of Germany's most visited attractions. On Schulterblatt stands the Rote Flora, the surviving fragment of the old Flora theatre, squatted since November 1989 and still the best-known autonomous space in the city. Five spots belong to the set; two stay hidden. Every card asks about the moment a subculture turned into part of the ordinary cityscape.

This is not a Reeperbahn nightlife tour: every card asks when a subculture turned into the cityscape, and the stamp only counts within 75 metres.

Free is the app with one city — every spot, every stamp, and games with up to 6 devices; after that, each additional city and each self-built game costs.

Spots in Hamburg

A vinyl square, a model railway and an occupied theatre.

+2 more spots — revealed only when you get there. Every spot is a card with its own question.

What is actually on the Reeperbahn worth seeing by day?

Beatles-Platz, at the mouth of the Große Freiheit. It is a circle 29 metres across, surfaced to look like a vinyl record, with metal silhouettes of the band and song titles engraved in the paving. It costs nothing, it works in daylight, and it is the entry point to the Music History set two streets away.

Is Miniatur Wunderland worth the queue?

It has held the Guinness World Records title for the largest model railway in the world since well before most visitors arrived, and it has run in the Speicherstadt since 2000. The card outside asks about the warehouse it occupies rather than the trains — you can stamp it without buying a ticket.

What is the Rote Flora?

The remaining shell of the Flora theatre on Schulterblatt, squatted since November 1989 and still the most prominent autonomous space in Hamburg. The card asks about the building that stood there before, which is the part almost every visitor misses while photographing the façade.

Can I play this with a class or a group?

Yes. Every category also runs as a live game: a teacher or host builds the route in the group portal, picks the stops, adds their own questions and sends teams off with a six-digit join code. Store products are Friends Game – up to 6 devices (€14.99), Private Game – up to 10 (€49.99), Class Game – up to 35 (€399) and Large Group Game – up to 100 (€699). Planning and preparing a route costs nothing.

Where do I go next?

Two neighbours to this set: Music History in Hamburg and Street & Public Art in Hamburg. All eleven Hamburg collections sit on the Hamburg hub page, and the German version of this page is at /de/staedte/hamburg/pop-culture/.

Walk the record. Then walk the Große Freiheit.

Stamp every Pop Culture spot in Hamburg on site and the holographic category seal goes into your passport for good.

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FAQ

Before you go.

What is Beatles-Platz?

A circle 29 metres across at the junction of Große Freiheit and Reeperbahn, laid out like a vinyl record, with metal figures of the band and song titles engraved in the paving.

How many pop-culture spots are in the Hamburg set?

Five — three are named on this page, two stay hidden until you stand in front of them.

Do I need a ticket for Miniatur Wunderland to earn the stamp?

No. The stamp is earned by standing within 75 metres of the place, not by going inside.

How long does the route take?

Around 2 hours on foot, or spread over several days. Your progress stays in your passport permanently.

More categories

Keep collecting: Music History or Street & Public Art — or back to all Hamburg categories.