Despite its size, Hamburg's smallest quarter, Sternschanze, plays a huge role in the city’s established arts, entertainment, and nightlife scenes. Also known by Hamburg locals as Schanzenviertel or the affectionate nickname ‘Schanze’, Sternschanze is characterised by its graffiti street art, cultural diversity, and cool, alternative atmosphere.

Located in the Altona borough, the lively Sternschanze is one of the most popular places in the city for shopping and leisure. Local culture is lived and breathed throughout the hip neighbourhood, with tiny dive bars, cosy cafés, and boutique stores lining the streets and intimate concerts, theatre performances, and poetry readings taking place almost every night.

Sternschanze is known for being the counter-culture part of the city, in contrast to Reeperbahn which is generally thought to be more for tourists. Although the area has seen plenty of gentrification in recent years, Sternschanze still retains its “anti-establishment” vibes. It all converges at Rote Flora, a former concert hall/theatre covered in political banners and graffiti which is now primarily used as a political activist community centre and cultural hub.

While in the Sternschanze, you may want to visit the Schanzenpark, a park that serves as a popular meeting place and picnic destination for the locals, or Flora Park, a graffiti-filled skatepark. There’s also the eclectic Flohschanze flea market which opens on Saturdays on the south end of the neighbourhood.