HAMBURG

In any other city, repeatedly seeing a skull and crossbones flag flying might be a little intimidating. But in Hamburg, it’s a symbol of the good fight. The city’s St Pauli football club unites a social movement under the rather piratey emblem, which seems to finds its way onto every banner, T-shirt and window sticker in town. The club, notorious for its vociferous fans, social activism, ban on right-wing nationalists, and punk spirit, encapsulates Hamburg’s feisty side.

The club’s spirit can be considered an embodiment of the Reeperbahn, the notorious dockside strip of red lights, happily unsophisticated bars and live music venues that has half its visitors clutching a beer and the other half at their pearls.

This is where the Beatles honed their craft, playing marathon sets night after night, before they hit the big time. That was over half a century ago, but Hamburg’s mix of hard graft and feel-good entertainment still courses through the city’s veins. There are some parts of town where creative bohemianism wins out — St Georg is gayfriendly and wine-drinking and increasingly artisan, while Schanzenviertel plays it and .