If you want to get to the area south of the harbour in the quickest way possible, choose to go through the beautiful Elbtunnel in St. Pauli. A landmark of the City of Hamburg for over 100 years, the tunnel spans 426.5 metres to lead you directly to the Elbe island of Steinwerder. Pedestrians and bicyclists can use the tunnel all day and all night free of charge. For motor vehicles, the St. Pauli Elbtunnel is closed until further notice. Here is where you can find all the important information you need to know about how to use the Elbtunnel.
With the completion of the renovation of the west tube of the St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel, there are now two tunnel tubes available that are equivalent in terms of safety technology and design, based on the historical model. Vehicular traffic was discontinued in 2019. The east tunnel continues to be used for non-motorized individual traffic and pedestrians. The west tunnel is used exclusively for pedestrians as a visitor and event tunnel. These regulations apply during the operating hours of the freight elevators. Their operating hours have proven effective and will be maintained: Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in two-shift operation; on weekends and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in single-shift operation. During major events (including the Dockville Festival, Harbor Birthday, Elbjazz, Köhlbrand Bridge Run, or Cruise Days), the freight elevators’ operating hours will be extended.
Opening hours:
The St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel is generally open 24 hours a day and is accessible to people with disabilities (except on New Year’s Eve from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM)
The freight elevators are available during the following hours:
Outside these operating hours, the staircases and glass passenger elevators are available 24/7.
The St. Pauli Elbtunnel is closed to motor vehicles.
Note: On weekends, the entire tunnel complex often experiences high visitor traffic.
Please be considerate of others at the St. Pauli Elbtunnel as well. Thank you very much.
Contact: Monday–Thursday 7:00 AM–3:00 PM and Friday 7:00 AM–1:00 PM
To preserve this Hamburg landmark, which is over 100 years old, for as long as possible, it was necessary to carry out a comprehensive renovation of the shaft buildings and the two tunnel tubes—a true engineering challenge for both the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and the construction companies involved, given the age and complexity of the entire structure. The renovation has been underway since the 1990s.
