Inside incredible top-flight stadium in the shadow of huge WW2 BUNKER renovated with hotel, restaurants & rooftop garden

TALK about making your home a fortress. Well, one top-flight club have done exactly that by building their stadium in the shadow of a huge World War Two bunker. That bunker may look menacing from the outside. But on the inside it has undergone an £84million makeover – and now features a hotel, restaurants and a rooftop garden. The daunting building still makes for an impressive and imposing presence behind St Pauli’s home, though. The German side, based in Hamburg, play their home matches at the Millerntor-Stadion. The 29,500-capacity ground is once again a Bundesliga stadium in 2024-25 following the club’s promotion under Fabian Hurzeler last season. And the likes of Harry Kane and new English sensation Jamie Gittens face a daunting task with their trip to the Millerntor-Stadion. When defending in front of the South Stand, the visiting players can see the former bunker looming over the stadium at the north end. However, there is another two football pitches between St Pauli’s first-team venue and the bunker. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS The pair of 11-a-side astroturf pitches sit side to side – providing football facilities for lower-level and youth teams and making for eery photographs and a stark reminder of Germany’s history. Beside those, there is a wasteland car park used for exhibitions, circuses and the annual Hamburger Dom funfair – a tradition that started all the way back in 1893. Despite the stadium’s regeneration, it is the bunker that has had the biggest renovation. The Nazis directed 1,000 forced labourers to build the colossal concrete structure in 1942. The German air force used the Flakbunker IV tower for air defence while as many as 25,000 people reportedly sheltered in its bunkers during raids. Standing at nearly 50m tall, the decision was made not to destroy it following the war – unlike similar buildings across Germany. Instead, it has now been transformed into a thriving part of the cultural life in Hamburg. A whopping 23,000 trees and shrubs were planted to help soften the stark appearance of the grey block by adding green leaves to the exterior – including a roof garden with stunning views over the city. A “mountain path” up to the top has been created while inside, there are a host of high-end restaurants, live music venues and even a nightclub on the top floor. And now tourists can stay in the former bunker by booking one of the 134 rooms at the Reverb by Hard Rock hotel.