Bahnhofstraße, Shopping street in central Mitte, Germany

Bahnhofstraße runs from Kröpcke Plaza to the central train station and contains numerous shops, department stores, and international fashion brands along its length. The street functions as a wide pedestrian area where people move easily from store to store.

Bahnhofstraße was laid out in 1843 as part of the Ernst-August-Stadt, the new quarter that court architect Laves planned to link the city with the Central-Bahnhof; it formed the last stretch of the Laves axis from the Waterloosäule to the station. Until 1968 it was an ordinary street carrying car and tram traffic. From 1969 the Stadtbahn was built in open construction, and by 1975 the street had been rebuilt as a pedestrian zone, with the Passerelle below opened at the same time.

The Niki-de-Saint-Phalle-Promenade is the underground level beneath the street, opened in 1975 together with the pedestrian zone and named after the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It links the Hauptbahnhof and Kröpcke below ground and connects shoppers to the Ernst-August-Galerie shopping centre.

Most shops are normally open from morning until evening, with larger stores concentrated near Kröpcke. A visit on a weekday outside peak hours offers a more relaxed shopping experience than on weekends.

Beneath the street runs the Niki-de-Saint-Phalle-Promenade, a below-ground pedestrian level opened in 1975 together with the pedestrian zone above. Below it lie four Stadtbahn tracks. The promenade is named after the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, whose works are associated with Hannover.