  We present the result of 28 hours of observations of the nearby starburst
galaxy NGC 253 with the H.E.S.S. detector in 2003. We find no evidence for very
high energy gamma-ray emission from this object. Gamma-ray emission above 400
GeV from NGC 253 had been reported by the CANGAROO collaboration in 2002. From
the H.E.S.S. data we derive upper limits on the flux above 300 GeV of 1.9 *
10^-12 photons cm^-2 s^-1 for a point-like source and 6.3 * 10^-12 photons
cm^-2 s^-1 for a source of radius 0.5 degrees as reported by CANGAROO, both at
a confidence level of 99%. These upper limits are inconsistent with the
spectrum reported by CANGAROO. The expected very high energy gamma-ray emission
from this object is discussed in the framework of a galactic wind propagation
model.
