Olympiastadion

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Key facts

Club: Hertha BSC | Opening: 1936 | Capacity: 74,064 seats

History and description

The Olympiastadion was built between 1934 and 1936 to serve as the centrepiece of the 1936 Olympics.

The Olympiastadion officially opened on the 1st of August 1936 with the Olympic opening ceremony. Most notable event during the Games were the four gold medals of African-American track and field athlete Jesse Owens.

The stadium remained largely unchanged until it underwent a major renovation in 1972 and 1973, mainly aimed at preparing the stadium for the upcoming 1974 World Cup. The works included the construction of two roofs over the upper tiers of both long sides.

During the World Cup, the Olympiastadion hosted three matches in the first group stage.

By the late 1990s, the stadium had significantly aged, and the city of Berlin started a debate over its future. Voices went up to rebuilt it as a football-specific stadium, but in the end was chosen to renovate it instead and keep its status as a multi-purpose stadium.

Little after that decision had been made, the stadium was awarded the final of the 2006 World Cup as part of the German bid.

The renovation of the Olympiastadion involved the complete reconstruction of the lower tier and the installation of a new roof. Works were completed in 2004, and the stadium was reopened with a friendly international match between Germany and Brazil (1-1).

During the 2006 World Cup, the Olympiastadion hosted four group matches, a quarter-final, and the final between Italy and France (1-1).

The stadium boasts a total of 4,226 business seats, 63 VIP lodges and 13 sky boxes.

(photos of the present Olympiastadion below)

Getting there

The Olympiastadion is located in the east of Berlin, almost 7 kilometres from the eastern end of the Kurfürstendamm, and 10 kilometres from the Brandenburg Gate and Berlin’s main railway station (Hauptbahnhof). It is part of the Olympic Park, which includes other sports facilities.

By car, from Berlin’s centre, the stadium can be reached by driving in one straight line west toward Spandau. Start at Unter den Linden, follow the Kaiserdamm, and then the Heerestraße. Keep right, and, about 2 kilometres after the Theodor-Heuss-Platz, turn right onto the Flatowallee, after which you quickly bump into the stadium.

If coming from the south or west of the country (A115), take exit Messedamm. Keep right, and at the second traffic lights turn left in the direction of the Deutschlandhalle. After the Deutschlandhalle turn right onto the Jafféstraße, which you follow until the Heerestraße. Turn left onto the Heerestraße and follow as above.

If coming from the north of the country (A100), take exit Kaiserdamm süd, turn west onto the Kaiserdamm, and follow as above.

The Olympiastadion can be easily reached by metro (U-Bahn). Take either line U2 or U12, which both can be boarded at several points in the city centre. Get off at stop Olympia-Stadion. It takes about 25 minutes to reach the stadium from Potsdamer Platz, and about 15 minutes from Zoologische Garten.

Alternatively, one can get to the stadium by light rail (S-Bahn). Take either line S5 or S75 to station Olympiastadion. Both lines link the stadium with Berlin’s major railway stations in the centre, as well as with station Spandau in the west.

Address: Olympischer Platz 3, 14053 Berlin

Tickets

Tickets for Hertha BSC games can be bought online, by phone +49 (0) 1805 1892 00 (Service Hotline), or at one of Hertha’s six fanshops. Of these fanshops, the ones at the Olympiastadion, Breitscheidplatz, Hauptbahnhof, and Ostbahnhof are the most conveniently located.

Tickets may not always be sold on the day of the match, and it is advised to buy them in pre-sale at least one day before the match.

Hertha BSC have divided their home matches into three pricing categories. Tickets for a category 3 match, the cheapest, range in price from €12.00 for a lower-tier seat behind the goal to €36.00 for a central seat at the lower tier of the main stand. Tickets for category 1 matches, the most expensive, cost between €18.00 and €48.00.

Stadium tours

The Olympiastadion offers various options for stadium tours. The first is to follow a route around the stadium at your own pace, possibly aided with an audioguide.

The stadium opens from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (10:00 am to 4:00 pm in the winter months) for visits. Entrance costs €7.00. No reservations are required

Alternatively, the stadium offers guided stadium tours (only in German) that include more parts of the stadium, and last 60 to 75 minutes.

These tours run every day in the summer months at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm (and an extra one at 5:00 pm during the summer holidays). In the winter months they only run at 11:00 am. The tour costs €10.00, and can be booked online.

Hertha BSC also offers special Hertha tours, which run every Thursday at 1:30 pm (in the winter months only every first Thursday of the month). These tours last 90 minutes and include access to the training of Hertha BSC. They cost €11.00.

For more information call +49 (0) 30 25 00 23 22 or email tour@olympiastadion-berlin.de.

Photos

Relevant Internet links

Herthabsc.de – Official website of Hertha BSC.
Visitberlin.de – Official tourism portal for the city of Berlin.
Bvg.de – Berlin public transport travel information.