Germany Guide
Berlin
Olympic Stadium
Address: U- & S-Bahn Olympiastadion
Opening time: Daily: April– Oct 10am–7pm; Nov– March 10am–4pm
Price: Exhibition €4
Telephone: 030/25 00 23 22
tour@olympiastadion-berlin.deWebsite: www.olympiastadion-berlin.de
Western Charlottenburg is best known for its Olympic Stadium, where the world watched the 1936 Games and then, after a big revamp, the 2006 football World Cup. Built for the 1936 Olympic Games, the Olympic Stadium is one of the few fascist-era buildings left intact in the city, but despite being tainted by this the building is hugely impressive, the huge Neoclassical space a deliberate rejection of the modernist architecture that began to be in vogue in the 1930s. Inside, the stadium's sheer size comes as a surprise, since the seating falls away below ground level to reveal a much deeper auditorium than you would imagine. As Berlin's best football team Hertha BSC's home ground, the stadium is sometimes closed for sporting events or team practice, so check before trudging out. Calling or emailing ahead may also get you onto a tour (1hr; €8) of the stadium that requires a five-person minimum; otherwise you can explore some of the stadium independently with an audio tour (€2.50).