The imposing Olympic Stadium will be the site of all World Cup matches in Berlin.
The powers that be were getting nervous in July, 2004. Summer had yet to arrive. The rain just wouldn't stop. It was only a matter of weeks until the official opening of the completely overhauled Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion) and there was no sign of a running track around the pitch, just an oval of grey concrete. Laying a track on damp ground would run the risk of unsightly ripples in the surface. The unthinkable beckoned, a grand opening of the stadium without the athletics track. Until some bright spark shouted out "leaf blowers"! That’s it! Leaf blowers. A ten man team set to work, draining water from the arena. Then all they had to do was paste down the glue, sprinkle blue granulate, let it dry, seal it with a rubber layer and, presto, one nice, blue, ripple-free running track.
Is it nice? That depends who you ask. Unnecessary, modern nonsense, a blot on the aesthetic vision of the original 1936 stadium, some said. At least it’s different, said others. Berlin's professional soccer team, Hertha BSC, were happy. As the capital’s only Bundesliga club they had been in favor of the color experiment from day one.
The heated debate over the running track has since died down. Blue, red or yellow, all the fans care about is Hertha winning. That said, the track does little for intimacy, a staggering 96 metres span the space between the touchline and the back row of seats up top. Opera glasses are recommended for World Cup games at the Olympia Stadion. Nor are the 20 roof pillars particularly endearing, especially if you are sitting right behind one.
Small beer, sayeth UEFA. The new Olympic Stadium is a five-star arena. Six stars would be off the scale, so this is as good as it gets. Refurbished to the tune of €242 million in four years, this crumbling concrete bowl has re-emerged as one of Europe’s most modern arenas, complete with two "high end" scoreboards, 76 executive boxes and 312 floodlights integrated into the roof, known as the "Ring of Fire". A listed structure, the historical integrity of the stadium built for the 1936 Summer Olympics has been preserved. From the outside and in the catacombs, it looks a lot like the original item.
Other places to watch the games
Didn't manage to score any tickets to the official FIFA World Cup venues? What now? Public viewing is the name of the game.
The official fan festival, the Fan Fest, is blowing up its balloons along the Strasse des 17. Juni. All the games will be broadcast on numerous 60-square-meter screens, there will be fan embassies, competitions, Internet cafés, information desks, plus ample opportunities to purchase liquid and solid refreshment. Expect hundreds of thousands to gather here.
Should that be a few hundred thousand more than you feel comfortable with, plenty of other locations will offer big screen entertainment. Kindl-Bühne Wuhlheide (An der Wuhlheide 187) is one and the Kulturbrauerei (Schönhauser Allee 36) is another. There will be attractions and sideshows aplenty, even for the less fanatical football fraternities.
Berlin’s bars will also be getting in on the act. If you see a sign saying Kneipe, you can bet your last euro that there will be beer and a television inside.
Fans have been meeting at Hanne am Zoo (Joachimstaler Str. 1–3) for over 25 years. Well, strictly speaking, it was renamed just a few years ago, when 1970s Hertha pro Hans "Hanne" Weiner took over the reins from ex Hertha president Wolfgang Holst. In his day, the place was called “Holst am Zoo". Suffice to say, only the name has changed in this classic pub opposite the Zoologischen Garten.
Get there early if you intend to watch a game at Oscar Wilde (Friedrichstrasse 112a). Guinness and ale flow freely in this Irish pub, the first of its kind in East Berlin when it opened back in 1991. A favorite with the Brits and anyone whose heart flutters at the mention of the Three Lions.
Football rules at Veritas (Krumme Str. 50). Several oversize televisions and screens guarantee plenty of action here. Not very big, always busy.
Football sightseeing
There's more to Berlin than the Olympiastadion. No, really there is. Set aside a day to visit the highlights great and small. It’s worth it.
Where better to begin than where it all began? Götzstrasse 88. The artificial pitch may not look like much, nor the level of skills displayed thereon. Untroubled by such trifles, the locals can look back on 118 years of footballing experience. They’ve seen it all. This is the home of Germania 88, founded in 1888, the oldest German football club still in existence.
If you want to see how the people of Berlin care for tradition, you could do worse than take a ride to Poststadion (Lehrter Str. 59). To call this old ruin of a stadium desolate is putting it mildly. There is a morbid charm in seeing trees growing out of the terraces. Over in Wilmersdorf, at the Stadion Wilmersdorf (Fritz-Wildung-Strasse 9), listen out for echoes of the 38,000 spectators who used to stand here. A roofless stand for 2,500 fans remains. Most of the terraces have been greened over. A small vineyard has been cultivated on one of them.
Down in Köpenick, meanwhile, professional football, semi at least, is still being played. Immune to commercialism, Alte Försterei (Hämmerlingstr. 80–88) is the battleground of 1. FC Union as they roll through the Oberliga (conference league, for the sake of argument). The scoreboard is a relic of ancient history. Enough said.
The Jahn Sportpark (Cantianstr. 24) up in Prenzlauer Berg tells a different, compelling story. The Berlin Wall ran behind the stands, complete with watchtowers and border guards. The head of the Stasi secret service, Erich Mielke, could regularly be spotted in the posh seats. Nowadays, it is the scene of Oberliga clashes and the home games of Hertha Berlin’s amateur team.
Seen enough of old walls and ready for action? Kreuzberg is hosting the Street Soccer World Cup -- at the beginning of July. The goalposts are to be set up on Mariannenplatz. The event promises to be a feast of skills and tricks. For intellectuals in the city, the Deutsche Historische Museum (Unter den Linden 2) presents “The Game -- The History of the Football World Cup in Sporting Photography."
The city
Berlin. Capital city. Metropolis of millions. It is going to be packed for the World Cup. Berlin anticipates 1 million tourists will visit. There are going to be better times to check out the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Museum Island and all the other world-class attractions. Wait until the tournament is over. It will still be busy, but your chances of coming out alive will increase. You can prepare during the World Cup by taking a look from the skies. The television tower - Fernsehturm (Panoramastr. 1a), the radio tower (Messedamm 22), Funkturm, and the Victory Column (Siegessäule on the Strasse des 17. Juni) all boast wonderful panoramic views of the city.
Climbing all those steps may not be compatible with celebratory hangovers, so you will be glad to learn that Berlin offers plenty of scope for relaxation, with more parklands than almost any other city. The Tiergarten park is slap, bang in the middle of town. Alternatively, you can dip your toes in the lakes at Krumme Lanke (U-Bahnhof / underground stop Krumme Lanke) or Schlachtensee, both in the southwest, or even have a proper swim at Wannsee, which has a beach and changing rooms and everything. With afternoon kick-offs the order of the day, get down here in the mornings and take it easy.
Good cooking
With or without intestines? Four little words that say so much. This is the big question at the Berlin sausage stalls. Both taste fantastic. Traveling to Berlin and not eating sausage lathered in sauce with a bread roll and chips is akin to going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids. This is the spiritual home of Currywurst (curry sausage) and you simply have to give it a go. Back in the Cold War, West Berliners ate their sausage with, the East Berliners without. In unified Berlin, you can usually get both kinds on both sides of the wall, which is no longer there. Take it from the experts: feed at a genuine sausage stall, not in a café serving all kinds of things. Best of the lot: Konnopke (without intestines, Schönhauser Allee 44a) and Curry 36 (both varieties, but opt for “with“) on Mehringdamm 36.
Berlin has more than just sausage, of course. Fair prices and international menus can be appreciated around Schönhauser Allee. Italian, Chinese, Indian and so on. Prenzlauer Berg is a good place to go for food and drink. Make a note of Kastanienallee, Kollwitzplatz and Helmholtzplatz, for here you will find pubs, bars and restaurants galore.
Night games
Berghain (Am Wriezener Bahnhof) is a top techno club with two floors and four bars, pumping away into the early hours of morning. Once inside, you won’t want to leave -- although getting in could take up to an hour. At the door, moreover, digital cameras and mobiles with cameras will be rigorously removed from your person.
The Sage Club (Brückenstr. 1, underground stop / U Bahnhof Heinrich-Heine-Strasse) has something for everybody. Soul, Funk, House, Hip Hop, you name it. Beware of the dragon, spewing flames onto the dancefloor!
Still rocking after all these years, SO 36 (Oranienstr. 190), in the postcode district of the same name, is a dependable address for punk and techno, as well as for bingo and late night flea markets.
If you have packed your fancy pants, then Kreuzberg’s Watergate Club (Falckensteinstrasse 49) is the place for you. Best frequented in summer, when you can hang in the outdoor area on the banks of the Spree River opposite the Universal Music building.
The Roten Salon (Volksbühne, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz) is altogether hotter, as air conditioning does not seem to have been invented yet. Lovely interior, nevertheless, and a varied proogram of musical styles. The Motown evenings are a noteworthy highlight, if you are feeling fit and your electrolytes are well balanced.
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