Why plan a football trip starting from Berlin?
Berlin is one of the most exciting cities in Europe. As you would expect of the capital city of Europe’s most prosperous country, it is full of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. At every turn, you come across historic buildings and famous street names.
And, of course, Berlin is the perfect base for a football visit.
Enough for a weekend of football
There are enough clubs in Berlin for you to fill an entire weekend without even leaving the city.
Visit Hertha Berlin for the excitement and drama of a top Bundesliga fixture in one of Europe’s biggest stadiums.
The Stadion an der alten Försterei, home to Union Berlin, is one of the most atmospheric grounds you will ever come across.
To experience Berlin football like a local you should take a look at fourth division sides BFC Dynamo Berlin, Berliner AK 07, Viktoria 1889 Berlin and Tennis Berlin.
Much to explore beyond Berlin as well
If you are prepared to travel there are several fascinating clubs within easy reach.
2. Bundesliga clubs
3. Liga clubs
First a few practical details
Getting to Berlin
Plane
Berlin has two international airports.
Berlin-Tegel is to the north-west of the city and Berlin-Schönefeld to the south-east. The two airports run a combined website, which will give you a good idea of where you can fly from.
Getting into town is simple:
- From Tegel, bus 128 will take you to “Kurt-Schumacher-Platz” where you can take the U6 underground into the city centre. he S9 and S45 trains link Schönefeld to the wider city transport system. A taxi will cost about 25 euros.
- The S9 and S45 trains link Schönefeld to the wider city transport system. A taxi will cost about 40 euros.
Train
You can get to Berlin by train from most major German cities. You need to be aware, however, that it will be a long journey from the west of the country.
Getting around in Berlin
Berlin has a superb public transport system, and this is definitely the best way to get around. Buses, local trains, trams and underground are all integrated into one network where you can use the same ticket.
A day ticket for one person costs 7 euros, and for 19.90 euros up to five people can travel on a group day ticket.
There is an excellent section on the city website, which shows routes and explains in English how the ticketing system works.
Save money with the Berlin WelcomeCard
Many visitors buy the Berlin WelcomeCard, which entitles you to free use public transport in the city centre, reduced entrance into many tourist attractions and special offers in a range of restaurants and shops.
Getting around the region
If you decide to visit clubs beyond Berlin you will probably need to travel by train. You can plan trips and order e-tickets at the Deutsche Bahn website.
Another very helpful place to organise your travel is Loco2.
Save money with the Berlin-Brandenburg ticket
Berlin is in the middle of the region of Brandenburg. Look out for the Berlin-Brandenburg rail ticket. This costs 29 euros for a group of up to 5 travellers. It entitles you to free travel for a day on RE, RB, S and RS trains all over the region. You can also use it on public transport.
The clubs you could visit
Bundesliga clubs
Hertha Berlin
Hertha Berlin was formed in 1892. Its full name is Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892. The club was one of the founder members of the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB), which was formed in 1900, and of the Bundesliga, which was founded in 1963.
Stadium
Since 1963 Hertha have played in the Olympiastadion, which was originally built for the 1936 Olympics.
It has the largest permanent seating capacity in Germany (74,475) and is the second largest stadium in the country. (The largest is Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park)
Despite its age, the stadium has had several major renovations and now has a partial roof.
The German national team plays here and it hosted six matches in the 2006 world cup. It is also used for cup finals, including the 2015 Champions League final.
There is a cashless payment system inside the ground: you buy a card which is charged with 10 euros and use it to buy food and drink. If you need more you can top it up at machines and if you don’t spend it all you can get a refund after the game.
Tickets
There is an online ticket shop.
You can also order tickets by phone (+49 (0)1806 – 51 53 01) or email via a contact form on the website.
Directions
The club website has really clear and simple directions (in English).
You can get all the way to the stadium by underground (U2), train (S5) and bus (M49 and 218)
Website
RBLeipzig
In 2008 energy drink manufacturer Red Bull purchased the playing rights of SSV Markranstädt, a little known fifth division club close to Leipzig. This was the first step in establishing a brand new football club called Rasenballsport Leipzig (RB Leipzig) in May 2009. This new club, formally launched in May 2009, had the ambition of gaining promotion to the Bundesliga within eight years.
Although RB Leipzig began playing in the old Markrandstädt stadium in the Oberliga, plans were already in place to build a new stadium in Leipzig.
This was the beginning of a remarkable story. The Red Bulls quickly gained promotion into the Regionalliga and then rose through the divisions before finally gaining promotion to the Bundesliga at the end of the 2015/16 season.
It is an understatement to say that RB Leipzig is a controversial club. For some, it is a modern success story. They argue that astute management on and off the pitch, an exciting, an entertaining brand of football and first-class youth academy make it the most likely club to eventually break the dominance of Bayern München.
For others, it is a total betrayal of German football’s values. These people consider RB Leipzig to be a marketing tool and believe the owners are simply buying success. They believe the club is bypassing rules designed to ensure fans retain ownership of their clubs and presents a risk to the values and traditions that make German football so special.
There have been fan boycotts, protests and demonstrations – but the club has continued its steady, inexorable march through the leagues. The fanbase has grown each year and it looks like it is here to stay.
Stadium
Since 2010 RB Leipzig has played in the Red Bull Arena. It is a thoroughly modern stadium with 42,959 seats and all the amenities you could expect or need.
Tickets
Ticket prices vary depending on the opponent. The cheapest start at 20,00 euros and the most expensive cost 70 euros. There is an online shop, and you can also get tickets at the ground.
Directions
You can get to Leipzig by train from Berlin in about 75 to 90 minutes. But it’s not cheap. If you book in advance (on Loco2, for example – (https://loco2.com/en) a return ticket will cost 39.80 euros.
You can walk from the main station to the ground in about 30 minutes. Alternatively, trams 3, 7, 15 will take you there – your stop is called ‘Sportforum’
2 Bundesliga
You can enjoy exciting games and have great experiences in the 2 Bundesliga – the second tier of German football. The crowds might be a bit smaller than in the top tier, but the atmosphere will be just as thrilling. Tickets are cheaper and much easier to get hold of. And you will get to visit some interesting and unusual places.
Union Berlin
The other big club in Berlin is 1 FC Union Berlin, which can trace its roots back to 1906. Under its first name of SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide, it was one of the top German teams throughout the early years of the 20th century.
After the war, all sporting organisations were dissolved, but the club reformed as SG Oberschöneweide in 1945.
Its history through the Cold War period (1945 to 1989) mirrored the split in the country. There was a team called Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin in the Western half of the city and a team called Union Oberschöneweide in the East of the city. This team went through a number of name changes, before emerging as 1 FC Union Berlin in 1966.
After German reunification in 1990, the club did well on the field but suffered from massive financial problems.
Success in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s was followed by a decline through the leagues and by 2005 they found themselves in the fourth tier of German football.
Since 2008 Union Berlin’s fortuned have improved and they now play in the 2 Bundesliga.
Fans
Union Berlin fans are renowned for their passionate support for their club and the stadium is famous for its atmosphere
In 2008 they completely renovated the stadium themselves working 140,000 hours to create a wonderful football-only stadium. Although it is big enough to hold 21,717 spectators, there are only 3807 seats.
During the 2014 world cup, fans brought sofas to the ground to create a ‘living room’ where they watched games on a big screen.
One of Union’s most famous fans is the singer Nina Hagen whose song ‘Eiserne Union’ (Iron Union) is the club anthem.
Stadium
The stadium is called Stadion an der alten Försterei, which means Stadium at the Old Forester’s House. Because it is built purely for football the fans are very close to the pitch. This, the high number of standing places and the passion of the Union fans leads to a fantastic atmosphere.
Tickets
You can expect to pay between 11 and 13 euros for standing ticket. There is an online ticket shop. The club website has a long list of places in town which sell tickets – and of course, you can get them at the ticket office at the stadium (open from 11- 6 Monday to Friday 11 – 8 on Thursdays and on match days)
Directions
The easiest way to get to the ground is by public transport.
First of all, you need to get to Ostkreuz station (S5 or S7 depending on where you start from)
Then you get the S3 towards Erkner. You get off at Köpenick – and then it’s a fifteen-minute walk.
Website
Dynamo Dresden
The beautiful city of Dresden in 120 miles to the south of Berlin.
It was almost completely flattened by intense bombing raids in the final stages of World War 2. It has been painstakingly and expensively restored, particularly since German reunification in 1991, and is now one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, worth a visit in its own right. Dresden is also home to Dynamo Dresden.
Although football was played in Dresden throughout the 20th century, SG Dynamo Dresden was established in 1954. During the 1970s and 1980s, the club was one of the dominant teams in East Germany, winning the league seven times and the cup six times. Dynamo also competed frequently in Europe, progressing as far as the semi-final of the UEFA Cup in 1989. After reunification Dresden joined the Bundesliga, and although the club maintained first division status for four years, like many former GDR teams it struggled financially and on the pitch. Many of the best players moved west, attracted by bigger clubs and higher pay. As a result, Dynamo dropped through the divisions and into the amateur Regionalliga in 1995. And the fall continued, and by 2000 the club had fallen as far as the fourth division.
Since then the club’s fortunes have improved and they have successfully fought their way back as far as the 2 Bundesliga.
Fans
Despite mixed fortunes on the pitch, Dynamo Dresden has one of the most loyal and fanatical fan bases in the country. Average attendance in 2017/18 was 28,071.
Stadium
The Rudolph-Harbig-Stadion has a capacity of 32,066, with 9,000 standing places. The 25,000 fans who typically come to a game and the particular design of the stadium make it one of the loudest and most atmospheric grounds in Germany.
Tickets
You can buy tickets at the online shop. They cost between 14 euros to stand and 37 euros for the most expensive seats.
Directions
The EuroCity will get you from Berlin to Dresden in just under two hours. If you book in advance you can pay as little as 19.90 each way (plus 6 euros if you want to reserve a seat)
The ground is 20 minutes walk from the central station. You can also get there by public transport, but how you travel to the ground is determined by the entrance on your ticket. If you are entering via Lennestraße you take the number 10 or 13 tram and get off at “Großer Garten”, or number 9 or 11 trams and get off at “Lenneplatz”. If you are entering via Blüherstraße you should take the number 1, 2, 4, or 12 tram and get off at “Deutsches Hygienemuseum”.
Website
1 FC Magdeburg
Magdeburg is about 95 miles to the west of Berlin. It is home to 1 FC Magdeburg, which was founded in 1965. Alongside Dynamo Dresden Magdeburg was one of the top teams in the former East Germany, playing all but one season in the top division. It won the league three times and the cup seven times and was the only East German club to win the UEFA Cup in 1973. After 1991 Magdeburg struggled to adapt to life in a united Germany and for a time the club dropped out of the professional leagues altogether. In recent years, however, Magdeburg have fought their way back. They ended the 2017/18 season as 3. Liga champions and currently play in 2 Bundesliga.
Stadium
The MDCC-Arena, which opened in 2006, has 25,500 places. There are 21,900 seats and 3,600 standing places.
Fans
The club has a large and loyal fanbase. Average attendance in 2017/18 was 18,231 – by far the best in the league – and if you come to watch a game you will enjoy a great atmosphere.
Tickets
Apart from high profile games (Köln, Hamburg, Dresden, Union Berlin), you should be able to get a ticket on the day. You can order tickets in advance at the Online Ticket Shop or by phone (+49(0)1806991160). There is also a contact form on the club website. Prices range from 14.50 euros to 25.50 euros.
Directions
The direct train from Berlin to Magdeburg takes 1 hour 40 minutes. You then catch the number 6 tram from the station and get off at “Brandenburger Straße”.
Website
3. Liga
Whenever I am in Germany, I try to take in at least one 3. Liga game before or after a Bundesliga encounter. It’s a very different experience, but I have never been disappointed.
The crowds are smaller. This makes it easier to get a ticket. For most games at most clubs, you can pay on the day. The smaller scale means stewards and officials are more relaxed, helpful and welcoming. And of course, you don’t have to wait for as long for food and drink or waste half-time queuing for the toilets. Not having to use public transport with 50,000 others makes arriving and leaving much simpler.
Many 3. Liga grounds are either new or recently refurbished, so facilities are usually excellent. Food and drink is cheaper and often of better quality than in bigger outfits. Most stadiums have more standing places and you feel much more involved.
These clubs are within range of Berlin.
Carl Zeiss Jena
About 150 miles south-west of Berlin is the city of Jena, home to 3. Liga club Carl Zeiss Jena. Founded in 1903 by workers at the Carl Zeiss optics factory, this is one of Germany’s oldest clubs. It achieved considerable success at a local and regional level in the first half of the 20th century.
After the war, the club became one of the top teams in East Germany, winning the DDR Championship three times and the Cup four times. In 1981Jena reached the final of the of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
After German reunification, Jena was placed in the 2 Bundesliga. Despite finishing second in 1992, the club struggled both on and off the pitch – often dropping into the third and fourth divisions, and at times coming close to bankruptcy.
Carl Zeiss Jena won promotion back into the 3. Liga in 2017, beating Viktoria Köln in the relegation playoffs.
Stadium
The Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld has a capacity of 12,990, with 6,540 seats. The stadium was built in 1922 and is named after a local entrepreneur. It has undergone several improvements over the years, the most recent being the construction of a new stand in 1997.
Tickets
Standing places cost between 10 and 12 euros and seats cost between 24 and 28 euros, depending on the opposition. You can buy your tickets at the club, at the online ticket shop (https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/457/fc-carl-zeiss-jena?cobrand=jena). Average attendance in 2017/18 was 5,417, so unless they are playing local rivals you should be able to get tickets on the day or at one of several outlets in town. For more details see the club website.
Directions
You can get to Jena by train from Berlin in just under three hours. You need to change at Leipzig. If you book in advance tickets will cost about55 euros, including seat reservations. When you arrive at Jena Saal station you should walk towards the town centre and catch the 1, 4 or 35 tram. This will take you directly to the stadium.
Hallescher FC
Halle is just over 100 miles to the south west of Berlin. There are regular Inter-City-Express trains from Berlin and the journey will take just over an hour. If you book in advance tickets will cost about £40, including seat reservations. The local club, Hallescher FC, can trace its roots right back to the beginning of the last century, and the founding of a football club called Hallescher Fussball-Club Wacker 1900. This club was very successful in the 1910s 1920s and 1930s.
Along with all German football clubs, Wacker was dissolved after the war but by 1949 a new club – ZSG Union Halle had emerged and became one of the founder members of the East German Oberliga. It was to undergo several name changes in the coming years before settling on FC Chemie Halle (the name still used by many supporters).
After German reunification in 1990, the club joined the 2 Bundesliga as Hallescher FC. Unfortunately, like many East German sides, Halle lost several of its best players to wealthier West German clubs and struggled in the newly merged league system. Relegation at the end of the first season marked the start of a decline through the leagues. By 1995 Hallescher FC found reached the fifth tier of German football.
Since then the club’s fortunes have improved steadily and it was promoted to the 3 Liga in 2012, where it has remained for the last five years.
Stadium
The Erdgas Sportpark opened in 2011. It has a capacity of 15,057, with 6,155 seats and 8,850 standing places
Tickets
A standing ticket costs between 9 and 11 and a seat between 12 and 23 euros. There is an online ticket shop, and you can also order tickets by phone(49180651 53 62 or email (kundenservice-hallescher-fc@eventim.de).
Directions
Any tram going from “Markt” towards “Rennischer Platz” will take you to the stadium. Get out at Böllberger Weg” or “Kantstraße”.
Website
Energie Cottbus
Cottbus is about 80 miles from Berlin, not far from the border with Poland. The local club, Energie Cottbus was founded in 1963, but the club has roots right back to a team founded by miners in 1919.
The club began life after German reunification in the 3. Liga. Relegation after six seasons began a 17-year stint between 1997 and 2014 of floating between the second and first divisions. Relegation in 2014 to the 3. Liga was followed by a further relegation in 2016 to the Regionalliga Nordost. Two years later they gained promotion back to the third division.
Stadium
The club describes Stadion der Freundschaft – Friendship Stadium – as an ‘atmospheric jewel with English flair’. I am not sure exactly what they mean, but it is a comfortable and thoroughly modern ground with a capacity 22,528, including 10,945 seats. It is designed to bring fans as close as possible to the action on the pitch and to make sure everyone gets a good view.
Tickets
You can get tickets from the Online Shop (https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/2763/fc-energie-cottbus-stadion-der-freundschaft?cobrand=cottbus) for between 11 and 21 euros.
Directions
You can travel from Berlin to Cottbus by regional train. A ticket will cost 14.50 euros each way and the journey will take just under 90 minutes.
You can walk to the ground from the main station in about 10 minutes, following Vetschauer Straße and Görlitzer Gasse until you can see the floodlights.
Regionalliga Nordost
The fourth tier of German football is divided into regional leagues (Regionalligen). The reserve squads of Bundesliga teams are allowed to compete at this level but there are also lots of smaller clubs.
Crowds are definitely smaller, but you will get to experience German football from a local perspective. These are the Regionalliga clubs in Berlin.
BFC Dynamo Berlin
The club was founded in the 1950s as Dynamo Berlin and had strong links to the East German security police (the hated Stasi) and their boss Erich Mielke. This connection ensured the club always got the best players and many believed that referees were ‘persuaded’ to treat them favourably. As a result, the club enjoyed considerable success in the 1970s and 1980s. It won the league ten times and the DDR Cup 3 times and played 60 games in European competitions. Dynamo players were regularly picked to play for the East German national side. But it was the also most unpopular team in the DDR and booing Dynamo was a relatively safe way to express anger against the communist regime. After reunification, a name change to FC Berlin did little to improve the club’s image or popularity. In 1999 members voted to change the name back to BFC Dynamo Berlin, hoping this would remind people of past triumphs and bring back good times. Unfortunately, beset by financial troubles the club has struggled to remain in business, never mind thrive, and has floated between the fourth and fifth tiers of German football.
Fans
For a time in the 1990s Dynamo fans enjoyed the dubious reputation of having the worst hooligans in Germany in their midst, and the club became a magnet for right-wing extremists. Things have calmed down greatly in recent years.
Stadium
BFC Dynamo play at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, which is to the north of the city. It has the capacity to fit in 19,708 fans, but attendance is rarely above 2,000. If the weather looks doubtful, make sure you have protection against the rain as there is no roofing.
Tickets
Tickets cost between 12 and 18 euros. You will be able to pay at the gate.
Directions
The M10 tram stops directly outside the ground.You can also catch the U8 underground train to Bernauer Straße and walk for five minutes.
Viktoria 1889 Berlin
Viktoria Berlin was formed in 2013, following the merger of BFC Viktoria 1889 and Lichterfelder FC Berlin.
Stadium
The club plays at the Stadion Lichterfelde, which has a capacity of 4,300, with 1,800 seats (800 covered). Average attendance in 2017/18 was 469.
Directions
The simplest way to get to the ground is to take a regional train (RE3, RE4 or RE5) to Lichterfelde Ost station and walk. Leave by the Jungfernstieg exit. Turn right and walk 500 meters to Boothstraße. Then go 650 meters to Ostpreußendamm and then turn right. The walk will take about 15 minutes.
Berliner AK
Berliner AK was founded in 1906 in the working class district of Wedding. Since then the club has undergone several mergers and name changes, before joining forces with ethnically Turkish sides and adopting the name Berlin Ankaraspor Kulübü 07. This club had strong links with Ankoraspor, a side in the Turkish first division, and the idea was that it would be a way of spotting and developing talent. Unfortunately, the scheme failed and the club almost went out of business – but not before the older members left and the traditional colours of red and white were changed to blue and white (the colours of Ankoraspor). Then the Turkish side withdrew support and the club came close to going under. Fortunately, it was able to stabilise and re-group and Berliner AK won promotion to Regionalliga Nordost in 2012. Earlier the same year the club entered the record books by beating Bundesliga side Hoffenheim 4:0 in the first round of the cup – the biggest ever cup victory over a Bundesliga club by a non-league side.
Stadium
BAK 07 play at the Poststadion. This venerable stadium was built between 1926 and 1929 and in the 1930s was one of the most important football venues in Germany – the scene of dramatic internationals and big championship games. For example, in 1930 Germany came from behind to draw 3:3 against England. In 1936 Germany lost 2:0 to Norway in front of 55,000 fans, including Adolf Hitler. Germany’s subsequent elimination from the Olympic games led to the dismissal of coach Otto Nerz and the appointment of Sepp Herberger – who was to lead Germany to World Cup victory in 1954. Because of its illustrious history, the stadium enjoys listed building status.
Today it has a capacity of 10,000. There are 2,500 seats, almost all of which are covered. Average attendance in 2017/18 was 431.
Tickets
Tickets cost between 8 and 10 euros.
Directions
The stadium is a ten minutes walk from Berlin’s central station.
Regionalliga Nordost
Tennis Berlin
Tennis Berlin is one of the most intriguing clubs I have come across. Its roots go right back to 1902 and its first name was Berliner-Tennis und Ping-Pong Gesellschaft Borussia. At that time lots of sports clubs considered in patriotic to include the word Borussia, which is a Latin version of Prussia, in their name. A year later the club added football to the other sports offered and it was soon a keen rival to that other venerable Berlin club, Hertha BSC. After a name change to Berliner Tennis Club Borussia in 1913 the club continued to do well at local and regional level.
Although Tennis Berlin – nicknamed TeBe – established itself as Berlin’s top side in the 1950s, the club did not perform well enough to join the Bundesliga in 1963. It remained in the second division for all but two years of the 1960s and 1970s. TeBe then dropped down a league in the 1980s.
Like many clubs in Berlin TeBe has frequently been plagued by financial problems and at time struggled to stay in business. Towards the end of the 1990s a new sponsor pumped money into the club, enabling the purchase of more expensive players and funding a brief return to the 2 Bundesliga. Sadly this was not a long term recipe for success and the club went bankrupt in 2000. This resulted in relegation to the third tier and the next year TeBe fell to the fourth division.
The club took on its current name – Tennis Borussia Berlin – in 2000 and has remained in the lower divisions since then. The club currently plays in 5th tier Oberliga Nord and finished second in 2017-18.
Fans
TeBe fans are special. Despite (or perhaps because of) the roller-coaster journey of recent years, they are exceptionally loyal and passionate. They are closely involved in the running of the club. For example, fans produce the match day programme and choose the music for the pre-match entertainment.
The club website proudly describes fans’ “continued appreciation of Jewish traditions and active opposition to anti-semitism, racism and homophobia.”
Tennis Borussia have fans right across Germany and beyond and if you do decide to come to the Mommsenstadion you will join a surprisingly large crowd for this level of football.
Stadium
The Mommsenstadion has a capacity of 11,500, with 1,800 covered seats.
Directions
Take the S3 or S9 train towards Spandau and get out at Messe Süd. It’s then a short walk to the ground.
Find out more about German football
This short guide will help you plan your trip and decide which clubs to visit. There is also key information on every club in the top three divisions as well as links to the best books, websites, blogs and podcasts.
