Leisure & sports in Berlin
Experience Berlin with the Holiday Inn Hotel Berlin City East
You can reach the highlights of Berlin easily on public transport from our hotel. Berlin Alexanderplatz with its TV Tower and the many shopping opportunities are just 8 tram stops from the Holiday Inn Berlin City East hotel. Leisure and professional athletes appreciate the proximity to the Velodrom and Sportforum Hohenschönhausen.
And visitors who want to retrace the history of the GDR can find the Berlin Hohenschönhausen monument and the Stasi Museum Berlin close to the hotel. The Holiday Inn Berlin City East is ideally located for party fans, close to the fashionable districts of Friedrichshain, Mitte and Kreuzberg. The lively Simon-Dach-Straße in Berlin-Friedrichshain is easy to reach and has a large selection of interesting restaurants, bars and beer gardens.
Leisure tips in Berlin, sightseeing highlights and Berlin sporting venues
One of Berlin's most-visited sightseeing highlights is Brandenburg Gate. The gate, which was built from 1788 to 1791 under the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II, is today - after years of German separation - the national symbol of German unity.
Alexanderplatz is located directly on the traffic axis between the east and west part of the German capital and is a traffic hub and colourful playground. During Germany's separation, Alexanderplatz was the central square of the East German capital. The Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock) and the Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft (Fountain of International Friendship) are famous reminders of this era and the aesthetics of the German Democratic Republic. The tallest building in Germany, the 368m high Berlin Fernsehturm (TV Tower) towers over the square. The newest and largest centre in Berlin, the "Alexa" does not just entice you to shop.
Berlin's Fernsehturm (TV Tower): A visit to Germany's highest building is a must if you want to gain an overview of Berlin. The panorama floor gives you the best view of the city and its sights. The tower restaurant 207m above Alexanderplatz moves full circle twice an hour and provides its guests with a perfect panorama view of the old and new capital.
Do you want to discover 360° of Berlin? Then the TV Tower is the perfect place for you. From 203 and 207m in the air, you can look over the entire city and its many sights: the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and the central station are all in your sights.
Nikolaiviertal (Nikolai Quarter) The Nikolaiviertel, built between 1981 and 1989, is a traditional Berlin island round the Nikolaikirche, the city's oldest parish church. In between reconstructed historical buildings and modern apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, cafés and shops invite you to take a stroll and a wonderful shopping trip. "Must-sees" include Ephraim-Palais, the "Gaststätte zum Nussbaum" and the reconstructed "Gerichtslaube" of Berlin's medieval town hall.
The Hackesche Markt is a traffic hub, cultural centre and a well-known starting point for Berlin's night life with its cafés, bars and restaurants. At the northern end of the square you can find the "Hackeschen Höfe", the largest closed courtyard in Germany. Since its renovation in the mid-90s, it has once again become home to a lively mix of art, culture, residential accommodation, retail and gastronomy.
The Gendarmenmarkt east of Friedrichstraße is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. The focal point is the theatre built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1818 – 1821, today the "Konzertsaal". The square is surrounded by the French and German cathedral in the north and south.
The historical boulevard Unter den Linden runs from the historical city centre to Brandenburg Gate. For almost 1.5 km, it is flanked by royal palaces, theatres, libraries, museums and international consulates. Just past the campus of the Humboldt University it crosses Friedrichstraße, the city's traditional shopping street. The Deutsche Staatsbibliothek (German National Library), the Neue Wache (New Guard House), the Deutsche Historische Museum (German Historical Museum), the Deutsche Staatsoper (German National Opera House), the Opernpalais, the Komische Oper, St. Hedwigs cathedral and Hotel Adlon are all on "Unter den Linden".
The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), built from 1894 to 1905 in Italian high renaissance style, is the largest protestant church constructed in the 19th century. The Hohenzollern Crypt, with around 100 sarcophagi and tombs, is particularly important in a historical and cultural historical sense. The Predigtkirche contains, for example, the reredos with the 12 apostles designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the large Sauer Organ.
The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) is home to five of Berlin's most important museums in one place: The Alte Museum with its collection of ancient Greek art and cultural history and the Egyptian Museum. The Neue Museum houses the Egyptian Museum with the bust of Nefertiti and part of the Museum of pre-historic and early history. The Pergamon Museum with its Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art. The Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) with sculptures and paintings from the 19th century. The Bode Museum with the Museum of Byzantine Art and the Coin Cabinet.
Friedrichstraße runs for a straight 3.3 km through the centre of Berlin. In the north you can find the new Friedrichstadt Palace opened in 1984. Friedrichstraße station served as a border crossing point in divided Berlin between 1961 and 1989. The Deutsche Theater, the Berliner Ensemble and the Metropol Theater are close by. The section south of the "Unter den Linden" boulevard is the classy and modern part of the street. For example the Lafayette department store and the Friedrichstadtpassagen can be found here. The former border crossing Checkpoint Charlie and the Mauermuseum (Wall Museum) is by the Kochstraße underground station.
The Berlin Hohenschönhausen Memorial is located on the site of the former remand prison of the Ministry of State Security. Former prisoners of the Stasi prison guide visitors through the building and explain the custody conditions and interrogation techniques of the GDR State Security Service. Visits only possible with a guide. Genslerstraße 66, 13055 Berlin, Germany, Tel. +49 (0)30/ 98 60 82 30, Web: www.stiftung-hsh.de
The last Minister of the GDR, Erich Mielke, controlled the Ministry of State Security from the Stasi Museum Berlin until 1989. After the complex was stormed, the rooms on the Minister's floor were sealed and maintained in their original condition. Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße, Ruschestraße 103, 10367 Berlin, Tel. *49 (0)30/ 5 53 68 54, Web: www.stasimuseum.de.
Sportforum Hohenschönhausen, with its pool, is the venue for national and international sporting competitions (speed skating, judo, fencing, gymnastics, boxing, ice-skating). For more information see: http://www.lsb-berlin.net/1048.0.html Sportforum Hohenschönhausen, Konrad-Wolf-Straße/Ecke Weißenseer Weg, 13055 Berlin, 500 metres from the hotel
Swimming and diving arena in Europasportpark/ Velodrom (Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle) The legendary bike races in Berlin take place in the Velodrom Berlin. The sporting complex is one of the largest function halls in Berlin with impressive architecture. The swimming and diving arena Europasportpark, venue for national and international competitions, is next door. http://www.velodrom.de, Location: next to suburban train station (S--Bahnhof) Landsberger Allee, 10407 Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg, 2 km from the hotel
BVG Stadium, Siegfriedstraße 74-102, 10365 Berlin, Lichtenberg, distance to the hotel: 1.5 km
Anton-Saefkow-Sporthalle Berlin, Anton-Saefkow-Platz 5, 10369 Berlin, Lichtenberg, distance to the hotel: 500 metres