Guide to Visiting Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin

Berlin is a city of many bridges, and one of its most famous bridges is the Oberbaumbrücke which crosses the Spree River between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. Though its spires make it look like it’s from the Middle Ages, it is not nearly as old as that. So what do you need to know for visiting Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin?

This guide to visiting Berlin’s Oberbaumbrücke will provide you with interesting history and tips for seeing this photogenic bridge.

Hotels near Oberbaum Bridge

If you’re interested in where to stay near Oberbaum Bridge, you have lots of options that are within 10 minutes away on foot or about 10-15 minutes on public transport. Here are some hotel recommendations for Berlin hotels near Oberbaumbrücke.

BUDGET

Eastern & Western Comfort Hostelboat
Industriepalast Hostel Berlin

MIDRANGE

Holiday Inn Berlin City East Side
nhow Berlin

UPSCALE

Luxury Apartments at Pure living Berlin
Hotel Indigo Berlin City East Side

For a more detailed look at the different neighborhoods and our hotel recommendations, check out our guide to where to stay in Berlin.

Oberbaum Bridge tours

Lots of city sightseeing tours include Oberbaumbrücke, and these types of tours can be a great way to see a lot of things in a short amount of time. The information guides provide can really make exploring a city more enjoyable.

Here are a few Berlin tours we recommend:

• Explore Berlin by Canoe: Hop into a canoe and see some of Berlin’s big sights and hidden gems along the Spree River and Landwehr canal.
• Berlin Self Drive Trabi Tour with Guide: Drive the famous Cold War era car around Berlin while seeing some of the biggest sights.
• Berlin Bike Tour: Cycle around Berlin and see loads of attractions such as Brandenburg Gate, Oberbaum Bridge, Museum Island, and much more.

History and facts about the Oberbaum Bridge

Despite the medieval looking spires, the Oberbaum Bridge in its current form was built from 1894-1896. Before that, a wooden drawbridge was built here in the 1730s and was one of the gates to the city.

By the late 1800s, the wooden bridge was no longer good enough for the amount of traffic crossing it. Plans began to overhaul the bridge and make it strong enough to support a rail line.

The bridge was damaged during World War II, and afterwards, it was repaired enough to be safe to use as a pedestrian crossing. Due to its location on the border between East and West Berlin, it became a crossing point, though only for residents of the West who were visiting the East.

The Oberbaumbrücke is another place where Berlin’s transportation system was altered because of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. To prevent residents of the East from trying to escape over to the West, the Ubahn no longer ran across the bridge to Friedrichshain.

Today there’s a road for cars, buses, and other vehicles, and a separate section for pedestrians. Plus the Ubahn lines U1 and U3 cross the Oberbaum Bridge, connecting the Warschauer Strasse station and the Schlesisches Tor station.

The Oberbaum Bridge has also been featured in several movies and TV shows, such as Run Lola Run, Unknown, The Bourne Supremacy, and Berlin Station.

And if you’re in Berlin in April, there are some really pretty cherry blossom trees here in between the bridge and East Side Gallery. If you want to know where to see cherry blossoms in Berlin, this is one of my favorites.

How to Visit Oberbaumbrücke

As this is a bridge, it’s a pretty straight forward sight to see, yet there are several ways to visit it.

On foot: There’s a separate pedestrian section of the Oberbaum Bridge, which is actually part of the Berliner Mauerweg (Berlin Wall Trail) so you can easily cross the bridge on foot in either direction.

By car or bus: Since the bridge holds a road, you can drive across it. There aren’t any official bus lines that cross the bridge, but at a certain time of night, the Ubahn stops running and is replaced by a night bus.

On a bike: There are bike lanes on the street crossing the bridge, so if you’re exploring the city on two wheels, this is a convenient option.

By Ubahn: The Ubahn lines U1 and U3 both cross the Oberbaum Bridge in both directions. Both lines start/end at Warschauer Str, the only station on the eastern side of the bridge.

By boat: Boat tours are a popular way to see some of Berlin’s bucket list attractions, and several of the routes go near or underneath the bridge. If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, check out this tour of Berlin by canoe.

What to wear on your visit

Since the Oberbaum Bridge is outdoors, and it’s likely part of a day full of sightseeing, you’ll be on your feet a lot. Wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather at the time of year you’re visiting Berlin.

>>Read: What to Wear & What to Pack for Berlin, Germany: Your Ultimate Berlin Packing List

How to get to the Oberbaumbrücke

The Oberbaum Bridge is located southeast of the East Side Gallery and connects the districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. It is well connected by public transport.

Option 1: Warschauer Strasse S&U Station
Near the Friedrichshain side of the Oberbaum Bridge is S&U Warschauer Str. To get here, you can take the same Sbahn lines – S3, S5, S7, S9, S75 – or take Ubahn lines U1 or U3.

Note that the Warschauer Str station has a bit of a separation between the Ubahns and the Sbahns. The Ubahn station is a tiny bit closer to the bridge than the Sbahn station.

The M10 tram also goes to Warschauer Str, so that is another option depending on where you’re coming from. There’s a stop for the Warschauer Str Sbahn and another stop for labeled S&U Warschauer Str, which is closer to the Ubahn station.

Warschauer Str is the last/first stop on the M10 and the U1 and U3, but the Sbahn lines have stops before and after.

From the Warschauer Str station, it’ll take you less than 10 minutes to walk south on Warschauer Str until you reach the bridge. You can’t really miss it because if you keep going straight, you will eventually end up on the bridge.

Option 2: Schlesisches Tor Ubahn Station
Near the Kreuzberg side of the Oberbaum Bridge is U Schlesisches Tor. To get here, you can take Ubahn lines U1 or U3.

From the Schlesisches Tor station, it’ll take you about 5 minutes or less to walk east on Oberbaumstr until you reach the bridge. The Ubahn tracks are above ground here, so you can simply follow the tracks towards the river until you see the bridge.

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Have questions about planning your trip to Berlin?

Join the Facebook group here to chat with Ali (she runs this site) and other people who have been to Berlin for tips.

Things to know before you go

Before you visit the Oberbaum Bridge, here are a few more pieces of advice to help you enjoy this popular Berlin landmark.

How much does it cost to visit the Oberbaum Bridge?

Often people ask what is the entrance price to visit the Oberbaumbrücke. Well, luckily the cost to visit is zero to enjoy this free sight in Berlin.

The only exception is if you decide to view the bridge from a sightseeing boat tour like this one, which is actually a great way to see the bridge and quite a few other Berlin attractions.

Oberbaum Bridge opening times

The bridge operates 24/7 so you can visit anytime you’d like. The Ubahns stop running for a few hours in the middle of the night, so if you’re there at this time, look for the night bus.

How long do you need at the Oberbaumbrücke

It doesn’t take look to visit the Oberbaum Bridge. You can get a few photos from either side of the river or from the water if you’re on a boat tour.

The bridge is about 160 meters (525 feet) long, so to walk across, you’ll only need a few minutes. In total, plan to spend about 10 minutes seeing the bridge, taking some photos, and walking across.

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Things to do near the Oberbaum Bridge

If you’re interested in spending more time in this area, there are lots of other things to do near the Oberbaumbrücke. And besides the things I’ve listed below, you’ll have easy access to public transport, so you can get to another part of the city for more top sights in Berlin.

East Side Gallery

At 1.3km (0.8 mile) the East Side Gallery is considered the longest open air gallery in the world. It’s also the longest section of the Berlin Wall that still stands.

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, artists from 21 countries came here to paint murals on the Wall to celebrate Germany being reunited and to remind the world of terrible things that occurred here.

Check out our full guide to visiting the East Side Gallery for tips.

The Wall Museum by the East Side Gallery

Near the southern end of the East Side Gallery is a museum focused on the history of the Berlin Wall. Here you can see exhibits about the beginning phases of the Wall, the death zone, how the Wall effected people’s lives and more.

The museum also honors those who died at the Wall between August 13, 1961 and November 9, 1989.

RAW-Gelände and Urban Spree

A few minutes north of the Oberbaum Bridge and the Warschauer Str S&U station, turn right just before Revaler Str. This area is a great place to look for street art in Berlin, and offers a glimpse into the alternative artsy scene that Friedrichshain is known for.

You’ll find beer gardens, snack stands, night clubs, an art gallery focused on street art, a weekly flea market, and more. It stretches for several street lengths along Revaler Str, with the train tracks on the other side.

Boxhagener Platz

If you’re visiting on the weekend, Boxhagener Platz holds a great fresh market on Saturdays and a fun flea market on Sundays. On other days, it’s a nice grassy park to relax in.

You’ll also find lots of good (and some not so good) restaurants, cafes, and bars in the Boxhagener area. And if you like shopping, there are lots of interesting boutiques and second hand stores in this areas.

Karl Marx Allee and Frankfurter Tor

Not far from the Oberbaum Bridge and the Boxhagener area is Frankfurter Tor. This was once the location of a city gate, but today two impressive towers stand here.

The buildings along Karl Marx Allee, and for one block along Frankfurter Allee, were built during the Cold War in a very Soviet style of architecture. They have protection status, and they’re a unique group of buildings in Berlin stretching for a couple of kilometers.

Markthalle IX

Markthalle means market hall, and this is one of the most famous covered market halls in Berlin. On Saturdays they hold a fresh market that focuses on organic and local products, plus there are a few places to eat lunch.

On Thursday nights, this market hall hosts Street Food Thursdays where you can get lots of different tasty street food. It’s quite popular and can be crowded, so bring your patience.

Places to eat near the Oberbaum Bridge

After checking out the Oberbaum Bridge, you might be hungry for a snack or a meal. Here are a few suggestions for places to eat near the Oberbaumbrücke.

Mercedes Benz Arena and East Side Mall: These two places are near the Oberbaum Bridge and East Side Gallery, and you’ll find lots of places to eat there, whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a sit down meal. There are quite a few chain restaurants, like Five Guys, Tony Roma’s, and Einstein Kaffee.

You’ll also find a few of Berlin’s rooftop bars here. The views of the city and the river can’t be beat.

Seoulkitchen: This is a decent Korean restaurant on Warschauer Str not far from the Oberbaumbrücke.

Döner: There are several Döner stands within a few minutes of the Oberbaum Bridge, and they make for a great meal that’s quick, inexpensive, and something you should really try at least once while you’re in Berlin. I haven’t tried the ones right near the East Side Gallery, but a short walk up Warschauer Str is Mustafa Demir’s Retro Döner Kebap, and they are tasty.

>>Read: 51 Tasty German Foods to Try: What to Eat in Germany

Matanga: This is a Spanish and Latin American restaurant that serves empanadas, meat and vegan dishes, and wonderful cocktails.

Chipi Chipi Bombon: If you’re visiting Berlin during a warm time of year, ice cream might be just the trick. Chipi Chipi Bombon has some of the best ice cream in Berlin, and I highly recommend it. Try the Dulce de Leche.

Shakespeare & Sons: This is both a bookstore with English language books and a bagel shop with tasty bagels and bagel sandwiches.

Brammibal’s Donuts: For an elaborate tasty treat that’s also vegan, check out Brammibal’s Donuts, a Berlin chain with quite a fan base.

Mutzenbacher: For a nice dinner near Oberbaum Bridge, I recommend Mutzenbacher, an Austrian restaurant just a few blocks away. Be sure to reserve a table, especially on weekends, because it’s a small restaurant.

Boxhagener area: If you wander up to Simon Dach Strasse and the other streets near Boxhagener Platz, you’ll find plenty of choices for food. Places with all night happy hours and cheap cocktails probably don’t have the best food, but there are a lot of other great options in this area.

Burgermeister Schlesisches Tor: On the Kreuzberg side of the bridge, find one of Berlin’s most well known burger joints under the Ubahn tracks at the Schlesisches Tor station.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to visiting the Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!