Hertha Berlin; Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany.

I'd walked around an empty Olympic Stadium on previous visits to Berlin, but until I last where, in September 2007, I hadn't actually been to a Hertha Berlin match & 'tick' the ground off.

I was fortunate that this was the day that Hertha went top of the table, so the locals were in a party mood! Not the most atmospheric of German grounds, but still great to be there. Not just for the match, but the place oozes history. He may have been the most evil dictator of the twentieth century, but Hitler got three things right... the autobahns, the Olympic Stadium.. and dropping loads of bombs on the east end of London! ;-)


One of the things I like about the Germans is their 'love' of being stuck in a nineteen seventies fashion timewarp!



Wear your colours!




Feeling horny? ;-)




No matter how many events like World Cup finals, this place will always be remembered first & foremost for the 1936 'Nazi' Olympics.




No the station isn't that close! Some sort of sponsorship deal I presume.




Left over from the World Cup the previous summer I'd guess!




The stadium is very 'samey' inside, but impressive. We were high up in a corner, but still a good spot. Here we look to our left, behind the goal.




And to our right, down the side. Note the gap at the far end. That's where the Olympic flame was.




Here we look over to the main side, you can see the 'posh' executive seats in the middle. The away Dortmund fans are in the far corner.




There were around 40,000 present, from memory, but the stadium wasn't quite at capacity.




Another, higher, shot of behind the goal at our end.




Goal!




As I said..we were quite high up!




Looking along our side again, facing into the sun.




This is looking down outside the ground, behind our exit, into the sun, down onto the old Olympic grounds.




Outside, looking up into the corner of the ground where we were situated.




Outside the stadium, but within the grounds, were a number of classical stone statues commemorating Olympics past.




Montreal 1976...




& London 1948 being just two, where I could get snaps of not affected too much by the bright sunlight.




Here we look back to the stadium, from across the grounds, which I walked round after the match.



More classical sculptures.



And fashionable home fans!



Dortmund fans pose at the famous Olympic Bell.



Which you can see here, without them in the way!



Clearly very popular. Note the chap in red taking a photo is wearing a Blackburn Rovers scarf.



Behind the far end (from where we were sat) is the old Olympic equastrian fields, with the Olympic Bell Tower behind it. You can visit this tower & go to the top. I've done that before, but not of this trip. I have some photos from up here, in May 2005, when the Olympic Stadium was in the middle of refurbishment, sadly pre-digital, so I'm not able to share them with you.

(Please do not suggest scanning..that's way beyond my capabilities!)



Another snap, into the sun, of the equastrian area, through the fences.



I stuck my camera through the railings to take this one.



Behind the goal, again fences locked, is the Olympic Flame area, with commemorative plaques on the walls.



Here is a shot, through the gates, of this area, looking into the stadium, a nice shot, with the sun directly behind me.



With another stone memorial to the right.



Back out to the equastrian area, before we move on round.



A good shot of the outer walls of the stadium.



Along this side a gate is still open, so I dash in to take some photos of a now empty stadium.
This is towards the end I was sat in. I was to the left.



Over, into the sun, the other 'Flame' end.



And directly across to the main stand area.



On the outer walls, inside the stadium, are these classic Olympic style lights.



Here we see the Olympic Rings again.



And that train, before I head back to the train station!



Obligatory 'football tourist' shot of the local old bill!



Locals chilling out after the match.




Time to go home!



These jackets are so sad, but I love them! ;-)