Our 5 Favorite Bouldering Gyms in Berlin (2024)
Bouldering in Berlin has become an absolute trend in recent years. More and more indoor climbing gyms are springing up like mushrooms and the choice on the market is huge.
Throughout Germany, Berlin has the largest offer with eleven bouldering halls scattered in different parts of the city.
Introduction to Bouldering in Berlin
History and Evolution
Berlin’s oldest bouldering gym is the Ostbloc – located in an old warehouse at Rummelsburger Hafen since 2010. Since then, ten more locations have become available to amateur and semi-professional athletes.
By now, almost every central Berlin district has its own gym but there’s no market saturation in sight yet. Berlin’s residents seem to be falling for the sport’s hip image, with as many as 400 to 500 customers per day in each hall.
Popularity in Berlin
Many boulderers in Berlin swear eternal loyalty to the climbing gym of their choice and have an annual pass to show for it. But in reality, climbers like to visit different places to get the most out of their climbing experience.
That’s why the Urban Sports Club is so popular with Berlin’s boulderers. Usually, an M-membership is enough to visit a number of different gyms every week without getting bored.
Climbers are always looking for that special highlight that each Berlin bouldering hall is known for. To laymen, they may look the same, but their differences and individual beauty lie in the eye of the boulderer.
If you are wondering which are the most interesting bouldering halls in Berlin and what makes them special, we can answer that for you!
Our Selection
Based on criteria such as safety, beginner-friendliness, ambiance, food and drink, quality of instruction, interior design, and pricing, we shortlisted the 5 best Berlin bouldering gyms and their highlights.
1. Berta Block – Biggest Bouldering Gym in Berlin
This gym is home to the regionally famous Team Berta Block of young, strong Berlin climbers taking the prestigious local Ostblock Cup competition by storm. So it’s no surprise that the training area has a lot to offer as well.
The organic wall structure of the Berta Block measures over 2.000 sqm and allows for tricky climbing on 350 boulder problems on vertical to steeply overhanging walls.
Highlights
The Berta Block is specifically known for its very dynamic, very modern setting style and an impressively large selection of climbing holds.
The slabs are terrifying and the coordination dynos are world-class fun. Moreover, there are plenty of topouts on four freestanding “mushrooms”, each about 5-meter high.
The gym stretches over four separate rooms, only the first of which gives access to climbers under 16 years of age.
Still, it can get pretty crowded even during the week, as if literally all of Berlin’s climbers wanted to climb there at the same time. A good tip, especially for freelancers, is to get there early in the day and bring a laptop to work in the upstairs café area later.
Tip for Visitors
Located in the Mühlenstr. in Berlin-Pankow, Berta Block will be the closest gym for everyone living in Prenzlauer Berg.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9 am-11 pm
Day Pass (adults/children): €10/€6
Urban Sports Club: M, L, and XL once per day
Food & drink: various cakes and quiches, coffee specialties, beers, cookies, energy balls, tea
Highlights: modern route-setting style, well-equipped upstairs training area, large café area on two levels, a rich variety of climbing holds, “eternal roof”, and dedicated dyno wall.
2. Boulderklub Kreuzberg – Climb with the Cool Kids
Boulderklub Kreuzberg is located in the Ohlauer Str. and is a prime location for advanced climbers in Berlin.
This bouldering gym is known for its challenging overhangs filled with tricky boulders in six difficulty levels.
On top of that, BK is THE place to be for beanie-wearing, shirtless musclemen, bendy Lululemon badass women, and all other genders in between.
Highlights
The 1.300 sqm of quality wall space will blow your mind, especially when you realize that four of the six available colours are tough as nails.
People also work out at the BK, but most of the time you’ll see them stretching on the yoga mats on the floor or chilling on one of the many pallet sofas enjoying a craft beer.
It’s probably best not to come here on the weekend if you’re interested in a relaxed and quiet session.
On the other hand, you can try and score a tee during one of Berlin-based rtsttrs united drunk shop sales – check the @rtsttrs on Instagram for announcements.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am-10pm, Sat-Sun 9am-10pm
Day Pass (adults/kids): €11/€6
Urban Sports Club: M-members 8x/month, L- & XL 1x/day
Food & drink: coffee, tea, lemonade, beers, power bars, bananas, cookies
Highlights: super-early-bird hours, own BK merch, rtsttrs merch, adventurous children area (pirate ship!), lots of seating, drinking fountain, Moonboard 2019
3. Der Kegel – Bouldering on a WWII Bunker
Der Kegel offers indoor and outdoor climbing for every taste and skill level. The outside area is equipped with low walls, but soft thick mats will catch your fall nevertheless.
Its location on the RAW grounds in the Revaler Str. is iconic by itself, but there’s more. Der Kegel owes its name to the 18-meter-high climbing cone outside in the yard. In fact, that’s a bunker from WWII transformed into a climbing tower in addition to 700 sqm of boulder walls indoors.
In this line of thought, Der Kegel was the first climbing gym in Berlin built exclusively for the combined urban climbing and bouldering feeling.
Highlights
If the weather allows it, you can climb the face of the cone on a rope until you’re at the top looking over Berlin-Friedrichshain all the way to the East Side Gallery.
Otherwise, you can descend into the basement and climb in the two separate chambers connected by a tiny tunnel at the back of the overhanging roof.
Does it even get more adventurous than this?!
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9 am-15 pm
Day Pass (bouldering/rope climbing): €8/€8
Urban Sports Club: M-members 8x/month, L- & XL 1x/day
Food & drink: coffee, tea, lemonade, beer, wine, power bars, muffins, fruit
Highlights: route climbing, outdoor area, two rooms downstairs, topouts, gear, and clothing shop
4. Bright Site – Climbing Outdoors in the City
Located in the Wilhelm-Kabus-Str. close to Südkreuz, the Bright Site is a bit too far south for many people. It takes about 30 minutes by bike or 45 minutes by S-Bahn to get there from Alexanderplatz.
The climbing levels are spread over eight (!) colours, and range from complete beginners to absolute beasts.
There’s a separate area for first-timers and children to find specially adapted boulder problems for practicing.
Highlights
Bright Site has 1.600 sqm of climbing walls, of which XY sqm is the outdoor bouldering area perfect for cool summer sessions.
True, Bouldergarten, Südbloc, and Der Kegel all boast their outside climbing walls, too. But none of them offer such a relaxed, outdoorsy atmosphere in the middle of the city as the Bright Site. Depending on the weather, the exterior wall is open from April till September.
In the backyard, there are also a number of wooden tables and benches on the grassy lawn under the trees. You can just relax and watch others climb while enjoying the summer sun and a glass of cold beer.
Fun Fact
The Bright Site has a teeny tiny training area, but it’s still quite busy and popular.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9 am-11 pm
Day Pass (adult/children): €12.90/€8.90
Urban Sports Club: M-members 8x/month, L- & XL 1x/day
Food & drink: (vegan) pizza, panini, cakes, ice cream, coffee, tea, soft drinks, beers
Highlights: outdoor wall, early-bird ticket, spray wall, free weights, all-round glazing, and lots of daylight
5. Magic Mountain – City Big Wall Climbing
Fortunately, there’s also sport climbing in Berlin, so if you’re in the mood for more than just bouldering, visit the Magic Mountain located in Gesundbrunnen.
In Magic Mountain, you are surrounded by many colourful walls with fancy-shaped holds and relatively many top rope routes as well as boulder problems.
Highlights
On about 2.200 sqm climbing area, you’ll find 300 varied top rope routes and lead climbing up to 15 meters in height.
The bright and friendly climbing hall offers a small bouldering area great for warm-up, indoor and outdoor sport routes, and a sauna.
So pack up your ropes and off you go on your next adventure!
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-11.30pm, Thu 8am-11.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm
Day Pass (adult/children): €18/€10
Urban Sports Club: M-membership 8x/month for 2 hours, L- & XL 8x/month for 4 hours (each additional hour costs an extra €1)
Food & drink: everything of organic quality, if possible regional and vegetarian/vegan
Highlights: early-bird & late-night tickets, training, sauna, outdoor big wall, focus on sustainability & social responsibility, blog, online shop
Final Thoughts
Whether you are new to bouldering or have been doing it for years, Berlin will be your climber’s paradise!
Remember, this is not a complete list of all the places you can visit! Outside of the capital, in Potsdam, Eberswalde, and Oranienburg, there are three more awesome climbing gyms calling!
Because at the end of the day, climbing is not merely a sport – it’s a way of life.