Oberbaumbrücke: the red-brick bridge between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain

Updated on October 5, 2026

For many Berliners the Oberbaumbrücke is the city's most beautiful bridge: a red-brick structure with two Gothic-revival towers that spans the Spree between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain and carries the U1 metro line on its upper deck. Built from 1894 to 1896 to plans by Otto Stahn on the site of a wooden bridge, it takes its name from the "Oberbaum", the tree trunk that closed the river at night. The two towers are not alike: one is octagonal and bears the Berlin bear, the other is round and bears the Brandenburg eagle. The bridge has lived through the city's history: German troops blew up its central span shortly before the end of the war, and from 1961 to 1989 it served only as a controlled crossing point between East and West Berlin, for pedestrians. It was restored in the 1990s, with a steel central span designed by Santiago Calatrava. Today it is a place for a stroll, a film location and one of the best viewpoints over the Spree at sunset.

Highlights

The two brick towers

Seen from the Kreuzberg bank, the front of the Oberbaumbrücke looks like a medieval city gate. Note the contrast between the octagonal tower and the round one, then Calatrava's steel span in the middle.

The metro crossing the Spree

Above the roadway, yellow U1 trains run along an arcaded viaduct, stopping at Schlesisches Tor and then Warschauer Straße. It is one of Berlin's best-known images.

Molecule Man

Upstream, about 1.5 kilometres away, Jonathan Borofsky's 30-metre aluminium sculpture stands in the Spree in front of the Treptowers. Walk there along the Friedrichshain bank, or see it from the water on a cruise.

The sunset

From the middle of the bridge the sky reddens behind the roofs of Kreuzberg and the Spree mirrors the towers: it is the favourite moment of photographers and local couples.

Practical info

Tips

The bridge is open at any hour and takes about five minutes to cross on foot. It carries pedestrians, cyclists and road traffic: keep to the pavement and watch for bikes. On the Friedrichshain bank, the East Side Gallery lines a long stretch of the Wall with murals. For a walk that links the two districts, see our guides to Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. Seen from the water, the bridge is one of the highlights of a Spree boat cruise.

How to get there

Between Oberbaumstraße (Kreuzberg) and Stralauer Allee / Mühlenstraße (Friedrichshain), 10997 Berlin. U-Bahn U1, Schlesisches Tor station (Kreuzberg side) or Warschauer Straße (Friedrichshain side, with a connection to the S-Bahn). Allow about ten minutes on foot from Warschauer Straße to the East Side Gallery. Tickets are explained in our guide to getting around Berlin.