Avus

• 

  The northern loop of the Avus seen from the air.

• Super Touring Car Cup (1996) and the grandstand construction site on the Avus (2021)

• The Avus Motel is now a highway rest stop.

• Tony Brooks (No. 4) and Dan Gurney (No. 6) start on Berlin's Avus. Photo: Konrad Giehr (archive image)

Daredevil racers once competed against each other on the Avus, now part of the A 115 inner-city highway.

The "Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße" (Automobile traffic and training road), Avus for short, was the first road in Europe on which only cars were allowed to drive. After construction began in 1913, World War I and the post-war period initially delayed completion. On September 24, 1921, the track was finally inaugurated and the first car race could take place on the Berlin Avus. The 8.3-kilometer road is dead straight almost the entire way, with only two turning loops at the ends in the past. A complete lap was about 19 kilometers long at the time of the opening. For a toll of 10 marks, drivers could also use the Avus privately when no race was taking place.

From Racetrack to Highway

During the economic crisis of the 1920s, World War II and the post-war period, racing operations had to be interrupted time and again. However, the Avus served not only as a race track, but also as a test track for road construction. A steep curve was built at the northern loop in 1937, which was later dismantled after several accidents. Other elements of today's road construction were also tested there. Since the Avus was urgently needed as a connecting route in reunified Berlin, it became increasingly difficult to hold races in the 1990s. The last race took place in April 1998. Since its big closing party on May 01, 1999, the Avus has only been used as a highway.

Avus Grandstand: A New Use for the Monument

The 200-meter-long grandstand at the Avus's northern loop is the main testimony to the road's fast-paced past. It was built in 1936 to provide a better view of the races and could seat around 4,000 spectators. The structure is a listed building and has been extensively restored. The grandstand has been in use again since October 2021: A regional television station has set up a studio under the rows of seats. An event room with a view of the highway has also been created here.

From Motel to Rest Stop

In the middle of the Avus's northern curve stands the Motel Avus, an eye-catching tower building with four surrounding galleries for race observation. The building was erected between 1935 and 1937 by Walther Bettenstaedt as the "Mercedeshaus" and converted into the Avus rest stop in 1977.

Information