Mercedes-Platz: The New Entertainment Distric near East Side Gallery

In addition to leisure facilities such as cinemas, bowling alleys, event arenas, restaurants and shops, the new Mercedes-Platz near the river Spree is also home to offices and hotels. Green outdoor areas and fountains contrast nicely with the surrounding buildings and invite visitors to relax in the open air.

Thanks to its central location in Friedrichshain, a visit to Mercedes-Platz is easily done. The square can be reached by bus, train and even by boat. Even though tourists and shopping enthusiasts already have lots to see and do in the area near East Side Gallery, Mercedes-Platz is still being expanded. By 2021, a 140 metre high office tower will be built - the East Side Tower.

Another highlight of Mercedes-Platz is the East Side Mall, a brand new shopping mall opened to the public in October 2018. It features around 110 stores, including H&M, Monki, Weekday, Vincent Vegan, Saturn, Uniqlo, Bershka, Granit, Thalia, a supermarket, drugstores, takeaways and services.

Because of its central location, Mercedes-Platz is the perfect starting point for a boat trip on the Spree and through Berlin's city centre. Numerous tours are available for tourists and Berliners from the pier at East Side Gallery. The river cruises take between 1.5 and 4 hours, during which passengers can discover the capital and its sights from a new angle.

In the two arenas at Mercedes-Platz, a total of 21,000 people can enjoy concerts, shows or sports events. The Mercedes-Benz Arena welcomes around 1.3 million visitors every year. The first band to play there was Metallica, and since then the arena has hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards and concerts by the likes of Sting, Kylie Minogue, Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler, Depeche Mode, Adele and others. The slightly smaller Verti Music Hall, named after an insurance company, opened next door in October 2018. Besides live music, it also hosts stand-up comedians, dance performers and sporting events.

Those looking for refreshments after an intensive shopping spree or a long walk will find snacks, drinks and warm meals at one of the numerous restaurants, snack stands and bars at and around Mercedes Platz. The food court at the East Side Mall offers a wide variety of foods as well. The two rooftop bars on Mercedes-Platz, 260 Grad and Gallery Bar, offer a very special view of the city from above.

Mercedes-Platz was built on the former industrial estate Ostgüterbahnhof. In addition to railway tracks and storage sheds, the site featured a petrol station, a car paint shop, and a concrete factory. With the conversion and reorientation of the site, another industrial wasteland in the centre of Berlin became a hotspot for entertainment and urban life.