Bergwerk Berlin - What to Expect at Europe’s Biggest Indoor Climbing Park

At BergWerk Berlin, an indoor climbing park awaits you that promises a great adventure right from the first glance. We dived into the world of adventure and tried out the climbing park without any prior knowledge. This is our experience report.

Jumping from barrel to barrel at dizzying heights, balancing over tippy footbridges and rocking obstacles – it sounds adventurous. And it is! As adults with and without previous climbing experience and with varying levels of fitness, we got a taste of heights at the indoor climbing park at BergWerk Berlin and jumped ever more courageously over our own shadows.

What exactly awaits you there?

Who can go climbing at BergWerk Berlin?

We got into the climbing harness ourselves and tried out what the indoor climbing park at BergWerk Berlin has to offer.

Note on transparency: As adventure testers for Abenteuer Freundschaft, we were kind enough to climb for free at BergWerk Berlin. However, this article is unpaid and reflects our honest opinion.

The Experience Testers at Bergwerk Berlin

There were three of us and we all had different levels of climbing experience. From a newbie who had never climbed before, a tester with some previous bouldering experience to a sporty jack-of-all-trades. The three of us climbed the Gipfelstürmer course – it was a team experience and not a solo trip! Our conclusion: here you are more courageous, braver and stronger together than alone, because you encourage each other to take on challenges.

The Indoor Climbing Park at Bergwerk Berlin

BergWerk Berlin is located in the middle of the multiplex cinema of the shopping centre in Berlin Hellersdorf – according to its website “Europe’s largest indoor climbing park”. Unlike classic climbing gyms for bouldering, an atmospheric world of experience awaits you at BergWerk Berlin. The centrepiece is the main course Gipfelstürmer – which we climbed – where you jump from barrel to barrel at dizzying heights, balance over tippy wooden walkways and master stations in a course that is distantly reminiscent of the TV show Ninja Warrior.

The indoor climbing park consists of several parts with stations of varying difficulty and even goes partly through the shopping centre.

Our Experience in the Main Course Gipfelstürmer – Climbing for Adults

Before you start, you have to get changed (if you want to), lock up your gear, put on a climbing harness and a helmet. Safety is the be-all and end-all when it comes to climbing, and BergWerk Berlin is no exception. Before you start, there is a detailed briefing on how to secure yourself on the course. This is done twice with 2 karabiners so that nothing can happen. First there’s the safety briefing to try out for yourself, so that everyone knows how it works. And then it’s off to the races.

On the main course, Gipfelstürmer, the name says it all: you climb from the bottom to the top. The climbing park is quite dark with atmospheric light sources, so you don’t feel like you’re being watched all the time. You can climb different routes horizontally on each floor. The first floors are easy, but the stations at the top are of varying difficulty. You need good leg and arm tension for the most difficult stations, but generally we mastered the course even without much previous experience.

Climbing as a Team

Because it’s not about strength, the most important thing is to trust your own body awareness, take your time to balance and find your body’s centre of gravity. And to help each other, give tips and extend a helping hand. There were three of us and it was a great team experience because even though you were climbing through a station yourself, you were rooting for the others and giving them tips. The feeling of completing the course together added to the fun for us. Apart from us, there were also couples on the course and it is definitely a great experience to rely on each other, to help, encourage and motivate each other and to share a sense of achievement as a couple.

Because there is a lot of sense of achievement on this climbing course. Soon you realise that you are more confident, more courageous, more skilful and literally want to climb high. Although there are many similar stations – horizontal wobbly rope ladders, barrels suspended from ropes or tyres or nets – each one is different.

Facade Climbing for Advanced Climbers

For more experienced climbers, BergWerk Berlin also offers a course with 3 tracks of different difficulty. In contrast to the main Gipfelstürmer course, the route here goes vertically upwards, along the façade of the shopping centre to under the glass roof. Then it’s a 40-metre descent down a zip wire.

The Bergwerk Berlin for Families With Children & for Children’s Birthday Parties

BergWerk Berlin has an extra climbing course Mini for toddlers (from 3 years, maximum height 1.30 m), in which the kids, together with a parent, pass many tests in the enchanted BergWerk Berlin until they discover a fabulous treasure.

On two floors of the Gipfelstürmer climbing course, brave children can also let off steam (from about 6 years, minimum height 1.10 m – 1.30 m) and, together with an adult companion, test out where their limits lie.

Summary of the Indoor Climbing Park at Bergwerk Berlin

I’ve always wanted to jump from barrel to barrel like Donkey Kong in the PC game of the same name, shimmy along ropes and preferably in such a way that I can choose the tracks I’m confident with. This worked wonderfully in the mine, as there is no predefined course and you can choose between many different tracks of varying difficulty.

Once you have chosen a track, you usually have to master about 4 obstacles and then come back to the starting point. The stations are varied and for most of them you don’t need much strength in your upper arms, unlike when climbing to heights; balance, surefootedness and body awareness are more important. We gradually increased the difficulty and did well with it, because after each track we had a moment of success, became more confident and wanted to go higher.

“The obstacles were designed to be so motivating that you wanted to overcome them!” Johannes, 33

The highest floor goes along under the ceiling and is more challenging, but easily doable. For an extra adrenaline rush, you can also free fall onto a mat.

We were lucky that BergWerk Berlin wasn’t overcrowded and we were able to take each obstacle at our own pace during the 2.5 h and there was never a traffic jam behind or in front of us.
The indoor climbing hall has a great atmosphere thanks to the dim semi-darkness and the thematically matching BergWerk equipment. By the way, the semi-darkness also helps you not to be distracted by external influences and to concentrate fully on the obstacle.

Conclusion

As beginners with average fitness, we got our money’s worth at the indoor climbing park, were challenged but never overtaxed and spent about 2.5 extremely entertaining hours at BergWerk Berlin. Definitely highly recommended as an indoor activity for two or in a small team and for families with children aged 3 and up!

Indoor Climbing Park Bergwerk Berlin – The Key Data

• Website: www.bergwerk.berlin
• Address: BergWerk Berlin, Stendaler Str. 25, entrance Cinestar 12627 Berlin
• Contact: Phone: 030 – 99274373 // email: [email protected]
• Age: from 3 years, some courses only allowed from 1.30 m minimum height!
• Playing time: 1.5 h – 2.5 h depending on booking
• Price: depending on booked extras and perks. The climbing package Standard for adults costs 23,00 € per person. For exact information see website!

We regularly test interesting things to do in Berlin and report about them at Abenteuer Freundschaft. All year round we test outdoor activities and indoor activities in Berlin to see how much fun they actually are. Abenteuer Freundschaft is the creative ideas portal for activities with children, friends and partners. Check it out!

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