Rennbahn Hoppegarten
The largest race track in Germany
Whether breathlessly cheering on your favourite to win the race or just lots of fun for the little ones, the Hoppegarten is a popular destination for the whole family.
The Hoppegarten racecourse, which has been offering top-class racing for over 145 years, is located just outside Berlin. With its unmistakable atmosphere, Germany's largest racecourse is a popular destination.
A race day for the whole family
A visit to a race day not only offers spectacular racing scenes and exciting betting opportunities, but also an entertainment programme for the whole family.
Highlights such as the "Grand Prix of Berlin" or the "Prize of German Unity" thrill tens of thousands of visitors from Berlin and Brandenburg every year. Other crowd-pullers are the popular themed race days such as the "Fashion Raceday" with Fashion Contest and the "Renntag des Berliner Sports", where the public's favourites from Berlin's professional sport can be admired: Whether up close in the lead ring in front of the fans or at full gallop on the home straight at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour - the thoroughbreds never cease to fascinate.
But the youngest horse lovers are also catered for: they can win small prizes in a children's fun bet and try out their jockey talent in a pony ride. The small and large bets naturally provide plenty of excitement and thrills! But there is also plenty to do to relax: live music, a beer garden, picnic lawns and an excursion programme. The atmosphere at Hoppegarten racecourse is unique: old trees lying in the sun and the 100-year-old grandstands provide a wonderful backdrop.
Hoppegarten racecourse through the ages
On 17 May 1868, the King of Prussia and later Emperor Wilhelm I together with his Prime Minister, the later Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck opened the racecourse on a former hop-growing area. Berlin quickly developed into one of the magnets of equestrian sport in Germany and the track soon became a success story: 430 hectares, 800 horses, 20 race days, up to 40,000 spectators. Many important races were held here at the time - the mares' races Preis der Diana and Henckel-Rennen as well as the Union-Rennen and the Grand Prix of Berlin.
Monarchy, Weimar Republic, Third Reich and 40 years of the GDR - each of these eras has left its mark on the racecourse. In the early years during the Second World War, thoroughbreds still galloped at Hoppegarten. But the war left its mark: the main grandstand was converted into an armaments factory in 1944, and bombs severely damaged the buildings and the track. In the GDR era, racehorses galloped across the turf of the Hoppegarten racecourse again. The last GDR Derby took place on 24 June 1990, the last race for the GDR Grand Prix on 5 August 1990. A highlight in the long history of the racecourse was the first German-German Race Day on 31 March 1990. Tens of thousands of visitors wanted to take part in this event after the fall of the Berlin Wall, making it a memorable day.
Since its privatisation in 2008, Hoppegarten is the only racecourse in Europe to be completely privately owned and is once again what it once was: Germany's largest racecourse.
