| District: | Friedrichshain |
|---|---|
| Address: | Holzmarktstraße 25 |
| Google Maps: | Route Planner |
| Opening Hours: | Friday-Monday |
| Floors: | several |
| Prices/Entrance: | Entrance from 10 euros |
| Specials: | large open air area |
| Music styles: | Electro |
| Type: | Club – Open Air |
| Website: | katerblau.de |
Kater Blau – At night all cats are blue.
The Kater Blau Berlin is a hip techno store in the middle of the city. This site is in the tradition of the so-called predecessor clubs Kater Holzig and Bar 25. The operators are the same who were previously active in the co-founding of the two predecessors.
Today’s concept of the event location after the two predecessors, in short, looks like this: Like many other Berlin clubs, Instituation also opens its doors on Friday night to Saturday, around midnight.
It was founded in 2014 and is now located on the northern bank of the Spree, almost in the same place where Bar 25 was before.
It also opens its doors on Sunday night and is then open continuously until Monday evening. Sometimes, however, the parties go longer.
Kater Blau – DJs – Electro – Dancefloors – New Year’s Eve Party
In the field of music, visitors have a whole range of choice, ranging from techno and house DJs. In addition, guests get acquainted with the music of almost unknown artists, but there are also internationally known artists, among which falls, for example, Claude VonStroke, who made a performance here in August 2015. A month later Moonbootica performed there.
An old hand on the decks is Dirty Doering, who has often played at Bar 25.
It also always depends on the season, whether winter or summer, and mainly on the time and the program, how long the queue is. The bouncers, some of whom have also worked at Bar 25, are very well known for their strict selection of guests who are allowed into the club.
As soon as visitors enter the Kater Blau, the kiosk is already located shortly behind the entrance. This kiosk was also already present in the Kater Holzig. Something like sweets or drinks are sold at it. DJs also play during the day in the location directly on the water.
On two dance floors inside the building can be rocked until dawn, from Sunday to Monday evening even beyond the two days. The two dance floors, on the other hand, even have names. The larger of the two is called Heinz Hopper Floor. In principle, this one will be used all the time. And the smaller of them is Acid Bogen. As a rule, electro is served. The New Year’s Eve party takes place in all areas, i.e. Heiz Hopper, Acid Bogen and Säälchen with a fat electro line up.
Furthermore, the location has a fairly extensive outdoor area. This area includes, among other things, the deck of a boat, which is permanently moored. DJs also play in the outdoor area, but rather during the day and in good weather.
Some parts of the bar equipment are still from the Bar 25, which were already used there.
Outdoor area at the wood market
The club has a great special, because visitors can also be found here outside opening hours. During these times, there are numerous events, such as various theater performances.
As already mentioned, there is a ship at the outdoor area, which can also be used and which is also permanently located there. Especially the outdoor area invites many guests, but also tourists from outside to the area.
On the one hand because of the varied music in the field of techno, but on the other hand simply to celebrate a successful party where guests meet like-minded people. After all, the metropolis knows how to throw a proper party.
First of all, this dance venue at Holzmarkt stands out because of its very special and also unique presentation.
The feel-good atmosphere is not present in any other club as much as it is here. The view up the Spree is also something very special. The beauty of this view can be understood very well, especially at dawn or dusk. A view and a moment that you will certainly not forget so quickly.
Berlin Open Air Electroclub in Friedrichshain with Katermukke among others by Lassmalaura , Pilocka Krach live, Lotti aka The Sorry Entertainer , Sven Dohse , Märtini Brös, Pauli Pocket, Sascha Cawa, Justin Marchacos …
More info from the web :
Am Holzmarkt Electro/Techno/House Clubs in Mitte
Schmaus – Reviews and photos – Is it worth it? – tripadvisor
Opening of the successor: dancing in a headlock …
Best dancefloor !?! A letter to the editor – FAZEmag
Yelp – 11 reviews – Dancing & Disco – Holzmarktstr. 25 … – Yelp
From TABLE to TABLE: Fame K-schmaus – Berlin – Tagesspiegel
Comments
secret DJ :
Since August 2014 it is again possible to vibrate to the rhythm of the electric bass in the Kater Blau, exactly on the site of the former Bar25 (2004-2010).
I consider myself very lucky because I went to Berlin very early and even experienced the legendary Bar25 back then. I was young and wasn’t even into electronic music back then. Bar25 closed and the same crew opened Kater Holzig.
Today it stands right next to the Holzmarkt.
Thanks to the citizens‘ initiative „Spreeufer für Alle,“ this area was thus preserved.
Its initiators successfully resisted the „Medienspree“ project launched in the 1990s, which envisaged the development of the Spree embankment with the construction of offices, hotels and luxury lofts, among other things.
When they started, people said that we had entered a dead area: that no one would come here, that they had no concept – they just wanted to focus on different kinds of music!
Back to me: later, in my twenties, I discovered the predecessor on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I was on the S-Bahn, on my way to a friend’s house on Alexanderplatz, when I heard the amazing music
while passing through Jannowitzbrücke.
A ride on the commuter train can sometimes change your life.
I met her and said: „Okay, we could go for a coffee somewhere as planned, but I think we really need to go to Jannowitzbrücke, I heard amazing music there and enjoyed a good party. I noticed that the guests here were really taken by the music and the atmosphere: is that typical for a local audience?
We can follow the music and find it. My girlfriend agreed and we literally followed the music, found Kater Holzig and had the time of our lives!
Later K. Holzig also closed and K. Blau opened at the original location of Bar25, Holzmarktstr. 25.
After the closure (2010-2014) the collective behind Bar25 moved (again) to the other side of the Spree to open
a new dance palace.
I started going there, especially on Sundays and Mondays whenever I was in town (and I go to the City often), and it’s safe to say that it shaped my taste in music and my idea of a party or club!
For me it has always been more than a location anyway, it is a musical landmark, a playground full of surprises, a cozy and unique space to be free, and one of my favorite places on earth!
In addition, the Wood Market site is currently home to a restaurant, bars, and a community garden that regularly hosts a variety of events: Plays, festivals, film screenings, performances, indoor and outdoor markets, etc.
Currently, Dieter Nuhr’s TV show „Nuhr im Ersten“ is recorded once a week on the Holzmarktgelände.
It is hard to describe the atmosphere there, I could try, but words would fail me. You have to be there and feel it energetically. It’s also not allowed to take pictures there, which doesn’t make my work any easier. I’m talking about a place where there is a secret pit ball behind the stage!
About the story: The creators chose the Holzmarkt location to contribute to the „Spreeufer für Alle“ initiative. The idea is to allow citizens and investors to collaborate in a space dedicated to culture in all its forms, while guaranteeing participants a certain artistic freedom.
As much as I would love to capture every single crazy detail, I’m also super glad that it’s not allowed to take photos there because you don’t see people with smartphones in the crowd, everyone is free to be and enjoy being in the moment. so I think that single restriction makes it really unique and special.
It is now the place to be. A funny name that immediately announces the color: the hangover means hangover and blue is drunk. A very typical atmosphere with graffiti and decoration made of bricks. The famous „Sasomo“ evenings that made the fame of Bar25. The principle: shake your hips non-stop from Saturday night to Monday morning. Of course, enjoy the magnificent view of the Spree, which you can admire from the open-air terrace adjacent to the only hall.
Even before I started DJing, I secretly even dreamed of playing there one day, but it was such a far dream.
Well, I started going into this before I had anything to do with djing. and come to think of it, that might even be one of the reasons I started djing in the first place.
Dancing to the music of Mira, Britta Arnold and Mimi Love inspired me enormously as a woman!
Techno, electro and confetti rain: I had a little ‚hangover‘ playlist in my IPod, I collected tracks with the dream to maybe play there one day! So now you know why it’s sooo special for me!
DJs are booked far in advance, most of them playing techno, house and electronic – luckily there are more than a few places to catch the music, so feel free to hop between the dance floors.
The Berlin audience is a different story! they are very educated; in some ways even constantly spoiled with good music. No wonder many residents have been partying consistently since the 80s. And yet they are so open and welcoming to everything and you can see and feel that they want to support new and excited faces!
I felt very comfortable and welcome behind the decks, although I was more than excited to play at the place of my biggest inspirations. I partied with many throughout the set, so my legs were still shaking towards the end of my set.
To have played in one of my favorite places on earth, the club where I had the deepest connection to music ever and had the most fun partying and also kissed my girlfriend for the first time.
It was an amazing time travel in itself.
I met many people, friends and artists during my days here. It was a super special memory for me, and I can’t wait to be back here soon!
We love Hangover Blue in May, June, July, August and September when the sun is shining and the old-timers are recovering from the long cold winter hibernation by partying the night and day (and day and night) away. Everyone is welcome here – you just have to dress with a personal style and have a confident but not arrogant attitude when you reach the bouncers.
Outside of opening hours, keep an eye out for cultural events and artistic performances on Facebook, Insta or on the website or that of the Wood Market itself.
It was a super fun party and it was so nice to see a lot of friends, some even flew into Herzstück to see me play, I can’t describe how grateful I am, just wow! : People think Berlin is a music metropolis or something like that. That’s bullshit:
It’s a techno capital, but everything else is like a big (kids) birthday.
Thanks to everyone who came, danced, cheered, showed love, thanks to my friends for always believing in me and special mega thanks to everyone else who supported me from day one.
I tried a lot of things: Hip-Hop, Drum and Bass, Urban, Breaks… but in the end I found out that focusing on one direction, on one sound is much better for me, the dancefloors, Kater Blau and my fans.
Pablo
Kater Holzig is dead, long live Kater Blau!
Berlin holds many interesting stories in unlikely places, so it is especially worthwhile to join a tour to the site on the water.
While the old soap factory, where Kater Holzig lived until January 2014, was gradually being dismantled to make way for upscale housing, it was happening on the other side of the Spree.
HE opened its doors in 2014, after the closure of Bar25 and Kat-er Holzig.
The Holzmarkt, a sort of open-air community bar, slowly evolved, and this summer we were delighted to see deck chairs, hammocks, flowers, a bar, and most importantly, a strange wood and glass structure hosting artistic performances, plays, and concerts.
Located on the banks of the Spree, a river that runs through the capital, it is in a select neighborhood: the Holzmarkt, a space dedicated to culture in all its forms and spared from all luxury investment projects. The establishment is particularly known for its „Sasomo“ evenings, a remnant of Bar25, which take place without interruption from Saturday night to Monday morning.
Further ahead, under the tracks of the S-Bahn, stands the location that replaced the hangover Holzig. Is it the worthy representative of his ancestor, even his ancestors, if we go back to the mythical Bar 25, which was in the same place for four years? This I tested this summer, accompanied by an experienced friend who had landed there almost by chance on the day of the inauguration.
This club, which has become a reference, is installed on the banks of the Spree since August 2014, and its name is more than evocative: the hangover means having a „hangover“ and „blue“ means being drunk. Even if the location has only one room, it is thanks to the open air area that a unique exclusive atmosphere emanates from the place, reminiscent of a mini district with its red bricks and numerous graffiti.
My friend already knew the place well and had managed to persuade me to enter through a back door, i.e. through the space between the bank of the Spree and the palisades around the Kater Holzig, via the Holzmarkt. It was dark and the Holzmarkt should have been closed already.
An old-timer tipped us off that it was a great place for a good night out and that the door policy wasn’t as strict that day.
But there were still a few people milling about in the wood market. We walked up to a first palisade, which we rounded very easily despite the danger of falling into the water. Then we were in no man’s land between the wood market and the disco area, an area full of caravans where we fortunately didn’t encounter anyone. However, the magical entrance we had gone through last time was gone. We had to turn back, to my great relief.
In the wood market, we saw people going out through a slightly hidden door. We went to look, or rather, our ears were met by the sounds of a punk rock concert. The musicians were crowded on the small stage, and the audience seemed to be completely captivated, unlike us. But entering this room was like entering another universe. It was quite a nice feeling, but not enough to make us feel old bones.
Built on the Spree River, it is a real political idea to open the party venue there in response to the Mediaspree projects.
It has established itself as a nightlife institution. With a program that is always at the cutting edge of the electro scene, he himself has a dazzling outdoor area on the waterfront! „Victims“ of his success, the line is often long, so you have to be patient.
Admission:
At the official entrance the queue was not long. There were isolated visitors who were turned away, standing angrily in front of the hangover, wondering why they had been denied entry.
For us, the entrance was no problem, the entrance fee was 15 euros.
The amusement was set up by the people who ran the legendary Bar 25, trying to continue the mood on a larger scale by building a playground for adults.
Many fun wooden outdoor meeting places in the shape of a ship, foil curtains, colored lighting, lots of pockets to hang out and chat, minimal and hard techno, balconies, a location , open all night until the next day.
And unlike other cities, the bouncers just leave you alone, they can chat or try to make new friends.
The creative, fancy, recycled, fairground-like decoration, typical as the predecessor, has been preserved.
The clientele is hype and hype again I wonder why they let me in. I’m not going to complain, I’m exploring this new club.
The Spree Side area has an artsy, pleasantly anarchic energy, and between the rain of confetti and the constantly floating dance floor where the ship dances, there’s a good vibe as soon as you get in.
The restrooms are very nice, there are several outdoor booths offering cocktails and whiskey, the photo booth continues to be successful, and the outdoor area, while reduced in size from the old location, remains the highlight of the hangover.
A large wooden sign referred to the latest news on opening hours: The team then announced a few years ago that the place will now be open continuously from Friday to Monday, every weekend.
There was even a barge stowed, the ropes between the boat and the quay are used as deck chairs for the clubbers. On the barge trays are used as picnic tables.
But the only interior room, where the DJ performs, is pretty ok.
Of course, there are still some hidden corners and secret stairs leading to the mezzanine overlooking the dance floor. But unfortunately, even there you are not as undisturbed as it would sometimes just fit.
The program and DJs are booked well in advance, and most of them play techno, house and electronic – fortunately there are more than a few areas to enjoy the music, so feel free to hop between the dance floors.
There is still the possibility of hide and seek games that you can play with your friends if you do not like the music. Despite its size, this attraction has many small corners where you can escape.
It’s a place where people party most of the weekend, which, appropriately or not, can be translated as a „blue hangover“.
Go there in the summer when the sun is shining and Berliners are recovering from their winter hibernation, dancing the night and the day and the night away until the upcoming events.
Clara
Freshly arrived in Berlin, I wanted to discover the city during the day, before I dived into the nightlife, here I was particularly taken with the Kater Blau at Holzmarkt. Because there is so much to discover in Berlin, I have put together a short summary of what you should visit. Whether you stay a weekend in Berlin or have planned a longer vacation; you will see all the important sights and also enjoy the atmosphere. In the evening you can go dancing to electro and techno, in summer even under blue sky in the hangover.
Below I have collected all the tips for Berlin. Besides the must-see highlights like the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, I’ll also show you the way to some places where you can relax and of course I’ll tell you the best activities and my insider tips.
Potsdamer Platz/Sony Center
In the 1920s, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin was a major transportation hub. The chicest department stores, most luxurious hotels and extravagant casinos lined the streets and together formed the vibrant Berlin of the Roaring Twenties. Between 1939 and 1945, this square with all its splendor was completely razed to the ground. Nothing remained but an empty expanse of sand, after which the Berlin Wall was built across the square. The Berlin Wall and the infamous death strip with its mines, searchlights and barbed wire was incredibly wide here.
After the opening of the wall in 1989, a few party organizers discovered the old Tresor rooms of the destroyed Wertheim department store on Leipziger Platz, right next to Potsdamer Platz.
The legendary Tresor then moved in there with its uncompromising techno sounds. Today you can find the Tresor in an old heating plant in Mitte Kreuzberg. Near the Kater Blau.
In 1992 the reconstruction was started. It took almost 20 years, but now it’s ready. There is nothing left of the cozy 20s – despite the hotels, department stores and shopping malls – but Potsdamer Platz is now a hypermodern piece of Berlin, full of skyscrapers and high-rises. There is an old traffic light on the square that survived the war. There is also still an old sign from the S-Bahn. It’s a nice square, definitely worth a look.
With techno, electro, minimal and IDM on my headphones, I then explored the city further.
The transition from East to West Berlin
Be sure to walk a bit further to the impressive Topography of Terror. This free exhibition in the former cellars of Gestapo headquarters takes you back in time to the Nazis and their crimes.
After this afternoon of impressions, it’s time for some relaxation. Just a few minutes walk from Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror is the lively Potsdammer Platz just described. Here you can enjoy a huge shopping mall and the almost futuristic Sony Center. Here you can feast and feast in special surroundings.
In any case, do not forget: the Us-Army checkpoint – Checkpoint Charlie.
I must admit that in 2018 it has become a tourist attraction: Checkpoint Charlie. At the original checkpoint between the American and Russian sectors there are ‚fake‘ soldiers and I think you even have to pay if you want to be photographed. But if you put that aside for a moment and think about what happened there in the past, I think you shouldn’t skip the place. It was one of the most important places during the Cold War and many events took place here.
Diverse with Unterwelten and into the nightlife.
With organized guidance I went underground in Berlin. For a city like this had a complete underground system of tunnels and bunkers. What most people don’t know is that there is a bunker system at Gesundbrunnen subway station. At Berlin Underworlds, you go underground with a tour and then it’s a bit of a shock that around 1945, people were kind of locked up in this place. I found it impressive to see what else is hidden underground. In the northeast of the city there are also the Sisyphos and the about blank, two Electro sheds.
On the 3rd day of my trip I went out of the city to the huge Neue Palais in Potsdam.
There is so much to see in Potsdam that you could easily spend a whole day there. But if you just want to see the highlights, half a day is enough. Take the bus to the back of the grounds: University and New Palace. From here you can walk to the famous Sanssouci Palace. This palace was built by Frederick William II in 1745. Not only the palace is worth a visit, but also the park, which consists of a perfectly designed nature with numerous gardens where you can walk. Finish your visit to Potsdam with a visit to the Dutch Quarter, where you can also have lunch and shop.
Enough of the sightseeing trip. Almost every night I spent at Kater Blau to dance and party until the wee hours of the morning.
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