Street art in Berlin

Attention, all street art lovers! Street art is an integral part of the urban landscape in Berlin. Follow the guide!

A short history of street art in Berlin

Street art was born in New York, in the 70s, before being exported to Europe, where it really took root in the 1980s (even if graffiti has existed for much longer, as evidenced by the cave of Lascaux!)

Unsurprisingly, with its free spirit and underground movements, Berlin quickly became a stronghold of street art in Europe!

The Berlin Wall, which had not yet been torn down, became a canvas of choice where artists and political activists gave free rein to their imagination with subversive and revolted slogans.

Later, when the Berlin Wall fell, the industrial wastelands multiplied and became preferred playground for graffiti artists!

Today, street art remains an integral part of Berlin’s urban landscape, turning the city into a striking open-air museum.

International artists take over Berlin

Berlin is heaven on earth for street art and counts myriads of iconic local artists, such as Xoooox, MTO, or Alias.

But the German capital also attracts graffiti artists from all over the world. Visitors can admire the works of countless international artists from Brazil (Eduardo Kobra, Os Gemeos), Italy (Blu, Alice Pasquini), the United Kingdom (Bansky), Belgium (Roa), Spain (El Bocho), Portugal (DescriptionVhils) and France (JR, Victor Ash).

Berlin is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe.

Which districts are the strongholds of street art in Berlin?

Tags, frescoes, stencils, mosaics and collages cover the walls of many Berlin streets and are now an integral part of the urban landscape. But some neighborhoods are particularly worth exploring if you’re looking to discover Berlin’s street art.

• The East Side Gallery

1.3 km/0.6 mile long, this former segment of the Berlin Wall located on Mühlenstraße is a a must for every visitor exploring the German capital. It is home to some of the most iconic murals, including the emblematic “Friendship Kiss” showing Honecker and Brezhnev embracing.

• The district of Mitte

Most of the street art is concentrated along the train tracks on Dircksenstraße, between Hackescher Markt S-bahn Station and Alexanderplatz.

• The district of Kreuzberg

It is one of the strongholds of street art in the German capital. It is home to a number of frescoes of the Italian artist Blu.

• The district of Friedrichshain

Street art is concentrated in the streets of Samariterstraße, Rigaer Straße, Liebigstraße, Mainzer Straße and Niederbarnimstraße.

• The district of Prenzlauerberg

Mainly Schönhauser Allee and the adjacent alleys.

• The district of Schöneberg

Mainly along Bulowstraße.

• The district of Wedding

You’ll find works by well-known artists (such as Victor Ash) or more confidential ones on Lynarstraße, Gerichstraße and along the Panke river.

Street art in Berlin: guided tours

To make sure not to miss out on any of the capital’s most beautiful works and to learn more about Berlin’s street art, Captain Ulysses recommends that you opt for a guided tour.

Here are a few recommendations:

• Walking tour
• Bike tour
• graffiti workshop

Urban Nation: the largest street art museum in the world

Opened in 2017 in the district o Schöneberg, Urban Nation is the largest museum entirely dedicated to street art in the world.

Born from the work of a collective of Berlin artists, the museum honors many famous or more confidential artists, among whom Bansky, Vhils, Shepard Fairey or JR. Visitors are invited to discover a variety of works, including sculpture, graffiti, stencil and origami.

Admission is free!

Find out more: official website

👉 Skip the lines in Berlin: book your tickets and tours in Berlin!

Looking for tips and recommendations? Here are all of Captain Ulysses’ recommendations in Berlin!

🛏️ Accommodation: Berlin is a very touristy city and you’ll find plenty of accommodation. To book your hotel in Berlin, Captain Ulysses highly recommends Booking.com. From cheap hostels to luxury palaces, you’ll have plenty of options to chose from.

🎟️ Activities : in order to book skip-the-line tickets, tours and activities in Paris, Captain Ulysses highly recommends GetYourGuide and Civitatis. Guided tours, entrance tickets, cruises, unusual activities: there’s plenty to chose from. If you want to avoid queuing to get into museums and monuments, the Captain suggests opting for skip-the-line tickets.

⛵ Cruises: The Captain loves sailing on the river Spree to enjoy the view on the emblematic monuments of the capital. You’ll find here a wide selection of cruises in Berlin.

🚐 Transfers: You’d rather avoid roaming public transportation with your luggage? In this case, Captain Ulysses recommends that you book your transfer in advance to get from the airport to the city center. Find out more here.

🚌 Public transports: to explore the German capital freely, the Captain recommends opting for a transportation pass that includes access to the city’s public transportation. And to get around the city while enjoying the view, you can also embark on a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

✈️ Flights: To find cheap flights to Berlin, the Captain highly recommends Skyscanner. If your dates are flexible, you can even compare prices over several weeks.