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We’re huge fans of street art. We’re fascinated by the way artists can capture such truth and beauty and lay it on the wall for others to admire.  Some risk their lives to create this art form, to make a mundane grey wall stand out and become a true work of art.  Wherever we go, we love to see and capture the work of local artists and learn more about their art. Berlin was no exception! We loved walking around to discover all the street art in Berlin and even found the coolest street art museum in Germany’s capital!

Graffiti is probably one of the world’s oldest art forms, as the markings on cave walls prove. Sure, you may argue that those carvings are far from the graffiti that we see on our streets, but we beg to differ. It’s one of the first forms of artistic expression and human creativity, a way to describe what was happening at a given time, and to leave a legacy for others to remember a specific moment.

It’s no surprise that one of our favorite museum expositions happens to be Art from the Streets at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum. We also loved Penang and Chiang Mai, because of all the fun and interactive art on the streets. It’s one of the reasons why we were excited to discover Berlin too.

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The history of street art in Berlin

The German capital has been dubbed the “most bombed city in Europe” and even “Graffiti Mecca”. Although graffiti is still illegal in Berlin, it still offers a ton of beautiful pieces to discover.

This may come from its dark history, when not too long ago, the Berlin wall was used as a canvas for some remarkable pieces by artists who wanted to convey profound messages of peace and hope. Graffiti and street art played essential roles in shaping the identity of the city. We even wonder if they played a role in Berlin being named a UNESCO City of Design in 2006. It’s probably also one of the things that draws millions of tourists to the city every year.

The coolest street art museum in Berlin

If you want to take in all the street art, there’s a few ways you can do it. There’s an amazing gallery called Urban Nation, that has some pieces to show, and it’s free to get in. 

The museum features different pieces and installations from the great masters of street art. We’re not talking small potatoes here, but some of the greats like Banksy, Shepard Fairy and so many more.

If you return often to this street art museum in Berlin, you’ll even notice that its facade changes ever so often, updated by another beautiful street art mural.

The Urban Nation street art museum is free to visit. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday. 10 am to 6 pm. It’s located at Bülowstraße 7, 10783. You can get there by taking the subway and getting off at the station Nollendorfplatz. The subway lines U1, U2, U3 and U4 serve this station. You can also get there by bus, using lines 106, 187 and M19, which serve the Nollendorfplatz station.

Where to find street art in Berlin

There are a ton of places you can find street art in Berlin, just walking around the city. The main areas you can find street art in are:

• Friedrichshain: This is home to the East Side Gallery and so much more street art. Walking around, you’ll spot tons of gorgeous pieces.
• Mitte: Not only will you find historical sights, Mitte is a must-see on the Berlin tourist trail. Eclipsing the landmarks, you’ll find vibrant murals that capture the true spirit of the city.
• Kreuzberg: Just south of Mitte, you’ll find the bohemian hub of Kreuzberg (aka X-berg). It has so much to offer street art lovers that even international graffiti heavyweights have their slogans sprayed around this area.
• Prenzlauer Berg: This may not seem like the place to fins street art in Berlin, but don’t be fooled! Just walk around Mauerpark on a Sunday and you’ll see a ton of street art creations. Just don’t get too attached – they do change quite often!

The open air street art museum in Berlin

You can also check out another free street art museum in Berlin, the famous East Side Gallery. At 1.3 km long, it’s the longest open air art gallery in the world. It’s also the longest continuous section of the Berlin Wall still in existence.

The East Side Gallery is basically a long strip of the Berlin Wall that has been decorated by street artists. Walking down the wall, you’ll discover tons of murals, some more famous than others, mainly depicting messages of hope or making strong social statements.

This open air street art museum came to be immediately after the wall came down. It’s interesting to know that 118 artists from 21 different countries began painting the East Side Gallery. It officially opened as an open air gallery in September 1990. A little over a year later, it was given protected memorial status.

If you want more details on the pieces, there are a ton of paying street art tours you can join. Or like us, you can just walk around, search for the pieces and take it all in.

The East Side gallery street art museum is located near the centre of Berlin, on Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It’s super close to the Oberbaum bridge.

With all the stunning pieces around town, it’s easy to see why Berlin is still considered to be an important reference in street art and graffiti, not only in Europe, but all around the world as well.

We loved our time in Germany’s capital! It was only made better by all the street art in Berlin and all the cool street art museums we got to discover. If you make it to Berlin, make sure you make time from checking out all the historical sites to discover this really cool street art culture.

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