Find the best places for street art and graffiti in Berlin with this compact guide that lists the exact locations of the best Berlin murals. Recognised as one of the top street art cities in the world, Berlin is a true walhalla for street art enthusiasts and bloggers like myself. Have a look at this Berlin street art guide and let me know what you think!
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Table of Contents
The best places for street art and graffiti in Berlin
Starting with an overview of the main Berlin art districts, I’ll highlight some famous Berlin street art murals you won’t want to miss. Drawing from my trips to Berlin over several years, be aware that some of the featured works in this post might have been removed or repainted by now. Unfortunately, that’s just the nature of street art!
1. Raw Gelände in Friedrichshain
Location: Revaler Strasse 99
If there’s one thing I love more than street art, then it’s revitalised industrial buildings. Lucky for me then that the urban hotspot of Raw Gelände in the funky neighbourhood of Friedrichshain offers both! Literally every inch of the walls of this huge former train repair station is covered in extraordinary graffiti and street art.
Housing independent clubs, bars, galleries and quirky shops, Raw Gelände is a fantastic alternative destination for curious minds. While the vast open beergarden looks very inviting, don’t forget to wander around the large compound in search of art. Especially the hidden alleys and corners house the best gems!
You won’t be able to miss this large tucan by Portuguese street artist Bordalo II though. Questioning today’s materialistic society, Bordalo is famous for using garbage to make his large-scale artworks.
Featuring artworks by some of the world’s most famous street artists, Raw Gelände really should be your number one Berlin street art destination! However, the activities here aren’t just limited to street art hunting and drinking beer.
For more active visitors, there’s an indoor skate park and also a climbing wall. But if you’re like me and prefer to take things easier, then come here for the vibrant Sunday flea market.
2. Berlin Mitte graffiti: Haus Schwarzenberg street art alley
Location: Rosenthaler Strasse 39
Right in the heart of Berlin you’ll find a sweet little street art hotspot. Tucked away in a little alley off Rosenthaler Strasse near Alexanderplatz, you’ll find Haus Schwarzenberg.
Owned by a non-profit art organisation, this vibrant cultural pocket is one of the best places to see street art in Berlin. Quite surprising actually since it’s located in a more commercial shopping district.
However, due to its inconspicuous looks, you’d easily walk right past it. I only discovered it by chance because I was attracted by its bright orange and red bunting. Always eager to explore little hidden gems, I marched off, camera at hand while hubby waited patiently across the road.
Despite being an alley, you could easily spend hours here trying to take in the wide variety of murals, graffiti and paste-ups. (Lucky for hubby, I did not.)
Amongst the many new discoveries, I also managed to find some familiar faces. For example, this Snoopy lying on the iconic Berlin skyline by London-based Chilean artist Otto Schade.
But also this striking portrait by French stencil artist C215, often called the French Banksy in popular media. I don’t really see the resemblance between both artists, but I still adore C215’s work nonetheless. I previously found several of his pieces in the bohemian street art district of Cours Julien in Marseille.
And while the artworks in this Berlin street art alley are known to change frequently, there’s one piece that has remained untouched since 2012. Painted by London-based artist Jimmy C using his signature style of large paint dots, the portrait of Anne Frank is a work of significant importance. You can find it on the wall of the Anne Frank Zentrum at the end of the alley.
3. East Side Gallery: Berlin Wall graffiti art
Location: Mühlenstrasse
If you’re interested in street art and graffiti and a piece of Berlin history, then head over to East Side Gallery. Running along a 1.3km stretch of Mühlenstrasse, this is one of world’s largest outdoor art galleries. But what makes it even more special is that the works are painted on the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall.
‘The Kiss’, officially called My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, is the most iconic Berlin Wall painting. Inspired by a 1970s photograph of a Russian and German politician sharing a ‘fraternal’ kiss, it’s now symbolic of Berlin’s LGBTQ community. Not surprisingly, it’s also one of the most popular Berlin Instagram locations.
Personally, I was more interested in seeing these signature bold cartoonesque giant head figures by French artist Thierry Noir. Known for being the first artist to illegally paint the Berlin Wall in 1984, Noir is considered as a pioneer and inspiration to many who followed his example. You can read more about this remarkable artist on my London blog: Thierry Noir retrospective.
How to get to the East Side Gallery: From Ostbahnhof station it’s approximately a 12-minute walk to Mühlenstrasse. Follow the Wall along the river Spree until you reach the end at Oberbaumbrücke bridge. Either hop on the subway at one of the several local stations or continue your street art explorations with the following tips.
4. Intimes Kino in Friedrichshain
Location: Boxhagener Strasse 107
Looking at the graffiti-covered arthouse cinema, you’d think this was a derelict building. However, located in the heart of arty Friedrichshain, the cosy arthouse cinema Intimes Kino is still in operation. Yet, I think its main draw is its exterior which is an artwork in itself.
Covered in paste-ups, stickers, stencil artworks, graffiti and many other forms of street art, Intimes Kino is a true treasure trove for urban art lovers.
More street art in Friedrichshain
Friedrichshain certainly has some of the best street art hotspots in Berlin. But besides Raw Gelände, East Side Gallery and Intimes Kino, you’ll find numerous of eye-catching murals dotted across this fantastic neighbourhood. Here are some of my personal highlights.
Alice Pasquini
You can find this large mural Suspended by Italian stencil artist Alice Pasquini on Warschauer Strasse near the East Side Gallery. Alice is one of the most respected stencil artists around so I was very excited to see such a large mural by her. Covering 150m2, I read that it took her seven days of non-stop painting to create this mural that contains six female portraits.
Location: Turn left on Warschauer Strasse coming from Mühlenstrasse. You’ll see the portraits on your left-hand side. Continue the road and you’ll arrive at Warschauer Strasse station on your right.
Blu
Location: Oberbaumstrasse/Falckensteinstrasse
You can find this rather disconcerting mural called Pink Man by Italian artist Blu right next to the beautiful Oberbaumbrücke. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the giant figure consists of dozens of naked human bodies. And if you look even closer, you can see the despair and fear on their faces whilst clinging onto the giant figure. It’s not one of the most cheerful murals in Berlin perhaps, but it is one of my favourites.
Cranio mural in Friedrichshain
Location: Holzmarktstrasse 25 (on the side of restaurant / bar Katerschmaus)
It’s hard to miss the characteristic blue figure by Brazilian artist Cranio. His curious Indigenous Blue Man always finds himself in some quirky situation, blending the world of native Brazil with Western capitalism. I love the work by Cranio as they always manage to criticise today’s materialistic and status driven society with a great dose of humour.
Butterfly girl by Michele Tombolini in Friedrichshain
Location: Krossener Strasse 36
This striking blue mural of a girl with butterfly wings has a bit of a sad backstory. Because, painted as part of the Indelible Marks Project, it represents the issue of child abuse. With her hands drawn behind her back and tape on her mouth, Butterfly is unable to speak out. It’s sad this is an issue we still need to be reminded of today.
5. Kreuzberg
Located next to Friedrichshain, the multi-cultural neighbourhood of Kreuzberg is home to some of the most important Berlin murals. Crossing Oberbaumbrücke from the end of the East Side Gallery, follow the murals in the order I’ve listed them below.
Os Gêmeos in Kreuzberg, Berlin
Location: Oppelner Strasse 3
Finding this huge mural by legendary Brazilian combo consisting of identical twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo felt almost like finding a dodo. Because I’m mostly familiar with their curious yellow figures from pictures in books or websites, I was so excited to see a giant an Os Gêmeos mural in Berlin!
I don’t know that many places in Europe where you can see their work ‘in the wild’. The only other place where I saw an Os Gêmeos mural was in Athens, one of the best street art cities in Europe I’ve ever been!
ROA
Location: Oranienstrasse / Skalitzer Strasse
The Belgian street artist ROA is one of my favourite street artists. Whenever I discover a work by him abroad I get geekishly excited. Like that time when I suddenly bumped into his gorgeous, yet slightly nasty, mural in Spain as part of the Málaga street art trail!
ROA’s works are typically large-scale black and white drawings of (dead) animals. Besides ROA’s mural on the left you can also see work by One truth, 1Up and Berlinkidz on this wall.
Victor Ash
Location: Mariannenstrasse (in the direction of Heinrichplatz)
This spectacular mural of a cosmonaut floating in space is made by Danish artist Victor Ash. Having become an iconic piece in the streets of Berlin, it was the first ever work I had seen by him. As you can imagine, I was truly impressed! Ash’s Cosmonaut was created in 2007 and is supposed to be the largest stencil drawing in the world.
Dscreet & Stik
Location: Falckensteinstrasse 46
I became almost frantic when I spotted this shop. Not because of what they were selling, but for the art around the shop window. I’m a huge fan of the London-based artist Stik. He manages to convey so much meaning and emotions in his – at first glance – basic stick figures. You can find his works all over the world, but especially around East London where he lives.
I was so happy to find works by another East London street artist in Berlin. You can see Dscreet’s cute signature owls painted on the sides of the wall. It actually turned out that a group of London-based artists had come to Berlin a few months prior to my visit. (They even stayed in the same hotel as I was in!)
Underneath the shop window you see work by Endless. I have a feeling the majority of the works are gone by now. But if you’re in the area, do try to check for yourself!
Shepard Fairey in Kreuzberg
Location: Mehringplatz
While he’s often criticised for being too commercial, I actually like the bold artworks by Shepard Fairey. The flourishing career of this American graphic designer, activist and urban artist, kicked off in the 90s when he designed a sticker based on wrestler André the Giant. Following a true guerilla sticker campaign, his name shot to fame.
Usually containing a reference to his famous design or catchphrase ‘Obey’ it’s not that difficult pick out a Shepard Fairey artwork. You can recognise them by their bold colours and striking graphic design.
Explore more fantastic street art in Kreuzberg with a local guide! Book your ticket here.
6. Teufelsberg
You’ll have to travel outside of Berlin’s city centre to see the amazing street art and graffiti hotspot that’s Teufelsberg. But since this former US listening station was supposed to be a secret, it obviously had to remain far from the public eye. The Teufelsberg listening station was used during the Cold War, one of the most feared wars that fortunately never happened.
After the Americans finally abandoned in the early 1990s, it became the playground for street artists, graffiti writers and urbexers.
While it used to be quite an ordeal to visit this abandoned secret Berlin location, it’s far easier today. This private Teufelsberg tour even includes a pick-up from Berlin city centre which makes the journey so much easier and more convenient.
Join a Berlin street art tour
Although this blog post is a great introduction to the best murals to see in Berlin, nothing beats exploring the streets with a local guide. Being a London tour guide myself, I know that the easiest way to discover the best graffiti locations and street art hotspots is with a local.
Offering a wide variety of Berlin street art walking tours and tours by bike, here are some great guided tours I selected for you. If you’re Dutch, then I highly recommend booking a tour with Emma. She’s the owner of the fantastic Dutch-language Berlin blog Doen in Berlijn.
- 3.5-hr Berlin street art bike tour
- 3-hr off the grid Berlin street art and graffiti tour
- Berlin street art tour and graffiti workshop
Now you’ve got a taste of the Berlin art scene, tell me, are you just as impressed as I am? Let me know in a comment below!
Thanks, Zarina xx
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30 Comments
Alice Pasquini’s mural is now destroyed. Only fragments are visible.
Oh no, what a shame! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be in Berlin again next week and hoping to update this blog post :-).
Teufelsberg is one of my favourite places with street art in Berlin 🙂
Wow, I’m surprised that I’ve never read or heard about all the art in Berlin before! I love the variety of styles of media! That winged book is one of my favorites. Also, Teufelsberg looks so cool! I would definitely make time to go check that out.
Berlin’s grafitti really stands out and has its own character. And it is so amazing that the East Side Gallery is free. I can spend a whole day checking out these murals!My favourite is Alice Pasquini. The work is so inspiring.
Thanks Anshul for your message here and I’m glad that you found inspiration from the Berlin murals in this post! 🙂
Aww I looove the street art when we visited Berlin…but it was several years ago, so now all of these seem totally different. I especially like the more whimsical art, like the book with wings! It’s all so creative.
Oh I bet that some of the areas you visited in Berlin a few years ago will have looked completely different back then from now. But still good that you got to see the amazing Berlin street art then as well!
Very fascinating! I am always amazed at how talented these artists are. I love the image of Snoopy lying on the Berlin skyline. I think the street art always says a lot about the culture and destination as well.
It’s incredible indeed to think how the street artists managed to create such stunning large murals! I did a graffiti workshop once and couldn’t even spray a straight line so can’t imagine how difficult it must be to make wall paintings! It really is such a skill!
The street art of Berlin looks so colourful and vibrant. Have always loved street art as they bring alove the culture and ethos of a place.
Glad to hear you liked the Berlin street art as much as I do! And yes, it does really add great character to a destination although today some cities or neighbourhoods also do it to attract tourists of course, but I’d rather see street art than a fastfood restaurant 🙂
Looking around street art is one of my favorite things to do when I get into a new city. It’s a great reason to walk around, get lost, and orientate yourself with the city. If you get a chance, check out Comuna 13 in Medellin for some amazing giant sized murals.
Ooh that’s a great tip, thanks so much! I’ve never been to South America, but heard there are some great street art cities there so I must try to go one day!
Wow, all those pieces! Every time I’m in Berlin, the one thing that stands out is all the grafitti.. It’s so vivid and adds so much character to the city. And I literally can’t believe that whole of the East Side Gallery is free! You could spend a whole day there admiring the murals!
So happy to hear you love the Berlin street art and graffiti so much as well!
Wow, so much beautiful art! My favourite is Alice Pasquini for sure, and this is a great post idea, not many people go looking for street art
Thanks Lydia! I had no idea about street art prior moving to London from the Netherlands and now I’m obsessed with finding street art everywhere I go ha ha!
I love places with street art like this, it makes it so interesting to explore! These are some of the most amazing I have seen though as they are pretty big and with so much detail. I really love wandering round these kind of eclectic places and taking photos of the art 🙂
When I plan a trip, I always try to research its best stree art neighbourhoods beforehand. Often leading you to parts of a city you’d not visit otherwise, I find it allows you to explore some true hidden gems. I’m glad you liked these Berlin murals I posted. I tried to select the best works but have far more photos in my Berlin street art archive, it really is an amazing city for urban art!
Interesting. I have been in Berlin 4 or 5 times and I had no clue there was this much street art. I think I have only seen 1 or maybe 2 of the murals that you show. Anyway, we love street art and I will check out some of those the next time we get to Berlin. Thank you for adding the locations.
I’d love it if you would use my Berlin street art guide for your next trip, thanks Rudy! 🙂
I’m sad that I missed so much of this art when I was in Berlin many years ago. I did see the art on the wall though.
Earlier this year, I saw a mural on a residential building in Vilnius that looks very similar to the Os Gêmeos one you showed here.
Next time you go to Berlin, you know where to find the best street art now 🙂 And I googled the Os Gêmeos mural in Vilnius and you’re right, they painted it in 2015 apparently. Lucky you! I hear Vilnius is a great city to visit anyway so all the more reason for me to visit!
The street art looks amazing! I really want to start making an effort to incorporate street art into my itineraries when I visit cities along with the traditional activities such as museums etc.
So happy to hear this post inspired you for your next travels Carly-Jo, I hope you’ll get to see lots of great street art!
Beautiful, especially the Ann Frank portrait! We love seeing street art whenever we travel. We are fortunate to live in Saint Petersburg Florida, a city with beautiful murals and a vibrant arts community. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comment, so nice to hear you liked these Berlin murals. I had no idea about the street art in Saint Petersburg. I did know about Miama street art and have always wanted to go there just because of its numerous large-scale wall paintings, but will have to combine it with a trip to Saint Petersburg now it seems like 🙂
I’m really blown away by some of these pieces – beautiful and thought provoking.
The sheer scale of some of them too is amazing.
A guide does sound like a really good idea though.
So glad to hear you liked my Berlin street art photos! I don’t know how they do it, but street artists are so talented, I agree!