East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery in Berlin is the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall and one of the largest open-air galleries in the world. Running for 0.8 miles (1,316 m) along Mühlenstrasse in the Friedrichshain district, it is covered with more than 100 murals painted by artists from around the world in 1990. Free and open around the clock, it is one of the most popular things to do in Berlin.

Where it is and how to get there

The gallery runs between Ostbahnhof station and the Oberbaum Bridge on the north bank of the Spree River, east of Berlin's historic center. Take the S-Bahn to Ostbahnhof to start at the western end, or the S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Warschauer Strasse to start near the bridge. Berlin transit tickets and the Deutschlandticket are valid. Driving is not recommended, as parking in the area is scarce.

History in brief

This section was the inner, or hinterland, wall on the East Berlin side; the actual border ran along the opposite bank of the river in Kreuzberg. After the Wall fell in November 1989, 118 artists from 21 countries began painting its blank eastern face. The gallery opened on September 28, 1990, and has been a protected monument since 1991. A major restoration in 2008–09 saw many artists repaint their original works, and since 2018 the site has been cared for by the Berlin Wall Foundation.

Famous murals

• „My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love“: Dmitri Vrubel's famous „fraternal kiss“ between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker
• Birgit Kinder's Trabant: an East German car smashing through the Wall, with the date of its fall on the license plate
• Dozens more works on peace, freedom and reunification

Opening hours, tickets and tours

As of October 2026, the East Side Gallery is open 24 hours a day and admission is free. The Berlin Wall Foundation offers public overview tours lasting about an hour with audio guides, and no registration is needed. Tours meet at the information trailer on the river side of the wall, opposite Tamara-Danz-Strasse. Check the foundation's website for current dates. Note that the nearby „The Wall Museum“ is a separate, private museum with its own admission fee.

Why it is different from other Wall sites

Unlike the Berlin Wall Memorial, the East Side Gallery does not show what the border looked like. Instead, it captures the euphoria of 1989 and 1990, when artists from East and West, and from across the world, turned a symbol of oppression into a canvas for hope, humor and political commentary. That mix of serious and playful works is what makes the walk so rewarding.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes at a relaxed pace to walk the full length, or an hour if you include the riverside park behind the Wall. Come early in the morning to photograph the Fraternal Kiss without crowds, and please do not add graffiti to the artworks. Finish at the Oberbaum Bridge, a striking red-brick bridge that once served as a border crossing, and continue into Kreuzberg. To understand what the Wall really looked like as a border, pair this visit with the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, where a section of the death strip has been preserved.