East Side Gallery Museum

Address: East Side Gallery, Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin, Germany (along the River Spree)

Hours: Open 24 hours (outdoor public space)

Admission: Free (open-air gallery); some segments are privately organized special events with fees

The East Side Gallery is a 1.3-kilometre open-air gallery painted on a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall along the Spree River in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It was created in 1990 when international artists painted scenes and messages on the long wall segment after the Wall fell.

The gallery comprises dozens of individual murals covering political messages, historical references and colourful imagery; it is one of the longest and most visited outdoor art memorials to the Cold War era. Visitors commonly walk the length of the gallery to view its major works and photographic motifs.

The wall segment was retained after German reunification and transformed into the gallery in the year following the fall of the Wall; since then, sections have been restored to repair weathering, vandalism and structural damage. The site functions as both an artwork and a historical monument.

The East Side Gallery runs along Mühlenstraße beside the Spree River near the Ostbahnhof area of Berlin, in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, and is easily reached from central Berlin by public transport.

• Visiting tip: The gallery is an open-air public artwork along a preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall, best experienced by walking the full length to see a large number of murals in sequence.
• Art conservation: Many murals were painted in 1990 by international artists and later restorations have taken place to conserve the artworks and the wall structure.

East Side Gallery runs along Mühlenstraße, a short walk from Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Straße stations (S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines). Several tram and bus lines serve the area.

• Early morning or late afternoon for photos; midday light can be harsh on the murals.
• Walk the full 1.3 km stretch from Ostbahnhof to Warschauer Straße to see the sequence of murals and variations in style.
• Be prepared for changing artwork - some sections are periodically repainted or restored.