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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 25 May, 2023

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the ‘edgier’ east of the city suddenly offered up a wealth of low rent, avant garde studios and exhibition spaces. The result was an explosion in Berlin’s art scene – the city now boasts more than 600 private art galleries, handily concentrated in the trendy suburb of Mitte.

Wander its streets to take in a whole spectrum of artists, from students to masters, struggling to world-famous.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

For an easy walking tour, take the U-Bahn to Oranienburger Tor and start at the western end of Auguststrasse. Walk along Auguststrasse to Rosenthaler Strasse, then head back west along Linienstrasse, an elegant, café- and boutique-lined street that runs parallel to Auguststrasse. Some galleries require payment of an entry fee, but most are free to peruse at leisure. Index Berlin has an online gallery tour planner.

If you want to be shown around and/or to discover the city’s hottest artists, GoArt Berlin offers excellent tailor-made tours of galleries, street art and even artists studios.

When to do it

Opening times for galleries vary so check ahead if you are set on visiting. Avoid arriving very early as many galleries open at 11am.

Look out for regular open gallery nights held mainly in the summer, while April’s Gallery Weekend sees 50 or more galleries throw open their doors to the public.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Street Art Tour - Off The Grid

Street Art Tour - Off The Grid

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Berlin Street Art Walking Tour

Berlin Street Art Walking Tour

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Street Art may have been born elsewhere, but Berlin made it its own. Beginning with paintings in the 1960's on the western side of the Berli...

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Berlin Private Street Art Tour - Off The Grid

Berlin Private Street Art Tour - Off The Grid

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Artists tell you the secrets, the history, the techniques, the rules and the personal stories of graffiti and street art in a walk through a...

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel Amano

Berlin, Germany[0.4 miles]

The gorgeously understated Amano offers a soothing, affordable designer option in uber-trendy Mitte.

Official star rating:

Casa Camper

Berlin, Germany[0.4 miles]

A quirky chic boutique hotel that blends simple luxury and hip Spanish design in a killer Mitte location. In the heart of the city’s buzz.

Official star rating:

Honigmond Garden Hotel

Berlin, Germany[0.7 miles]

Lovely small hotel exuding 19th-century charm, with a great location near Berlin’s top attractions and trendy Mitte, with an Eden-like garden.

Official star rating:

Lux 11 Berlin-Mitte

Berlin, Germany[0.8 miles]

A superb apartment hotel, with 72 self-contained luxury apartments, conveniently located for Berlin best attractions, bars and shopping.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

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Germany

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Pergamon Museum

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A tour de force of treasures amassed by German archaeologists. The superb site pulls together three previous museums covering Islamic art, classical antiquities and the ancient Near East.

Best for ages: 18+ | £12

Old National Gallery

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This gallery showcases one of the world’s largest collections of 19th-century sculpture and paintings, with additional collections of neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork.

Best for ages: 18+ | £10

New Museum

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Museum Island’s Neues Museum houses prehistoric and early historic collections, notably an excellent Egyptian Collection – including the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti.

Best for ages: 18+ | £10

Berlin’s Museum Island

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An extraordinary UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site home to five world-class museums, covering 6,000 years of cultural and art history. An essential stop on any Berlin itinerary.

Best for ages: 18+ | £20

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Berlin Dungeon
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Best for ages: 10+ | £18

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