9 Tips for Visiting the East Side Gallery in Berlin

If you’re coming to Berlin for the first time, visiting the East Side Gallery is probably high on your Berlin bucket list. It’s the most famous section of the Berlin Wall that’s still standing, and it’s really worth seeing in person.

Visiting the East Side Gallery is pretty straight forward, but it’s helpful to have some background information and some tips that will improve your experience at one of the most popular things to do in Berlin.

Where to stay near the East Side Gallery

If you’re interested in where to stay near the East Side Gallery, you have lots of options that are within 10 minutes away on foot or on public transport. Here are some recommendations for hotels near the East Side Gallery Berlin.

BUDGET

Eastern & Western Comfort Hostelboat
Industriepalast Hostel Berlin

MIDRANGE

Holiday Inn Berlin City East Side
nhow Berlin

UPSCALE

Luxury Apartments at Pure living Berlin
Hotel Indigo Berlin City East Side

For a more detailed look at the different neighborhoods and our hotel recommendations, check out our guide to where to stay in Berlin.

About the Berlin Wall

For those of you who don’t know much about the Berlin Wall, it separated East and West Berlin for more than 28 years. After World War II, East and West Germany became two different countries, with the East backed by the Soviets.

Berlin was also divided into East and West, and after more than a decade of East German residents migrating to the West, the East German leadership tried to control the situation by putting up physical barriers in the city. On August 13, 1961, fences and barbed wire went up along the border dividing East and West Berlin.

These fences were quickly replaced by a concrete wall, and the border area became more and more fortified. That single Wall became multilayered and included a no man’s land, dubbed the death strip because it’s where people trying to escape could end up being shot to death.

Watch towers, guard dogs, and bright lights were used to detect people who were trying to escape across the border. In the late 1970s, the Berlin Wall was actually rebuilt for improved prevention and surveillance, which allowed leadership to remove a lot of the other barricades that were seen as bad for its international image.

>>Read: 27 Best World War II & Cold War Sights in Berlin

At various points along the border between East Berlin and West Berlin, many people tried to flee. Some were successful while others were caught and died.

When a new law regarding travel between East and West was accidentally announced on November 9, 1989, people rushed to the borders. Guards responded by opening the borders to those who wanted to cross.

This was essentially the beginning of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the East German dictatorship. And although most of the Wall has been torn down, there are still quite a few places in Berlin to see remnants of the Berlin Wall, including the East Side Gallery.

What is the East Side Gallery?

The East Side Gallery is a large section of the Berlin Wall that sits along the eastern bank of the Spree River in the Friedrichshain district. Fun fact: It’s considered the longest open air gallery in the world.

Shortly after the Berlin Wall fell, artists from 21 countries came here to paint murals to celebrate Germany being reunited, and also to remind the world of terrible things that occurred here. Over the years, the some of the art has changed and many of the original paintings have been redone and better preserved.

>>Read: Ultimate Itinerary for 3 Days in Berlin: Tips From a Local

How long is the East Side Gallery?

The East Side Gallery is 1.3km (0.8 mile) long. While it used to be a continuous section of the Berlin Wall, unfortunately a few sections were removed and relocated a few years ago to make room for apartment buildings.

How to Visit the East Side Gallery

Since the East Side Gallery is a long outdoor attraction, you should start at one end and work your way to the other end. Go slowly to appreciate the various pieces of art.

There are several pieces of art you’ve surely seen photos of, but some of the less famous ones are just as impressive. Don’t just skip ahead to the two or three you already know about because you might miss something excellent that simply isn’t as well known.

The East Side Gallery doesn’t have opening hours, so it’s accessible 24 hours a day. Early morning hours are usually less crowded, so if you can plan on visiting the East Side Gallery as your first or second stop of the day, you’ll have a better chance of enjoying it will less people.

That said, if you show up at peak time and there are a lot of people, you just might need a few extra minutes here and there. This is especially true at the famous pieces like the Fraternal Kiss (pictured at the top of this section) where people wait in line to take a picture or selfie.

What to wear on your visit

Since the East Side Gallery is outdoors, and it’s 1.3km (0.8 mile) long, you’ll be on your feet a lot. Wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather at the time of year you’re visiting Berlin.

>>Read: What to Wear & What to Pack for Berlin, Germany: Your Ultimate Berlin Packing List

How to get to the East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is located at Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin, and it’s easy to get there. For example, you can get from Alexanderplatz to the East Side Gallery by Sbahn or Ubahn with no switches in just a few minutes.

If you’re using public transport, you have several options for directions to the East Side Gallery.

Option 1: Ostbahnhof Train Station
The Ostbahnhof train station is at one end of the East Side Gallery. To get here, you can take one of several Sbahns: S3, S5, S7, S9, or S75.

Then go out to the front of the train station, and the East Side Gallery is across the street.

Option 2: Warschauer Strasse S&U Station
Near the other end of the East Side Gallery is S&U Warschauer Str. To get here, you can take the same Sbahn lines – S3, S5, S7, S9, S75 – or take Ubahn lines U1 or U3.

Note that the Warschauer Str station has a bit of a separation between the Ubahns and the Sbahns. This means if you end your East Side Gallery visit on this side and want to get on transport, you will get to the Ubahn station just before the Sbahn station.

The M10 tram also goes to S&U Warschauer Str, so that is another option depending on where you’re coming from. There’s a stop for the Warschauer Str Sbahn and another stop for labeled S&U Warschauer Str, which is closer to the Ubahn station.

The M13 tram also goes to Warschauer Str, but only the Sbahn station, which is a little bit farther than the stop labeled S&U Warschauer Strasse. If you’re using the M13, this is still reasonable and only adds a couple extra minutes of walking.

Warschauer Str is the last/first stop for all but the Sbahn lines, which have stops before and after.

From the Warschauer Str station, it’ll take you less than 10 minutes to walk south on Warschauer Str until you reach the East Side Gallery. You can’t really miss it, but if you get to the river, you’ve gone too far.

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Have questions about planning your trip to Berlin?

Join the Facebook group here to chat with Ali (she runs this site) and other people who have been to Berlin for tips.

Things to know before you go

Before you visit the East Side Gallery, here are a few more pieces of advice to help you enjoy this popular Berlin landmark.

How much does it cost to visit the East Side Gallery?

Often people ask what is the entrance price to visit the East Side Gallery. Well, luckily the cost to visit is zero – it’s free!

And it’s one of the most popular free things to do in Berlin.

East Side Gallery opening times

The East Side Gallery is outdoors with no barrier to entry, so you can visit any time day or night. However, it’s better enjoyed during daylight hours, and I recommend getting there early in the day to avoid crowds.

How long do you need at the East Side Gallery?

Since the East Side Gallery is less than a mile long, you can walk from one end to the other in about 20 minutes or less. But this doesn’t account for stopping to enjoy the artwork, which adds a significant amount of time.

Most people spend about one hour at the East Side Gallery. There’s a lot of art to see here, and while not each piece will grab you, you should take your time to really see as many of them as possible.

>>If you like street art, you might be interested in reading about the free Urban Nation street art museum in Berlin.

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East Side Gallery FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about visiting the East Side Gallery in Berlin.

How long is the East Side Gallery?

The East Side Gallery is 1.3km (0.8 mile) long.

Where is the East Side Gallery in Berlin?

The official address of the East Side Gallery is Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin, which is in the Friedrichshain district. Mühlenstraße parallels the Spree River.

The closest transport stations are Ostbahnhof train station, which you can reach by Sbahn, and S&U Warschauer Str, which you can reach by Sbahn, Ubahn lines U1 and U3, and the M10 and M13 trams.

Where does the East Side Gallery start and end?

One end of the East Side Gallery is near the intersection with Warschauer Str, and the other end is near the Ostbahnhof train station. To see the East Side Gallery, you can start from either end and walk down the street towards the other end.

Is East Side Gallery free?

Yes, the East Side Gallery is free. You do not need any tickets to visit.

Is the East Side Gallery worth visiting?

Yes, the East Side Gallery is absolutely worth visiting. The artwork is creative and interesting to see, and since the Berlin Wall was such a big part of Berlin’s past, it’s worth seeing some of the sections that are still standing.

>>Read: Is Berlin Worth Visiting? 23 Reasons to Visit Berlin

Why is the East Side Gallery famous?

The East Side Gallery is famous for several reasons. Mostly it’s famous because of the many creative pieces of art that are painted on it.

It’s also famous for being the longest section of the Berlin Wall that still stands today. It’s a huge piece of history, and decades later, it still has an important message.

Is the East Side Gallery the original Berlin Wall?

Yes, the artwork is painted on original pieces of the Berlin Wall. However, they were painted after the Wall started to fall around the city, not during the time when Berlin was divided.

Things to do near the East Side Gallery

If you’re interested in spending more time in this area, there are lots of other things to do near the East Side Gallery. And besides the things I’ve listed below, you’ll have easy access to public transport, so you can get to another part of the city to see more of the top sights in Berlin.

The Wall Museum by the East Side Gallery

Near the southern end of the East Side Gallery is a museum focused on the history of the Berlin Wall. Here you can see exhibits about the beginning phases of the Wall, the death zone, how the Wall effected people’s lives and more.

The museum also honors those who died at the Wall between August 13, 1961 and November 9, 1989.

Oberbaumbrücke

Oberbaumbrücke, or Oberbaum Bridge, was built as a simple wooden bridge in the early 1700s. The fancier version you’ll see today was built in the late 1800s.

The bridge crosses the Spree River and connects the Berlin districts of Friedrichshain (former East) and Kreuzberg (former West), giving it an important position during the Cold War. Though it was damaged during World War II, the bridge was repaired enough to be used as a pedestrian crossing between East and West Berlin.

A few years after the Wall fell, the bridge was fully repaired and is used by cars, pedestrians, and the U1 and U3 Ubahn lines.

RAW-Gelände and Urban Spree

A few minutes north of the Warschauer Str station, turn right just before Revaler Str. This area is a great place to look for street art in Berlin, and offers a glimpse into the alternative artsy scene that Friedrichshain is known for.

You’ll find beer gardens, snack stands, night clubs, an art gallery focused on street art, a weekly flea market, and more. It stretches for several street lengths along Revaler Str, with the train tracks on the other side.

Boxhagener Platz

If you’re visiting on the weekend, Boxhagener Platz holds a great fresh market on Saturdays and a fun flea market on Sundays. On other days, it’s a nice grassy park to relax in.

You’ll also find lots of good (and some not so good) restaurants, cafes, and bars in the Boxhagener area. And if you like shopping, there are lots of interesting boutiques and second hand stores in this areas.

Karl Marx Allee and Frankfurter Tor

Not far from the East Side Gallery and the Boxhagener area is Frankfurter Tor. This was once the location of a city gate, but today two impressive towers stand here.

The buildings along Karl Marx Allee, and for one block along Frankfurter Allee, were built during the Cold War in a very Soviet style of architecture. They have protection status, and they’re a unique group of buildings in Berlin stretching for a couple of kilometers.

Restaurants near the East Side Gallery

After spending some time checking out the East Side Gallery, you might be hungry for a snack or a meal. Here are a few suggestions for places to eat near the East Side Gallery.

Mercedes Benz Arena and East Side Mall: These two places are near the East Side Gallery, and you’ll find lots of places to eat there, whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a sit down meal. There are quite a few chain restaurants, like Five Guys, Tony Roma’s, and Einstein Kaffee.

You’ll also find a few of Berlin’s rooftop bars here. The views of the city and the river can’t be beat.

Seoulkitchen: This is a decent Korean restaurant on Warschauer Str not far from the East Side Gallery.

Döner: There are several Döner stands within a few minutes of the East Side Gallery, and they make for a great meal that’s quick, inexpensive, and something you should really try at least once while you’re in Berlin. I haven’t tried the ones right near the East Side Gallery, but a short walk up Warschauer Str is Mustafa Demir’s Retro Döner Kebap, and they are tasty.

>>Read: 51 Tasty German Foods to Try: What to Eat in Germany

Matanga: This is a Spanish and Latin American restaurant near East Side Gallery that serves empanadas, meat and vegan dishes, and wonderful cocktails.

Chipi Chipi Bombon: If you’re visiting Berlin during a warm time of year, ice cream might be just the trick. Chipi Chipi Bombon has some of the best ice cream in Berlin, and I highly recommend it. Try the Dulce de Leche.

Shakespeare & Sons: This is both a bookstore with English language books and a bagel shop with tasty bagels and bagel sandwiches.

Brammibal’s Donuts: For an elaborate tasty treat that’s also vegan, check out Brammibal’s Donuts, a Berlin chain with quite a fan base.

Mutzenbacher: For a nice dinner near East Side Gallery, I recommend Mutzenbacher, an Austrian restaurant just a few blocks away. Be sure to reserve a table, especially on weekends, because it’s a small restaurant.

Boxhagener area: If you wander up to Simon Dach Strasse and the other streets near Boxhagener Platz, you’ll find plenty of choices for food. Places with all night happy hours and cheap cocktails probably don’t have the best food, but there are a lot of other great options in this area.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to visiting the East Side Gallery in Berlin is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!