East Side Gallery is quite possibly the most dispiriting art showcase mankind has ever produced. If you like art, the chances are that you've seen much better. There is nothing stunning or spectacular here. I expected much more from a place that is said to be one of the must see art exhibits in the city. Eek! Methinks not. Berlin City PLC bizarrely and quite possibly unlawfully promotes itself as an arts capital on par with NYC and London. Consequently, it is an unpleasant shock to find that the reality is in stark contrast to the misleading status: Berlin is actually more of a backpacker and stag haven for 24/7 ravers and clubbers; it has very little to offer in terms of art and culture - except graffiti on walls and a few small areas within the city offering a few uninspiring art galleries. ESG does not make up for the disappointment of a falsely alleged art scene, which indeed is total nonsense, delusional and a complete and utter misconception to draw tourism. If East Side is one of the best art destinations in Berlin, I'm Andy Warhol reincarnated. I do not consider a mishmash of tourist gimmicks to be genuine art (i.e, painting The Berlin Wall with bog standard illustrations at the request of the city tourism strategists). It also seemed to me that these illustrations were entirely contrived, but none of them actually that good. I've seen better art in bar toilets and I suspect that you have if you've been out lately. The messages behind the art were also contrived and that lead me to the nearest coffee outlet. Playing on the history with messages relating to Syria is just crass, obvious and tacky. Thankfully, I found a decent place to eat and a great bar later that evening, just so that I could get drunk and forget about the shock horror of an invisible thriving art community coupled with an art exhibit for hermits. Frankly speaking, you are better off travelling to the outskirts of Berlin whereby you will find untouched artefacts from the wall - including tunnels that give you a real sense of its history, but the tourist office doesn't want you to know about this or allow you to venture away from spending money in the tourist shop central economy. Seriously, there is nothing creative about a concrete slab that has been legally vandalised for the sake of tourism promotion, it really is worth going the extra mile. Perhaps my review may seem a little harsh, but overall Berlin totally disappointed me; it really it doesn't offer anything that it promotes itself as offering. I felt really let down, especially having visited the city with the promise of being a cutting edge destination for art and culture, which is what inspired me to go in the first place. East Side Gallery was the straw that broke the camel's back. In summary, East Side Gallery is an alternate dimension of trash, within a galaxy of nonsense. It will have you alternating between rage, bewilderment and distress. read more

Easy to get to. Overwhelming experience to think in my lifetime this has existed in a developed country. I think Germany has done a nice job of preserving sections and history of this time. I didn't really know what to expect, then you pull up to it and see that a wall can be so symbolic. The artists from all over the world have done a nice job of articulating events, timeframes and thoughts. I urge you to brush up on the history prior to your arrival, the experience will be that much greater. read more

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There isn't a good reason not to see this if you are in Berlin. It is free, it is walkable, and such a huge piece of history that is so relevant again today. I would recommend going early -- we arrived around 8:30 am and there were only a handful of other people so it was clear for photos. However, we walked back the other way around 9:30-10:00 and there were huge groups of students and others now idling by the more popular pieces. It is unfortunate that many sections are gated off due to the number of people that graffiti over them. read more

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This place is beautiful. Got chills when I arrived and to be able to walk on both sides. We even got passport stamped for 1 euro. We're coming from a country where we want to build a wall and visiting a place where they took down the wall. read more

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One of my favorite things in Berlin and one of the greatest community art projects of all time. I love how they took something that was so ugly and heavy and turned it into a wonderfully beautiful piece of art, even if some of artwork has serious commentary on the situation. I also love that they continue to update it. I visited East Side Gallery in 2008 and recently again in 2012 and I got to see two entirely different things. An absolute MUST MUST SEE! It's also beautifully located on the water. read more

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Walking along the wall admiring the beautiful art is a nice way to spend a couple hours. read more

East Side Gallery - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Berlin, BE

This is definitely a must see when visiting Berlin. I was really exciting to come here and finally see it for myself. Some of the artwork was great and the messages are ever relevant. As usual, there were a number of other tourists, so plan accordingly. I think it is still going through even if it is crowded. The area is so interesting and there is much to see here. read more

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Like others have said, this is a big stretch of wall with lots and lots of murals painted on it... and lots and lots of graffiti over it, unfortunately. It's still really cool to see - I walked the whole thing because it had been such a pain to get there (though it doesn't have to be - don't walk from Markthalle Neun like I did, it's kind of far! Go to Ostbahnhof instead.) read more

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Beautiful art on the biggest part of the Berlin Wall. There is a chunk that was moved to allow the O2 is still there, just behind it. read more

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I am a lover of all things street art and this is just about as good as it gets. Famous, incredibly talented work. Intelligent. Political. Inspiring. The East Side Gallery is all of the above. Of all the "staple" Berlin landmarks I went to, this was my favorite. It's a good walk from Mitte and it's nearly as crowded as Check Point Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. Also, this is how I found the reggae/hip hop club Yaam, while walking to ESG. I recommend walking along the canal from the north to get down to the East Side Gallery. It's a bit of a walk from the Berliner Dom, but well worth it. As you walk from N to S along the wall, at the southern end, you will get to the Oberbaumbrucke which is the famous prisoner exchange bridge. When you cross over the bridge, you will be in a youth/artist neighborhood. The street art, graffiti and food in this area is not to be missed. For the New Yorkers out there, this area of Berlin is equivalent to the East Village or Lower East Side. read more

A MUST when visiting the city. A mixture of Art, history, culture and nostalgia. Not much more I can add. Stunning. read more

A very Berlin thing to do with fragments of the wall! We enjoyed our walk down the gallery very much but I was expecting it to be much more like a park. One side is bordered by a park and the other side is bordered by a very busy street. read more

East Side Gallery - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Berlin, BE

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A beautiful piece of history that you must see on your visit to Berlin. A little emotional... It's awesome when something so ugly can be transformed to such a masterpiece of joy. read more

One can only say 'Cool!' when you see the expansive relocated portion of the original wall along the riverside. Various artists around the world paint the wall in an ever changing gallery. It is a pleasant walk and lots to photograph.It is a selfie dream come true. read more

I visited Berlin just before communism fell. It was so modern on the west side while the east side was so desolate except for the government buildings/properties. I was so amazed to see every single taxi was a Mercedes Benz! read more

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This is such a no-brainer, but I had to add my 2 cents. If you go to Berlin and don't stop by the East Side Gallery, you've failed. Not only the largest piece of the wall, but it's covered in awesome graffiti. read more

This is the largest outdoor gallery in the world. Its definitely a must c when u r in Berlin.....

A running segment of the hideous Wall that came down in 1989. Commissioned artists transform the bleak history that divided East from West, with their own visions and admonitions about repeating history. Not to be missed. read more

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Great place to see! I love the art and the message found in the paintings. If you want a first look into German history, this is a good place to start. read more

Very somber and stunning exhibit. I wish more Berlin Wall History was taught in North American Schools. Then we wouldn't all be standing around exclaiming "Gee, it sure is a large piece of wall graffiti!" read more

If making a trip to Berlin, the East Side Gallery is a must see. It's a little separate from the other main attractions of the city but it is worth it. The murals are worth your time. On my visit we spent at least an hour walking along the wall and looking at all of the art, and I could have stayed longer. There is so much history to see there are also some other places in the area to eat or grab a drink when you are done! read more

You need to visit this. A place full of history, perfect when there is sun outside. The different paintings on the wall are really great to look at, mostly because there are various styles and interesting messages conveyed through them. The only downside was the strong presence of graffitis and small writings made by other people on top of those drawings. I wish people would stop doing that! read more

I recently went to the Berlin Wall with high hopes of beautiful art and plenty of Smirnoff Ice. Unfortunately, I was only greeted with one of the two. The art was spectacular but there was not a Smirnoff ice to be found. I highly recommend that this issue is fixed immediately and I will happily give the wall the 5 star rating it deserves. -Concerned Icetrepreneur Follow @iceysights on instagram for the answer read more

The Berlin Wall was amazing, however, the lack of Smirnoff Ice was ridiculous. I will be giving the wall 4 stars with the hope that Berlin will up its ice game. The artwork was beautiful but I hated not being able to drink my favorite drank while walking along the wall. This problem is getting out of hand. If someone has any idea how to fix this, I would love to hear it. -Concerned Iceaholic read more

We actually ended up at the East Side Gallery on our first night by accident walking from Kruezberg to Strausberger Platz (I couldn't really tell on a map how far it was!). We didn't really stop to appreciate it but it was nice to be able to see the wall without lots of people around. We returned during the day on a Thursday and it was a lot busier and generally would've been quite hard to take good photos if we wanted. I agree with Austen M's review - this is a must-see while in Berlin, but it's also disappointing to see just how much graffiti is on the wall. Why would you visit a historically important site and feel the need to write your name or some rubbish motto on it? That frustrated me a little bit as the artwork is so interesting and I think the impact is lost a little with the graffiti on it. We didn't walk the whole wall this time, just a really short section up to the gift shop and then back again. This area has quite a touristy vibe and so isn't really all that enjoyable other than just a short visit. read more

A lot of history in an outdoor exposure. You can follow the footsteps of fugitives, see the remnants of the famous Berlin wall and read/see/hear testimonies. Breathtaking! read more

So glad that at least some sporadic chunks of the Berlin Wall didn't fall prey to destruction! I truly commend those who had the foresight to save a part of this gigantic barrier that has now somehow turned into a splendid work of art over the years. The East Side Gallery (about a kilometre-long stretch with, you guessed it, parts of the Berlin Wall) is a must-see when in Berlin. My friend and I meandered here at the end of a day spent walking for hours and hours (hey, it's the best way to see a city!), and it was a fantastic last thing to do before heading homewards for dinner. This was definitely a highlight of my time in Berlin. read more

East Side Gallery is a little bit of a trek from central Berlin but come on - you have to go and see the remains. Take some pics with the art along the walls, there's definitely interesting pictures. TIP: Bring a sharpie - you will be able to write your name and a message on a part of the wall and be tattooed on this historical site forever! read more

I must admit I was very disappointed when I visited the East Side Gallery. Two thirds of the Wall was covered by scaffolding/fencing. Only a small portion of the Wall was uncovered. While I understand this is to discourage people from writing/painting on the murals, it was still disappointing. Despite this complaint, I still highly recommend visiting the Berlin Wall. I also recommend taking a tour to learn about the history of the city first, so when you get to the Wall, you can fully appreciate the significance of it. read more

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Loved the East Side Gallery. The art was really well done and there were a lot of political themes (duh). What was once a symbol of division is now a representation of cultures working together toward a positive future. Definitely something worth seeing on a sunny day. Be warned that if you do the length of the wall, there's not much to do if you want to take a break, so bring some water and a camera! read more

It's not in a pretty part of the city. In fact the area is quite run down. But you simply must experience the Berlin Wall for yourself because it is a part of history. The murals and graffiti are creative and fun to look at. Some are down right awesome. This is a must while in Berlin. read more

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Definitely a must see when you're in town in Berlin. It's just a short walk away from the u-bahn/s-bahn station. It's a good 4-5 block walk of various artists that painted a relocated section of the Berlin wall. Unfortunately a bunch of people have come by over the years and tagged the original artwork but it's still worth to take a look. Also its a great piece of history and costs ZERO Euros! read more

It's free! It's history! The artwork is incredible! You can get your passport stamped at the gift shop for only 1 Euro. I went on a Monday and Tuesday and it was virtually empty. So glad I had the opportunity to check this out! The only downside is what everyone else says - scribblings over the art. read more

This is the best preserved remaining of the Berlin Wall. This is definitely a must visit in Berlin. There are so much history, emotion and hopes expressed on these walls. If you like immersing yourself in this kind of place, do allow plenty of time to spend with good walking shoes. We got there late afternoon and only really had one hour or so before it got too dark to enjoy. read more

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Incredible history. It's a strange feeling that you get when you see and are near such historic places. There are many stories on the many people shot and drown trying to cross the river. There is seating area on the east side next to the river. Busy street on the other side. Metro conveniently located nearby. Just take a minute and take it all in. Be respectful. read more

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I think like visitors feel some obligation to see the longest stretch of remaining wall. However, I do not enjoy this graffiti covered monument. There isn't enough space on the sidewalk to take pictures, even if there was, there are far too many people. You walk along the wall from Warschauer Str and there isn't anything at the other end, you just have to walk back. I'm always disappointed. read more

Trawling through George123's reviews of his recent trip to Berlin, I found this place, with some telling remarks by Mark Ritchie and DrO2e about the street art. Dramatic, poignant and wonderful though it is, the down side is that the City of Berlin seems to be plagued by graffiti merchants, spawned possibly by the genuinely artistic efforts to be found at this historic site. During a trip to Berlin in Spring 2007, I found myself being disappointed at almost every turn by the rubbish that had been daubed on innocent, undeserving buildings everywhere. Here, I've downloaded a few shots I took. Make what you will of it.. read more

You can't come to Berlin and not visit the East Side Gallery. A tangible piece of history that you can reach out and touch, with some fantastically poignant and well presented art. For free! read more

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Cool place very interesting, lots of what seems to be commissioned street art, very unique and interesting Nice to take a quick stroll along, along side some river , good history read more

Turning something that split their nation into a beautiful piece of art, the German's have created one of my favourite sights. The remains of the Berlin Wall are covered in moving, thought-provoking, sometimes even funny graffiti. Actually, the word 'graffiti' often has a negative connotation - this is art, pure and simple. I loved taking it all in, thinking about what the people must have been thinking, feeling, experiencing, to have created these works. It is somewhat interactive as well, as people (me included) love posing for photos with their favourite pieces. My only complaint is that it would be nice to have a little more room, as there is a busy road right next to the path you walk along. A minor issue, however. Make sure you don't miss this, you will regret it if you do. read more