Berliners pioneered the use of graffiti as protest when they started spray-painting the Western side of the Berlin Wall – subverting the most brutal symbol of the Cold War with messages of resistance, compassion and hope. The street art scene then exploded after the Wall fell, as young people, punks and artists reclaimed and reappropriated empty buildings in the former East. These days the city is famed as much for the art you find on the streets as the art present in its galleries. This 3-hour walking tour gives you the low-down on Berlin’s Street Art scene – the history, the movers and shakers, and their motivations – and also addresses other contemporary cultural concerns in the city. We stay at the cutting edge, and thus our route changes with the scene. What follows is an overview of what to expect during your experience, not a set itinerary.

You will spend some time exploring some enduring graffiti spots in the city centre before travelling to some of Berlin’s more bohemian districts.

You will explore streets off the beaten track, hidden and reappropriated urban space, and see both murals that sprawl across the sides of entire buildings and smaller, clandestine tags. Your guide will talk about different forms and media falling under the label of Street Art, and discuss the origins of protest in areas like Kreuzberg. You’ll visit one of Berlin’s enduring squats – descendants of the legendary centres of counterculture in the ‘90s – and discuss red-hot topics for today’s Berlin, such as gentrification and the influx of refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Africa.