The Streets of Berlin

Visiting the German capital on a Vespa, in search of the best street-art corners, liveliest districts, museums and trendy clubs.

Duration: 3 days of pure art
Itinerary: through the Berlin streets with a stop at Lake Tegel, 72 kilometers total
Equipment: comfortable clothing, a windbreaker or raincoat, sunglasses

If you imagine Berlin as a canvas, its inhabitants become artists who continue to enrich it with all their creativity every single day. It is a vibrant city, constantly renewing itself. Along its avenues, there are not only the traces of the events that marked the past century, but also a lot of art – street art in particular. Choosing a spring weekend around late May is probably the best way to spend three days in search of street art corners less frequented by tourists... Of course, getting around on your Vespa, the inevitable adventure companion.

After enjoying a quiet breakfast in the lounge of the hotel, the Motel One, close to the historic Spittelmarkt, it will be time to begin your journey. The temperature may not be very high, but the sun and blue sky above will promise a great day. For your first stop, move towards the District of Schöneberg, the location of the Urban Nation Museum – the new Museum totally devoted to street art. The Urban Nation Association has been transforming Berlin into a giant outdoor gallery since 2013 and since the autumn of 2017, it has had its headquarters here. So, your day can only start from here!

Take the entire morning to visit it and then guide your Vespa to the huge Tiergarten gardens for al fresco dining at the Cafe am Neuen See, a real gem hidden in the greenery. The day will get warmer and the peacefulness of the park is irresistible. Then move to the second leg of your artistic tour: C/O Berlin in the beautiful Amerika Haus. Built in 1956 for the occasion of the International Building Fair according to the plans of architect Bruno Grimmek, the building was a cultural and information center for all Berliners until 2006. For a little over 2 years, it’s been hosting C/O Berlin, a non-profit foundation for art and photography. Park your Vespa outside and head inside to decide on an exhibition to visit.

As the day draws to a close, there should still be time to take to the avenues along the Landwehrkanal and arrive at number 7 Wilhelmstrasse. Park and move toward the apartment complex. At the back of the building hides an extraordinary mural worth checking out. Take some time to decide where to spend the evening and then let yourselves be guided by the Vespa further south in Neukölln, to the Klunkerkranich. To find this nightlife hotspot, you need to enter the Postbank or Bibliothek, take the elevator to the fifth floor, exit and walk towards the parking ramp on the sixth floor. You will never expect to find a 2,500-square-meter rooftop with a bar, garden and – above all – an exceptional view over Berlin. Spend the night sipping drinks and listening to live music and performances by local artists; It’s heaven on earth.

Your second day in Berlin is dedicated to art once again. Go towards Urban Spree without forgetting to stop and take some creative snaps of Berlin from the Oberbaumbrücke bridge. Urban Spree is an art space in the Friedrichshain district, dedicated to urban cultures, and hosts exhibitions, artists, concerts, an art shop and large beer garden. Once inside, spend several hours in the Urban Spree Galerie, a completely independent space, focused on contemporary art with over 400 square meters available for emerging talent. Get a quick espresso at Cafe Cinema but nothing more, because it will already be time to hop back on  your Vespa and go and discover an amazing part of the city: the East Side Gallery, a piece of the Berlin wall that divided East Berlin from West Berlin and remains the world's longest open-air gallery.

Drive along it for a while, then walk. The murals here seem even more meaningful and richer in memories. This part of Berlin will leave you – perhaps more than others – speechless. It will take a few more kilometers on your Vespa to get to the Lichtenberg borough, where there are the most daring, vibrantly coloured and wild murals. One of the most impressive ones is housed in an abandoned swimming pool near the former headquarters of the Stasi. In the afternoon, drive to the Mitte district, the heart of the city, and skirt the tracks along the Dircksenstrasse, known as one of the best places to find street art in Berlin. You will get to the Haus Schwarzenberg, another alternative space tucked away in a courtyard, which has a coffee shop, an independent Cinema and many exhibitions. Art can be felt in every corner of this city.

For your last day in Berlin, some warm sun peeping through the clouds, dissolving them completely would be ideal. Spend the day outdoors in the beautiful destination of Lake Tegel. Get on your Vespa and drive for about half an hour north, until you reach the Berlinerstrasse. From there, continue towards the Art-Park Tegel. Several murals are here – still curated by the Urban Nation – and offer splendid examples of street art that were able to revitalize an area otherwise lacking in interest. A little further on, leaving the Vespa behind, you will find the perfect lawn to improvise a picnic... A currywurst-based picnic, of course.