Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge: you ticked those off on your first visit to London. This street art tour takes you somewhere else: to the creative, alternative East London around Brick Lane. Colorful, raw, honest – and completely in German.
We meet at Beigel Bake, the most famous bagel bakery in the city. It has been open 24/7 for decades, the decor has remained practically unchanged since then, and at four o'clock in the morning, night owls stand next to taxi drivers in front of the counter.
From there, we'll walk into Brick Lane. The street doesn't make it easy: It's loud, crowded, and quite run-down in some corners. Anyone expecting Instagram perfection here is mistaken. But that's exactly what makes it one of the few places in London that hasn't been spruced up for visitors.
I'll tell you why so many of Banksy's works have disappeared and what happens when a Banksy suddenly appears on the side of a building. And with a little luck, we'll see a very recent one (I'm prepared for that).
Next, we'll head to Graffiti Alley. Here, art is layered upon art, layer upon layer. What you see today may be painted over in two weeks – that's why this tour looks a little different for each group.
The Old Truman Brewery was once the largest brewery in London. Today, designers, photographers and start-ups work in the old brewhouses. Right next door is the Upmarket Food Hall: Ethiopian stews next to Venezuelan arepas next to Japanese pancakes, with steam and quite a lot of bustle in between. Across the street, the Brick Lane Vintage Market is worth a visit – leather jackets, band shirts, furniture, and stuff from four decades.
In between, I'll show you the Tiny Art Gallery, the smallest gallery on Brick Lane. Most people walk past it without even noticing it.
Then it suddenly becomes quiet. In the side streets, there are Georgian houses with strikingly large windows under the roof – built by Huguenot silk weavers who found refuge here in the 18th century and needed light for their looms. A few steps further on is the Brick Lane Mosque. The building was first a Huguenot church, then a synagogue, and today it is a mosque. An old sundial hangs on the façade with the inscription "Umbra Sumus" – we are shadows. Hardly any building in London tells the story of the city's immigration more vividly.
To finish, we'll arrive at Spitalfields Market. Today, designer stalls, vintage dealers, and street food are located under the Victorian steel structure – and the view through the hall is perhaps the best photo spot on the entire tour.
I'll adjust the pace so that you feel comfortable. There is always time for photos and questions along the way.
