Europe, with its many ancient and vibrant cities provides endless opportunities for photographers to capture unique and often stunning images of world renowned street art. With it being close to holiday time here are some of our favourite European cities that are particularly renowned for their street art:
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is widely considered to be the street art capital of the world, with its long history of street art dating back to more politically turbulent times in the 1980s. The bold, vibrant, provoking and often politically charged street art has become part of the fabric of many areas of the city. A notable mention is Teufelsberg, which is just outside Berlin and a must-see for photographers and art enthusiasts. Teufelsberg was the site of the post war presence of the major Western powers in West Berlin and was used as a listening station into the secretive East German territory. It was abandoned and left to decay, but has been taken over by a loose collective of artists. Today, Teufelsberg is known for its massive collection of colourful and surreal graffiti and street art, which covers the abandoned structures.
"Teufelsberg graffiti" by Matt Biddulph is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 
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Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon, a historic and stunningly beautiful city with a sort of faded glory also has a thriving street art scene. You can find a mixture of large scale and smaller, hidden examples throughout this complex city, with its winding alleys and hidden gems. There are also many examples of religious plaques and depictions on houses in the older areas of the city, which could also be considered street art. Lisbon is often celebrated through its murals, with the history and culture of the city featuring strongly.
Athens, Greece
Athens, the capital city of an ancient world, now has a growing street art scene which is not surprisingly influenced by its own history and mythology. Ancient Greek gods and goddesses feature heavily, while political and social commentary also feature.
London, UK
London, as always is a creative hub, and is home to a diverse, evolving street art scene, featuring everything from large murals to smaller, more subtle pieces. Even alleys and laneways can reveal these smaller hidden gems. Banksy, the legendary, secretive street artist, calls London home, and in 2008 organised the ‘Cans Festival, a high profile street art event and exhibition.
Barcelona, Spain
Nowhere in Europe has a more vibrant and colourful street art scene than Barcelona. The sunny, beautiful destination city of choice for many Europeans is known for its unique and colourful street art, unafraid of bold colours and graphic, cartoon-like imagery. Catalan culture and identity (the region of Spain of which Barcelona is the capital) features heavily, with strong political commentary, given the tensions between this strongly independent region and the Spanish capital.
"barcelona street art" by the euskadi 11 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .
(As with photographing any artwork always be aware of the artists copyright. If you have included someone's work in your photo be sure to credit all artists!)