Berlin

Berlin is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. A vast and diverse set of gay scenes, thoughtful civic amenities and tourist-friendly pricing make Germany’s capital a popular destination. The city is a mecca, and not only for gay people. Berlin also boasts an openly gay mayor, Klaus Wowereit, elected in 2001, now in his second term.

Prices here are reasonable compared to other European capitals, and people from other EU countries and beyond are still flocking in, creating an ever-more-cosmopolitan ambiance. English is firmly established as the second language of most people, especially in the west, so English-only tourists will have little trouble communicating.

Berlin’s — and the country’s — most notable monument is the Brandenburg Gate. Restored over a two-year period, starting in 2000, this iconic structure, located west of the city centre, served as the entrance to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. The square immediately behind, Pariser Platz, is home to embassies and the luxurious Hotel Adlon Kempinski, which offers a two-star Michelin restaurant, a luxury spa and an outdoor terrace overlooking the gate. Sunday brunch is a sublime culinary experience.

Located in the middle of the Spree River, which flows through the city center, is the famous Museum Island, consisting of five internationally significant museums: the Old Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum, the New Museum and the Pergamon Museum. The entire complex, worth a trip for the buildings themselves, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Once you get through the extensive collections, or if you need to rest, you can escape by way of the charming cobblestone paths to the island’s hidden gardens, quality restaurants and boutiques to recharge.

Look no further than KaDeWe for your shopping pleasure. Located in the city center, close to the Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station, KaDeWe is Continental Europe’s largest department store. In addition to the usual retail departments, the upper floors offer a wide variety of gourmet foods and tempting buffet selections to tuck into. The surrounding area features an array of exquisite shops, wonderful restaurants and quaint parkettes. Other shopping districts include Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse, Hackescher Markt, Kurfürstendamm, Tauentzienstrasse, Spandau Old Town, Schlossstrasse and Schönhauser Allee. Flea markets are also very popular and can be found throughout the city.

Gay life is easily found in the Schöneberg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, and Prenzlauer Berg neighborhoods. Best known to tourists are the quiet tree-lined streets of Schöneberg, a little south of the area between Wittenbergplatz and Nollendorfplatz U-Bahn stations. It has a well-established, multifaceted gay community, and you’ll often see same-sex affection and leathermen in full regalia alongside families and kids on bikes. It is also the location of the big summer street events: the Stadtfest lesbian and gay festival and the Christopher Street Day celebrations.

Many of the gay bars, clubs and shops are located in Schöneberg. Christopher Isherwood, who wrote so evocatively of Berlin, lived in this neighborhood (at Nollendorfstrasse 17) more than 70 years ago. As in other German cities, the straight folks blend right in. A few minutes’ walk from Nollendorfplatz station Mann-O-Meter is a queer community center with information on gay Berlin.

The U-Bahn (U2) will take you from Schöneberg to Eberswalder Strasse and Schönhauser Allee stations, in what was once East Berlin. Around and between the two stations, the Prenzlauer Berg district is full of interesting sights. East German gay society emerged from an alternative art and political milieu, which came of age under the old regime behind the wall. The district retains, almost a generation later, a distinct appearance and atmosphere from that of the former West Berlin. There are gay sex shops, saunas, restaurants and bars here, but gay sensibilities and perspectives owe less to American and Western European models than to their own historical roots.

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain districts also have an alternative feel and are growing in popularity with gay people looking for lower housing prices and a more multicultural mix. Some of the biggest dance clubs are located here, along with plenty of small neighborhood party bars and men's haunts, including the most recent sauna opening.

There are many beautiful parks scattered throughout Berlin, not least the cruisy Tiergarten, where one can enjoy the summer sunshine without a stitch on and raise nary an eyebrow — not surprising in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. There’s a network of public swimming pools with saunas, water cascades, and wave makers. In winter they provide a warm and cozy indoor retreat. In summer, open-air pools and lakes offer relief from hot weather. For info on pools see Berliner Bäder. For nudist-friendly times at the pools, look for the “FKK” designation.

 

Getting Here

The two Berlin airports Schönefeld and Tegel will soon be replaced by Berlin Brandenburg, beside where Schönefeld is now, starting in March 2013 (delayed from previously announced June 2012 date). See Berlin Airports  for information.  In the meantime there is easy and inexpensive public transit access from Schönefeld by S-Bahn (S9) into town, or to switch to the U-Bahn for your final destination. From Tegel there are buses direct to Zoo Station (routes X29 or 109). Tickets can be good for transfers to a train, tram or bus.

Long-distance rail lines connect Berlin with all of major German cities and many more in neighboring countries. Regional rail lines provide access to the surrounding regions of Brandenburg and to the Baltic Sea. From Hauptbahnhof, Berlin's main station, Deutsche Bahn operates trains to domestic and international destinations.

 

Getting Around

The S- and U-Bahn public transit networks are part of a unified fare system, but with different operators. Run by DB, the S-Bahn has 15 lines across and around Berlin. Along with the mostly underground U-Bahn trains of BVG, (also with buses and trams), they form the backbone of Berlin's public transit system.

Full single trip fares cost €2.40. Pay in machines (look for English instructions) on the platform or at station kiosks. Validate your ticket in one of the little yellow boxes nearby, before boarding the train, and hold it until leaving the system in case you're asked to show it. Tickets are good for two hours on any train and/or bus combination (except round-trips). Day tickets are €6.50 - good until 3am the day after you first use the ticket. See Visit Berlin for more information.

The Welcome Card premium ticket provides unlimited travel for 48 hours (€18.50), 72 hours (€24.50) or 5 days (€31.50) with all public transport services in the city (AB zones), plus up to 50% discounts on 200 tourist highlights. 

Berlin, with a system of roughly 620km of bike lanes, has about half a million daily bike riders. Bike rentals run around €8-10 per day from shops and hotels all over town. One of the big outifts, with a choice of 6 models, BerlinBke rents for €10/day or €50/week. If you need someone else to do the work, see the guys with pedi-cabs at BikeTaxi. Their website is German-only, but you can usually see one waiting at places like Potsdammer Platz or Checkpoint Charlie.

 

Media & Resources

Local gay magazines such as Siegessaeule  (their Out In Berlin website has an English option), and Blu, have maps, business and events listings along with articles and photos of the scene here. Box Magazine for leather/fetish men and bears, Du&Ich, a national gay glossy, and L.Mag, for lesbians, are another three resources. 

Disco Damaged website has up-to-date nightly gay bar events, and upcoming party listings, in English.

Manometer (Bülowstrasse 106), is the local GLBT community, health and information center, at Nollendorfplatz U-Bahn station.

Tip Magazine lists all the city nightlife, concerts, films, television and events each week, in their print and online versions.

Good Food in Berlin is an English-language restaurant guide to the city. Gastroshot and GastronomieGuide have A-Z listings of restaurants in Berlin and other cities, in German.

Visit Berlin is the official city tourism site, with lots of information, in a dozen languages. The official BerlinCity site also has an introduction and a guide to the city, in eight languages.

For locations and website links to businesses listed below, see our Berlin gay map & listings pages.

 

Lodgings 


Art Hotel Connection (Fuggerstrasse 33), above Prinzknecht and Connection clubs, is minutes walk from Wittenbergplatz and other neighborhood bars. They have 15 newly renovated rooms, wide-screen televisions, DVD-players, laptop safes, Wi-Fi andiPhone docking stations. 
Breakfast is served on request 8am-4pm. For those a little kinkier they rent a toy-filled SM playroom.

For the upscale gay traveler, the elegant, stylish and comfortable Axel Hotel Berlin (Lietzenburger Strasse 13/15) is close to everything in the Shöneberg area.

Gay-owned, straight-friendly, the Arco Hotel (Geisbergstrasse 30) turn-of-the-century building has 23 rooms with private baths or showers, phone, and cable TV, near the gay hangouts, the famous Ku'damm, and Wittenbergplatz. Rates are moderate and include breakfast buffet from 8-11am -- in the breakfast room or outside in the garden. For laptop luggers, there's Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and they'll rent you a machine if you're traveling light.


Gaybed (Perleberger Strasse 7), has rooms from €29 (single) and two apartments for rent a short hop on the U-bahn from
 the gay center.

RoB Berlin Leather Apartments (Fuggerstrasse 19), has private fetish playrooms, PCs, DVD players, and guest discounts at their leather store.

Tom's Hotel (Motzstrasse 19), at the heart of everything in Shöneberg, has single rooms from €79 and doubles from €99, all with TV, DVD player, free Wi-Fi, and private bathroom. They also have short-term rental apartments. Tim and Mario are wonderful hosts, and guests receive discounts from many local gay businesses.


Tom's Hotel Gay Hostel (Motzstrasse 28) has modern and immaculate single, double and shared rooms at the center of everything at fabulous rates from €22 per bed a night. Television, storage lockers, towel and linen, fridges, microwaves, free coffee and W-iFi are provided.

Schall Und Rauch (Gleimstrasse 23) just off Schönhauser Allee, Prenzlauer Berg is where many Brits and North Americans, curious about the old GDR and East Berlin like to stay for a taste of more laid-back lifestyles and youthful energy. 
An inexpensive pension of seven rooms, each with bathroom, shower, and internet access, they also have one of the area's hippest bars and restaurants street level (see below). City Guesthouse Pension (Gleimstrasse 24) is next door, with large comfortable rooms, all with TV and bath.


All the gay options full up? The family-run Ambiente Hotel (Gossowstrasse 11), the old-world style BB Hotel Berlin (Fuggerstrasse 13) and the Sachsenhof Hotel Berlin (Motzstrasse 7) are mixed but gay-friendly alternatives in Schöneberg, convenient to all the bars and restaurants.


See links for these and more hotels at our map & listings tab.

Ebab and RoomGallery both list GLBT-friendly accommodations in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany - book online too.

For those on tight budgets, or travelling in groups, HostelBookers lists of dozens of hostels with beds as low as €8 per night in 4 to 8-man dorms, private single rooms from around €20 (higher Fridays and Saturdays) and private doubles or quads for a bit more. Establishments range from small and homey, to alternative and funky, to huge ultra-modern complexes with bars, restaurants, movies and games rooms. Bathrooms and showers can be like those at the old YMCA, and the majority of guests are young men, but older people and women mix right in. Some places have female-only dorm options.

WG-Gesucht lists sublet apartments, a long-time rental tradition here for people who head out of town for weekends, weeks or sometimes months. Costs can usually beat the price of both hotels and hotels, and you have all the comforts of home. Pick up an inexpensive cell phone (about €20) to give out in your e-mail enquiries and make the search process easier (local incoming calls are free). 

The Kinky Tulip (Welserstrasse 24), leather-fetish guesthouse has closed.

 

Schöneberg
 - bars, cafes, & dining

Berliners party hard and late, and while many bars seldom get busy before midnight, some start earlier, building a crowd by eight or nine o'clock. But with no regulated times for bar closings there isn't a rush, so events 
can take their own course.


Café Adam (Kleiststraße 7), 24-hour gay cafe, bar, and guesthouse; summer patio cocktails and BBQ, TV sports and events, smokers area.

Cafe Berio (Maassenstrasse 7,  Nollendorfplatz), locals' favorite with sidewalk tables, see and be seen by passers-by any warm afternoon or evening over Ice cream, pastries or coffee. Breakfast is on 
the menu 8am through midnight.


Der Neue Oldtimer (Lietzenburger Strasse 12), locals' bar, regular mixed gay crowd, near Axis Hotel.

Die Kleine Philharmonie (Schaperstrasse 14, Wilmersdorf), neighborhood piano bar, jazz nights, vocalists, theater skits, writers' nights.

Fritz & Co., the rainbow-flag adorned stand for quick currywurst and french fries, by Wittenbergplatz U-bahn on the way to  Shöneberg.

Hafen (Motzstrasse 19), cavorting for years, good vibes from owners, staff
 and customers, easy conversations with strangers, wild DJs, drag shows, performances, games, and special events.

HarDie's Kneipe (Ansbacher Strasse 29), long-time locals' gay neighborhood bar.

Heile Welt (Motzstrasse 5), fun-loving and friendly crowd, cute bartenders are smiley and fluent with the fluids. Outdoor seating, weather-permitting. Busy front bar, upscale modern lounge extends far into rear. Wednesday through Sunday casual cruising.


Incognito (Hohenstaufenstrasse 53), small neighborhood gay locals' party bar.

K6 (Kleiststrasse 3-6), cheap drinks, laid-back old-fashioned vibe, older crowd.

More Cafe (Motzstrasse 28), restaurant and bar, busy afternoons and late into the evenings; creative and delicious breakfast, lunch, Sunday
 brunch buffet (10am to 4pm), and dinner daily. Well prepared, thoughtfully presented, generously portioned entrees. Long low center bar is perfect for leisurely afternoon chats over tea, coffee, or drinks, plus sidewalk tables heated on cooler days.

Nah-Bar (Kalckreuthstrasse 16), mixed cocktail bar, Irish coffee, cake, terrace, live music, cabaret shows.

Neues Ufer (Hauptstrasse 157), laid-back gay cafe/bar, from breakfast to late-night drinks.

Pizza Luna (Martin-Luther-Strasse 21), conveniently open until 4am weekends, great little pizza
 and pasta place on busy corner.

Pussy Cat (Kalckreuthstrasse 7), neighborhood women's bar.

Puff Bar (Kalckreuthstrasse 10), smoker's bar & cocktails lounge, clean modern decor, open until 4am on weekends.

Vielharmonie (Motzstrasse 8), gay and mixed crowd, cocktail and music bar; German, Asian and American buffets.

Windows (Martin-Luther-Strasse 22) bar and restaurant at the other end of Motzstrasse has local flair and home recipes.

 

Schöneberg
 - men's turf

Many are the opportunities for sex in Berlin clubs. Besides the video arcade options and backroom or cellar dark rooms, many bars and dance clubs have naked nights and sex parties to surprise and delight
 North Americans accustomed to more regulation. Sexual opportunities are so common as to be unremarkable here, and even in the kinkier, serious fetish venues, it's usually playful and casual.


Ajpnia (Eisenach Strasse 23) casual sex parties for regular guys, Wednesday - Saturdays, naked & pos nights.

Blue Boy (Eisenacher Strasse 3a), doorman to buzz-in, friendly mix of young and 
old of many backgrounds -- not just a pick up bar (that too) but a social hang-out.

Blond (Eisenacher Strasse 3a), bright open bar, sidewalk tables serving breakfast mornings 10am; cocktails afternoons and late into evening; free Wi-Fi too.


Böse Buben (Sachsendamm 76-77), butt-play sex club, spanking and naked parties, leather/fetish S/M.

Bull (Kleiststrasse 35) men-only afterhours fetish space (until 6am) Saturdays - Sundays. 

CDL Bar/Lounge Club (Hohenstaufen Strasse 58), men's sex club, naked, jock, and underwear nights, open-end nightly hours.

Connection (Fuggerstrasse 33), long-time gay-favorite dance and cruise club, recently remodeled, busy darkroom maze in the basement.

Eldorado (Motzstrasse 20), handy meeting place with long gay history, on busy corner, coffee or drinks, pool table and evening shows.


Hell (Lietzenburger Strasse 20b), wine bar/cafe, cocktails/home-baked cakes, sidewalk seats.

Jaxx (Motzstrasse 19), membership sex party club with a name that says it all, 
associated with Tom's Bar.

Maxxx (Fuggerstrasse 34), daytime cake & coffee, evening bears, leather & men's gathering spot. Closed for renovations November/December 2012, now reported open (but website down).

Mutschmann's (Martin-Luther-Strasse 19), serious leather-and-fetish men-only bar, has dedicated following. Large cruising area, late-night busy backroom; frequent naked sex parties. Wednesdays, no dress code 2-4-1 happy hour brings in a randy group of guys.
 

New Action (Kleiststrasse 35) attracts a kinky men-only crowd, action continues later than at most clubs.

Prinzknecht (Fuggerstrasse 33), sidewalk seating and indoor darkrooms, original art on the walls. Come sunset, Wednesday's two-for-one happy hour, 7-9pm, attracts nearly
overwhelming crowd that spills onto the street.

Reizbar (Motzstrasse 30) another men's cruise bar, making this busy corner even more interesting.

Scheune (Motzstrasse 25), longtime favorite for butch men and admirers. Leather and uniform, though popular, not strictly enforced. Cruisy video bar and downstairs darkroom. Naked safe-sex Sunday parties on Sundays, special events throughout the year.


Tabasco (Fuggerstrasse 3), self-proclaimed "hustler bar," pool games, heavy eye-contact. Friendly doorman keeps an eye on things to keep trouble away or arrange meetings for those too shy or without the language skills. Special events table dance strip shows, good weather sidewalk seating.


Tom's Bar (Motzstrasse 19), famous for their heavy darkroom action, has a cruisy vibe with hot videos firing up an already obviously horny crowd.


Touch (Courbièrestrasse 13), gay bar, nude male strippers, 2-man erotic shows, table dances, drag shows, show tunes nights. Was called Angels.

Pinocchio (Fuggerstrasse 3), cozy and sociable, sidewalk tables share some overflow from next door Tabasco.

Tramps (Eisenacher Strasse 6). neighborhood men's bar, early opening hours.

Woof (Fuggerstrasse 37) is home to the German Mr. Leather events, and pulls a good crowd of leather and fetish guys and bears most every night. Regular naked parties take place Thursdays and Sundays.

The two tubs on this side of town: Apollo Sauna Club Brasil (Kurfurstenstrasse 101) and Steam Sauna (Kurfurstenstrasse 113), each with all the amenities.


The Tiergarten (park) is not far away, and near the Siegessaeule (Victory Column) there's a legendary cruising spot. There's also action around the Lowenbrucke (Lion Bridge).


 

Schöneberg
 - shopping & services

Bodyworker (Nollendorfstrasse 26) offers man-to-man, hand's-on work with sensitive erotic techniques and tantric traditions; massage that's both turn-on and deeply relaxing physical therapy.

Boys-r-us ( Maassenstrasse 8), men's fashion store in Nollendorfplatz with all the top brand names.

Brunos (Bulowstrasse 106), a giant block-long store, one of several in Germany from the 
publishers of Spartacus travel guides and the Bruno Gmunder photo books, magazines, and calendars. They also carry porn DVDs, books, and magazines from far and wide. A second Bruno's Berlin store is in Prenzlauer
Berg (Schoenhauser Allee 131).


Centro Delfino (Nollendorfstrasse 20), relaxing physiotherapy, Swedish, Ayurveda, and Shiatsu procedures among others, classic whole-body oil massages.

Galerie Janssen (Pariser Strasse 45), men's gallery of imagery, large assortment of gay video DVDs, photo books, magazines, and cards spanning a wider and deeper range of male erotic themes than
 found most anywhere else -- from art to raunch, several eras, for many varied tastes.


Garage Store and Movies (Fuggerstrasse 33), leather ("hard and not-so-hard wear") clothing and accessories, plus flicks. Erotic video arcade of international porn movies, along with other diversions such as subterranean labyrinth, one of the best in the city, for rapid relief.


Gear (Kalckreuthstrasse 13) owner Rob and his staff are outgoing and helpful at this central, spacious, comfortable store. They stock an imaginative line of leather, rubber, and urban sports wear, footwear and accessories, plus cards and photo books.


Military Store (Eisenacher Strasse 114), military surplus store, provocative display windows, clothing, accessories, gear.

Mister B (Motzstrasse 22) -- the leather, rubber, and accessories store with roots in Amsterdam. From cockrings to leather chaps, all the famous, well-designed Mister B 
items, plus cards, videos, and magazines of interest, plus their own brand of lubes and slippery sex-enhancers. Sponsors of leather/fetish "Perverts" parties -- large affairs in big, crumbling industrial cast-off buildings twice a 
year. See Perverts, or stop by the Mister B store for tickets.

Prinz Eisenherz (Lietzenburger Strasse 9a), between Schöneberg bars and Wittenbergplatz, a large gay-and-lesbian bookstore with friendly, English-speaking employees. Find local gay press and maps, a large assortment of gay books of every kind, magazines, videos, postcards, and photography from world-over; including a good English section. Sit and relax awhile in the pleasant garden patio cafe.

RoB Berlin (Fuggerstrasse 19) is another Amsterdam transplant to Berlin with a store full of leather clothing and accessories and a helpful and engaging staff.


Nearby sex video arcades and sales outlets include: City Men (Fuggerstrasse 26), Duplexx (Martin-Luther-Strasse 14), and Pool (Schaperstrasse 11). Out a bit from the center there's Maze World (Kurfurstenstrasse 79).


 

Heading east 
-  Prenzlauer Berg / Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg

Prenzlauer Berg & Mitte - bars, cafes

The large district to the northeast of Schöneberg was once in East Berlin behind the wall. It's easily accessible by U2 trains and has lots of sidewalk cafes, restaurants, little shops and a fair number of gay businesses to explore.


Besenkammer (Rathausstrasse 1) small neighborhood gay bar since GDR days, inexpensive drinks prices in Alexanderplatz.

Betty F*** Bar (Mulackstrasse 13),  gay locals' party bar, Mr Paka Pa$ha contests, performances.

Flax (Chodowieckistrasse 41), south Prenzlauer Berg, fun young crowd, Wednesday pasta buffets, topless service-boy Fridays, big Sunday brunch buffet. First Fridays of each 
month karaoke party for even younger guys.

Marienhof Bar & Cafe (Marienburger Strasse 7), party bar, shows, terrace seating, theme nights, young gay mix.

NBI Club (Schoenhauser Allee 36), mixed crowd, trendy live music & entertainment venue.

Perle (Sredzkistrasse 64), cozy neighborhood cocktail bar, "Queer Beer Thursdays."

Schall Und Rauch (Gleimstrasse 23), guesthouse, restaurant, cafe, and bar, sidewalk seating, menu to please everyone, including vegetarians. 
Weekend and holiday breakfast buffets, daily lunch from noon, ever-changing specials, tea-time with pastries plus 20 kinds of tea. Typisch Deutsch specials -- good basic old fashioned German fare; over 100 kinds of cocktails, holiday celebrations with special drinks and food.


Schoppenstube (Schönhauser Allee 44), unique, classic Berlin bar, late hours, basement dancing.

Sonntags Club (Greifenhagener Strasse 28) bar and cafe is also a meeting house that dates from the GDR days, and retains some of that ambience still.


Stiller Don (Erich-Weinert-Strasse 67), charming relic of old GDR days, plush chintz decor, gay/bi boys mix, old-time jazz night.

Trauerspiel Kneipe (Milastrasse 7), small gay neighborhood bar.

Zum Schmutzigen Hobby (Am Friedrichshain 33), Nina Queers' show and party night, from 11pm each third Saturday night.

 

Prenzlauer Berg - men's turf

Several area shops, bars, clubs and tubs are male territory.

Bärenhöhle (Schoenhauser Allee 90), cozy cave for bears, many years providing comfort and converstation space for a broad cross-section of
 guys, expecially those big friendly ursine ones.


Cocks (Greifenhagener Strasse 33), men's sex club, naked, underwear, and masked party nights.

Darkroom (Rodenbergstrasse 23) 
cruisy neighborhood bar option, video arcade, DVD store, sex parties, dark room.

Gate Sauna (Wilhelmstrasse 81), just 300 meters from the Brandenburg Gate, the other bathhouse on the east side, cozy, intimate, often frequented by bears and their cubs.


Greifbar (Wichertstrasse 10), men's cruise bar with sexually charged atmosphere.

Leathers (Schliemannstrasse 38), leather clothing & accessories, erotic shop, online sales.

Stahlrohr (Greifenhagener Strasse 54), diverse, uninhibited sex and fetish parties; men's underwear, naked sex party bar, 18-28 young nights.

Treibhaus Sauna (Schoenhauser Allee 132), "Berlin's most beautiful sauna." Huge whirlpool, Finnish sauna, two levels, toys, magazines,
 queer goodies for sale, internet access. Food and drinks bar/cafe, chill-out lounge, therapeutic massage by appointment. Varied crowd, all ages men, 1pm - 7am daily, non-stop weekends.

XXL-Berlin (Bornholmer Strasse 7), video arcade, sex shop, DVD sales, cruise area.

 

Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg bars & cafes

Besides the big dance venues, there are several smaller gay clubs to check out:

Barbiebar (Mehringdamm 77), an Italian bar and restaurant, with live entertainment and special guests.

Drama (Mehringdamm 63), cafe and bar with gay and alternative artsy crowd and 1920's vibe.

Heide 11 (Hasenheide 11, Neukölln), gay locals' neighborhood party pub.

Melitta Sundstrom (Mehringdamm 61), coffee shop and restaurant fronting Schwuz nightclub and the Schwules Museum. The atmosphere here is very East Berlin, and well worth a visit for stimulating conversations over drinks.

Moebel-Olfe (Reichenberger Strasse 177), coffee, juice spritzers, music, strong vodkas, Polish beers.

Monster Ronson's Ichiban Karaoke (Warschauerstrasse 34), karaoke bar in several rooms, seven private karaoke cabins, gay and alternative young mixed crowd.

Rauschgold (Mehringdamm 62), mixed neighbourhood party bar, drag cabaret shows.

Roses Bar (Oranienstrasse 187), small bar, kitschy decor, local & international crowd.

Sanatorium (Frankfurter Allee 23), gay café/bar lounge, DJ music, games, party nights.

Serene Bar (Schwiebusserstrasse 2, Kreuzberg), women's neighborhood bar, "Girl's Dance" every Saturday.

Silver Future (Weserstrasse 206, Hermannplatz), locals' bar for "Kings & Queens & Criminal Queers" - as they put it.

Sofia (Wrangelstrasse 93, Kreuzberg), gay neighborhood party bar, playful drag shows, theme events.

Südblock (Admiralstrasse 1-2), new queer/str8 mixed locals' day cafe, and night karaoke bar.

Suicide Circus (Revaler Strasse 99), Wednesday - Sunday dance parties, performances, artists, bar & bar-b-ques.

 

Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg - men's turf

There's outdoor cruising at Friedrichshain's Volkspark around the Marchenbrunnen (water-fountain area), both day and night, but be cautious after dark.
 A half dozen indoor men's meeting places are scattered around the districts.

Boiler Sauna (Mehringdamm 34), modern new sauna facilities, cafe/bar, massage services.

Club Culture Houze (Gorlitzer Strasse 71) is an erotic playground for just about any
taste, or gender; men-only Mondays

Ficken 3000 (Urbanstrasse 70), near Volkspark, a sparky little bar, also with darkroom sexual adventures.

Grosse Freiheit 114 (Boxhagener Strasse 114, Friedrichshain), popular bar, active darkroom, busy 'til dawn Tuesdays-Sundays.

Lab.oratory (Wriezener Bahnhof), gay bar and sex club where few acts are left unexplored. Naked, fetish and piss nights; also monthly crossover party with mixed genders, DJs and live action.

Triebwerk (Urbanstrasse 64), gay sex club/bar on two floors with DJs, darkroom, St. Andrew's Cross, video cabins, sling, and naked sex parties over 250 times per year.

 

Film

For film lovers Berlin has lots to offer.

Arsenal (Potsdamer Strasse 2) has a focus on independent and experimental film, with screenings, lectures, workshops, plus a gallery and archives.

The CineStar IMAX, at the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz, screens mainstream films in their original languages -- which usually means English.

Verzaubert, the international queer film festival moves between Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin each year.

Berlin's Gay/Lesbian cinema Xenon Kino (Kolonnenstrasse 5-6, Schöneberg) is like a year-round gay film-festival with new films weekly from around the world.

Yorck has a list of interesting films around town including those at Mongay, the gay Monday night cult movie screenings at Kino International (Karl-Marx-Allee 33), the former GDR's classiest cinema.

Elsewhere in Germany, in Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Oberhausen, Homochrom does year-round GLBT screenings and an annual GLBT film festival -- October in Cologne.

 

Events

Several big gay annual events in summer and autumn bring everyone out into the streets and parks of Berlin. See dates and locations for these and more at our pics & events tab.

Part of Gay Pride festivities, Schöneberg hosts the annual June site of Gay Stadtfest, Europe's largest queer open-air event. Main stages attract the largest crowds, but the surrounding streets, clubs and beer gardens in the vicinity of Nollendorfplatz will be packed in all directions.

The June Christopher Street Day parade typically includes a hundred floats that proceed from the Kurfurstendamm to the Siegessaeule with half a million or so people, and more than a few playful shenanigans in public.


Folsom Europe in September, one of the world's biggest leather/fetish/skin/rubber events. Parties include the men-only More Folsome Europe events take place all over town in bars and bathhouses, and they have a big streetfair for everyone, on Fuggerstrasse too.

Parkfest Friedrichshain, a big gay/lesbian annual mid-August party for Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, takes place in Volkspark with thousands in attendance and lots of food and local talent.

 

Dance parties

Berlin has many, constantly changing dance venues, exploring new entertainment concepts or revisiting and reinventing the old ones, at various venues around town.

About Blank (Markgrafendamm 24, Friedrichshain), underground dance parties, summer garden, young queer and mixed crowd.

Bang Bang Club (Neue Promenade 10), alternative music, live bands , young hip mixed crowd.

Die Busche (Warschauer Platz 18, Friedrichshain), young gay/mixed crowd, weekend dancing, talent shows include erotic amateur strip. The former Haus B.

Berghain (Radersdorfer Strasse at Wriezener Bahnhof), techno-partier's dream in spectacular former power plant. Gay and mixed crowd dances midnight Saturdays until Sunday afternoons. Long lines, selective door. Also Panorama Bar here is gay-friendly on Fridays.

Chantals House of Shame at Bassy Club (Schönhauser Allee 176; Senefelder Platz), queer Thursday nights, shows at around 1am with Super Zandy, Gloria Viagra Laura Levasconcelos, and a young crowd.

Connection Club (Welserstrasse at Fuggerstrasse) is the long-time Schöneberg Friday and Saturday gay dance club, with DJ fresh faces, and cruise labyrinth.

GMF gay dances at Weekend Club (Alexander Strasse 7) big party appeals to a broad cross-section of people, at this Alexanderplatz venue on two levels and roof terrace.


Hustlaball, with it's "world of hustlers, hookers, pimps, streetwalkers, flesh-peddlers, porn stars and other scandalous sorts," takes place over the long weekend in mid-October - see website for venue.

Kitkat Club (Kopenickerstrasse 76), the "socially, political, experimental techno club & fetish event playground for the enlightened, and uninhibited" as they put it. Dress code encourages erotic flambouyance for young and old, gay and straight of all classes, and several genders -- a "complete sensual and multi-sexual focus." 

Klub International at Kino International (Karl-Marx-Allee 33), big first Saturday monthly
 gay dance party on four floors of one of Berlin's most attractive venues.

Peverts, a twice twice-a-year industrial-style leather/fetish dance party with a big crowd of men, each April and again during Folsom Europe in September. Hear the music CDs at Mister B leather store. They also have dark rooms, a porn cinema, and chill-out areas.

Pig is the other big Folsom party event, men-only, with a strict leather, rubber, uniform or skin dress code.

Propaganda is a big gay dance every Second Saturday night at the elegant old theater Goya (Nollendorfplatz 5) on four floors with two dance floors, go-go dancers and table dances. See GPB for other parties such as summer Mondays' Gay Beach at Metaxa Bay.

Queer Resistance Laboratory at Tacheles Club (Oranienburgerstrasse 54, Mitte), second week Tuesdays, from 9pm. "A place to talk, meet, party and dance."

Schwuz (Mehringdamm 61, Kreuzberg), favorite weekend gay dance option for young Berliners. Three floors, music and shows for many tastes, and styles. Men-only sex parties sometimes.

SO 36 (Oranienstrasse 190, Kreuzberg), ever-changing variety of events, shows and dance nights including techno fests, Turkish and Arab music events. Every Sunday gay tea-dance dubbed Cafe Fatal features Deutsche Schlager (German pop) and rare, unlikely mix of folk.
 Gayhane "HomOriental party" takes place on last Saturdays, playing Middle East music.

Spy Club theme parties take place once a month, Saturdays at Department, (Auguststraße 5A, at Oranienburger Tor) for the fashion set.

Tresor Club (Köpenicker Strasse 70, Friedrichshain), mixed rave parties on three floors, experimental music, top DJs,  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.

What! (Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 11, Mitte), complex of several bars, smokers' room, DJ music, dancing, gay and mixed underground style.

ZMF (Brunnenstrasse 10), has gay-friendly and underground dance parties, Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Our map & listings page has locations and more webslinks for all the above. For even more party nights, see the nightlife page at local gay magazine websites such as Siegessaeule in German and English, Out in Berlin also in both languages, or Blu in German. Disco Damaged has party listings for all the various scenes. Check out ChromaNova to hear whats playing in the clubs.