Arriving in Berlin is a rush. There’s the excitement of being in a European capital that runs 24 hours a day, with an amazing transit system, beautiful parks and enough culture to fill a half dozen other cities. At the same time, a walk through the city is a journey through some of the darkest history of the 20th century. In Berlin it all exists together, sometimes on top of one another, where each block can be a roller coaster of emotion.
One afternoon I was surrounded by a roving mime troupe who performed, just for me, half a minute of midday whimsy in the central Mitte district. After they passed on, I looked down and saw a Stolpersteine (a “stumbling block”), one of the tens of thousands of square brass plates installed in the sidewalk and inscribed with the names and birthdates of victims of the Nazis who lived there, further listing what happened to them. Light and heavy exist in the same Berlin locations, block after block, neighbourhood after neighbourhood.
Berlin today is also about as relaxed as a city can be, but I don’t ever manage to get much sleep there as Berlin, which has a metro population of about 6.2 million, also feels like the gayest city on Earth. While there are surely others that rival that claim, the mix of queer history and present-day LGBTQ+ life is incredible. Listing every queer or queer-friendly venue in the city is near impossible. Often places that aren’t explicitly queer seem kind of queer.
One of my first stops in Berlin when the weather is nice is Café am Neuen See (Lichtensteinallee 2, Berlin), or “café at the new lake” in Tiergarten park. A short walk from the busy Zoo Station hub and grand Kurfürstendamm shopping area, this sprawling beer garden wraps around the end of a small lake. Steins of beer are served cafeteria style and pizzas, pretzels and other food items are available, making it an ideal place to start a Berlin visit. Find a seat at one of the long beerhall-style tables or the wooden lounge chairs by the rowboats, especially near dusk when the string lights turn on, and let the Berlin vibe recalibrate you to the humane speed this city runs at.
While one of the many not-explicitly queer places, the beer garden is a five-minute walk from a big Tiergarten lawn where gay and bi men and others sunbathe in the nude, right in the middle of the city; and nearby a forested patch of cruising grounds. On the east side of the park, opposite the more well-known Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, Berlin), with its striking 2,711 concrete slabs laid out in a grid, is the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism (Ebertstraße, Berlin). A singular large box with a small window invites passersby to peer in, to watch a looping video of a same-sex couple kissing. Beautiful, subtle, and incredibly moving.
South of the Tiergarten is one of the clusters of LGBTQ+ activity in the Schöneberg district, particularly around Nollendorfplatz, where a pink triangle plaque on the U-Bahn station also remembers homosexuals persecuted under the Nazis. Two nearby streets, Motzstrasse and Fuggerstrasse, are home to many gay bars and cafés that spill onto the sidewalk in the evening. This is very much the historic Berlin of Christopher Isherwood and David Bowie, where the neighbourhood Lesbian and Gay City Festival usually takes place in July, a week before the massive Christopher Street Parade, the main Pride celebration in the city. It’s also where the Folsom Europe fetish street fair happens.
At 24 Motzstrasse, look closely at the supermarket on the corner and you’ll see the name “Eldorado” written under a corporate sign. It’s the site of a former nightclub that was central to queer and queer-adjacent communities—think the musical Cabaret—eventually closed by the Nazis and turned into a headquarters for SA brownshirts. While the most prominent, this is just one cluster of queer activity in this very queer city—each has its own vibe.
Mitte, by contrast, is the elegant, central neighbourhood close to the galleries of Museum Island. Kreuzberg retains its counterculture and punk roots, forged when it was the most remote part of West Berlin, as well being home to a strong Turkish presence. Friedrichshain, in the former East, has many former industrial buildings that often host queer events.
Berlin is a huge city, but one without a centre, so the “things to do” are spread out. As a divided city for so long, East and West developed their own commercial centres: in the west it’s the Kurfürstendamm, while the east has the area around Alexanderplatz, with additional cultural districts throughout. People joke that a lot is spent on cabs criss-crossing Berlin to get to events, but visitors should be prepared to travel greater distances than they might be used to between gay venues. Ride share options are ample (European BOLT is generally cheaper than Uber), but don’t overlook public transit as it is one of the most extensive systems in Europe, and many lines run 24-hours. Cycling in this very flat city is also generally safe, with many bike lanes throughout (though as a pedestrian beware that lanes are often on the sidewalk and differentiated by subtle colouring).
Though some distinctions are fading 35 years after the Berlin Wall fell, signs of East and West are still there if you look closely, as is the wall itself: the former route is traced by two paving stones laid in streets and sidewalks. Divided and war torn before that, it left marks on the city that still exist. Berlin’s landscape is that of a dense city but with a lushness to it that other urban centres don’t haveThe holes created by its history weren’t all filled in by buildings—parks or patches of trees took their place. Other relics get reused, like in Friedrichshain, where the legendary electronic music club Berghain (along with Lab.oratory, the basement gay sex club; see listings below) inhabits a former East Berlin heating plant. Other nearby clubs occupy similar, if not as iconic, post-industrial locations.
In the west there’s the ruined façade of the once-massive Anhalter train station, behind which is Park at Gleisdreieck, created in the massive railway corridor that once led to it. There are beer gardens and shipping container cafés in the park. The U-Bahn rumbles across bridges high above, but in some parts the old tracks have been left intact and gone feral, with trees growing up through the rails. A haunting thing in a joyful place, knowing that concentration camp–bound trains left from Anhalter.
While Berlin has established many well-known bars and clubs, it’s also a city of events, queer or otherwise, that inhabit existing clubs one night a month or on some other semi-regular schedule. So while Schöneberg has the most visible and extensive gay scene, queer events can and do pop up all over.
One caveat to Berlin’s laid-back reputation: it is until it isn’t. A number of bars and clubs are men only and quite strict about it. As well, a number of the inclusive queer events that welcome everyone still have dress codes. Often inscrutable, there is usually a fetishwear or anti-fashion door policy. I was once turned away at Berghain for wearing a black cardigan (I rode a bicycle there and it was chilly); I was told I was “too casual.” The motivation is to weed out people who might disrupt or not add to the scene, but it’s hard to negotiate. Perhaps the best advice is to be yourself—don’t try too hard, but take a look at an event’s Instagram photos to get a sense of the crowd.
Despite Berlin being the national capital, Germany’s airport hubs have long been in Frankfurt and Munich, so getting to the city usually means at least one transfer; however, as of 2025, Air Transat is offering direct seasonal flights twice a week from Toronto to Berlin’s new airport, making the Canadian connection easier than it has ever been.
Where to stay in Berlin is just as easy. Berlin has many hotel options and is generally cheaper than some of the other popular European capitals. Our listings are below, but as another resource, visitBerlin has created the Pink Pillow Berlin collection for queer tourists. Staff at participating hotels all receive training in how to accommodate LGBTQ+ travellers and avoid awkward moments such as a same-sex couple being asked if they would like two separate beds. Even as possibly the gayest city on Earth, Berlin still takes it one step further. Here is our guide to finding the best of LGBTQ+ Berlin.
Pride and other festivals
Lesbian and Gay City Festival (July 18 and 19, 2026). While Schöneberg and Nollendorfplatz can be a bit of a boys town, in terms of who many of the bars cater to, this festival welcomes everyone and is the street party running up to the following weekend’s Christopher Street Day parade. Multiple stages feature music, LGBTQ+ cabaret performances and, as this is Berlin, a stage dedicated to fetish lovers.
Christopher Street Day (usually late July; TBD in 2026). Also known as CSD Berlin, the city’s Pride festival culminates with a mammoth parade in late July. Named after the New York street where the Stonewall Inn is located, the parade is made up of large floats—trucks really— with DJs and people waving, performing or giving rousing speeches. You can choose to watch from a fixed position on the route (if you don’t like big crowds, avoid the squares and intersections and find a quieter spot mid-block) or even join in, following whichever DJ’s style suits your fancy. The parade ends with performances in the Tiergarten.
Folsom Europe Berlin (usually late August; TBD in 2026). In late summer, fetish, BDSM and leather folks get their own street festival. The name is a nod to the original Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. With five days of events and performances, there’s probably no niche fetish left unindulged here (a phrase that could be Berlin’s slogan).
Berlinale—The Berlin International Film Festival (February 12 to 22, 2026). Should you fancy a winter visit and enjoy watching films, February is the month to hit up Berlin. While all sorts of films are shown during the main festival, one of the world’s biggest, a special selection of LGBTQ+ films make up their own program while an independent jury selects the winner of the annual Teddy Award from that pool of films.
What to see and do
Schwules Museum (Lützowstraße 73, Berlin). Berlin has no shortage of museums and galleries, but for the LGBTQ+ traveller, Schwules in the Schöneberg neighbourhood is a must-see . Its four exhibition rooms have permanent and rotating exhibitions, and its extensive library and archive can be browsed on request. This is where the story of gay Berlin and beyond is told, right up to the present.
Mauerpark on a Sunday afternoon (Bernauer Str. 63, Berlin). This “Wall Park” is located where the Berlin Wall and its wide death strip once stood (the no-go zone in between East and West). On Sundays, this expansive green space turns into a giant flea market and performance space. There are food stalls in the market and roving vendors selling beer, so you don’t need to bring much for a fun afternoon. Performances happen everywhere, from drum circles to Kraut Rock bands plugged into electric amplifiers. The large amphitheatre will be packed on days Bearpit Karaoke has set up, and you will certainly see queers and their friends singing or cheering along. Try it yourself.
Berlin Wall Memorial (Bernauer Str. 111, Berlin). Just a few blocks east of Mauerpark begins the 1.4-kilometre-long memorial to the Berlin Wall. While bits and pieces of the wall can be found in other locations (as well as the subtle paving stones that mark it), this memorial keeps large pieces of it intact, including the death strip, a watchtower and a memorial chapel marking where a church was destroyed to make way for the wall. Walking through here, life in a divided city becomes quite real.
Grunewald and Teufelssee (Berlin-Grunewald S-Bahn Station). Though it was a walled enclave, West Berlin had its own forest, the Grunewald. Vast and a nice change from the busy city, it’s easy to access via the Berlin-Grunewald S-Bahn station, but renting a bike to get there is not an arduous trip from the city centre, and the ride takes you past some old and elegant villas. Before venturing into the forest, stop by the Platform 17 memorial marking the place from where thousands of Jews were deported. In the forest itself there are two destinations. The first is Teufelsberg, a hill made up of rubble from war damage and topped by an abandoned U.S. listening station with its decaying radar units and newer street art. The other is the Teufelssee, a lake that, like many other bathing spots in Germany, is clothing optional and frequented by LGBTQ+ folks—a great place to go on a hot afternoon.
Museum Island (Mitte). As literal as it sounds—an island in the Spree River, home to five of Berlin’s large public museums. While some buildings date to Prussian times and have an old-European grandeur to them, they suffered war damage and were largely restored after the war. While it’s worth looking through museum listings to see what exhibitions you fancy, the Neues Museum reconstruction is a must-see. After 50 years in ruins, David Chipperfield Architects rebuilt it by combining original structures with new parts, all while leaving traces of history and memory everywhere, including World War II bullet holes on many of the pillars and walls. A famous bust of Nefertiti has its own room here.
FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum (Adalbertstraße 95A, Berlin). For a far crunchier museum experience, head to the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum just off of Kottbusser Tor, the central square and transit station for Kreuzberg. This museum documents the countercultural history of these two boroughs, one in the former East, the other in the West, helping visitors understand how punk, electronic, squatter, activist and LBGTQ+ communities inform the city today. It may not help you get into certain clubs, but after visiting I had a better grasp of the sensibility in Berlin and why some clubs have such inscrutable dress codes and door policies.
Where to stay
Radisson RED Berlin Kudamm (Joachimsthaler Str. 28-29, Berlin). Recently renovated, the Radisson RED Berlin Kudamm is a great base to explore the city from as it’s close to shopping, the bars of Nollendorfplatz, directly next to an U-Bahn station and a short walk from others, including the major Zoo Station hub. The hotel’s bar and breakfast room lead out to a rear courtyard with a patio, grass and hammocks, giving visitors a glimpse of a classic Berlin “backyard” that many residential buildings enjoy.
Park Inn Berlin Alexanderplatz (Alexanderpl. 7, Berlin). If you fancy a stay in the heart of what was the showcase of East Berlin, the Park Inn is for you. Fully remodelled, the landscape around the hotel still resembles the days before the fall of the wall. One of Berlin’s tallest buildings, the views from the upper floors are fantastic, especially if facing west and looking at the Fernsehturm, the communist-era TV Tower. There’s also “Europe’s highest swing” on the roof, if a thrill with your stay is desired.
The Social Hub Berlin (Alexanderstrasse 40, Berlin). Also adjacent to Alexanderplatz, the Social Hub Berlin is a “hybrid” hotel that has standard rooms but also student and longer term accommodation, so the youthful vibe is built in. There’s ample indoor-outdoor social space, it’s close to the clubs in Friedrichshain, and it’s only a short walk to the cozy streets and big museums of Mitte.
Hotel Oderberger (Oderberger Str. 57, Berlin). For an even more historic stay, Hotel Oderberger is located in a bathhouse built in 1902. The grand pool is still open to the public, with reduced admission rates for hotel guests. Rooms are unique too, with some feeling more like an Airbnb than a hotel. In the Prenzlauer Berg district, the hotel is close to Mauerpark, the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, as well as other attractions on the northeast side of central Berlin such as Strandbad Weissensee, one of many Berlin lakes with a beach and swimming area.
The Circus Hotel and Hostel (Weinbergsweg 1 and Rosenthaler Str. 1, Berlin). Part of the same company and located across the Rosenthaler Platz intersection from one another, the Circus Hotel and Hostel provide affordable yet hip and busy accommodation in the heart of Mitte. The hotel and hostel regularly program events and tours, so those travelling alone will find opportunities to join up with other guests.
Axel Hotel Berlin (Lietzenburger Str. 13/15, Berlin). Sibling hotel to the original in Barcelona, and nine other adults-only hotels, this Spanish chain caters to LGBTQ+ travellers and their allies. The Berlin location is just a short walk from all the action in Nollandorfplatz. Amenities include an outdoor terrace and rooftop jacuzzi overlooking the city.
25 Hours Hotel Bikini Berlin (Budapester Str. 40, Berlin). Totally remodelled in 2024/2025, Bikini Berlin is located in a slick 1957 mid-century building that straddles the top of a busy shopping mall, the name a reference to this once being the site of a ready-to-wear women’s fashion production house. Easy access to many forms of transit, the hotel sits across from the preserved ruins of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, next to the Berlin Zoo and by the Tiergarten park.
Three Little Pigs (Stresemannstraße 66, Berlin). For the budget traveller, this hostel, inside a former monastery, is midway between the historic gay neighbourhood in Schöneberg and the queer scene in Kreuzberg. Checkpoint Charlie and Postdamer Platz are nearby, bike rentals are offered and the “Pigs Bar” provides a place to meet other guests and relax before venturing out.
Where to eat
Berlin is a city of people from all over the world, so just about any style of food can be found. Keep an eye out for Turkish restaurants, especially in Kreuzberg, and Sudanese falafel, where a peanut sauce makes it unlike anything I’ve found elsewhere.
Restaurant Elefant (Fuggerstraße 18, Berlin). Long a part of the Nollendorfplatz neighbourhood, Elefant is where an LGBTQ+-friendly environment and traditional German cuisine meet. The schnitzels are the foundation here, but the restaurant also serves “Berlin specialties” like beef goulash, beef rouladen and Berliner pork knuckle. While meaty, there are also vegetarian options and a good beer selection.
Sissi (Motzstraße 34, Berlin). Named after Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Sissi has been voted Berlin’s best Austrian restaurant. Located on Münzstrasse, in the heart of the LGBTQ+ area, it’s another traditional option with modern friendliness for those who want a bit of old-school dining: think schnitzels and mushrooms, baked camembert, vegetarian tarts and an Austrian focus to the wine list.
7 Mares (Heimstraße 3, Berlin). Named after the seven seas, this LGBTQ+-owned wine bar serves small plates like Portuguese bruschetta with pickled vegetables, caprese salads and stewed vegetables. The real star is the all-Portuguese wine list that owner Tiago Pinto Pais curates himself. If you go and Tiago is present, ask him about the culinary and LGBTQ+ walking tours he leads.
Toms Wurst (Motzstraße 19, Berlin). Berlin’s famous fast food is currywurst, and though its origins are debated, it’s a postwar concoction of British curry powder mixed with other ingredients and poured over sausages. Inexpensive and easy, Toms Wurst is a small restaurant with chairs on the sidewalk amid the gay bars, so it’s often bustling. There’s even a vegan option.
BRLO Brwhouse (Schöneberger Str. 16, Berlin). It’s Berlin, so you can’t go wrong heading to one of BRLO’s locations, in particular their Gleisdreieck park beer garden that’s made up of 38 recycled shipping containers from around the world. The fare is comfort food, with a focus on roasted chicken. The beer selection is deep. Committed to the LGBTQ+ community, this brewery created their own “Queer Beer” with proceeds going toward Queer Amnesty Deutschland, a gay rights organization.
Where to party
Berlin’s nightlife is so rich and varied you’d need a book to document everything. Below is a cross section of the venues and events in the city. Though payment systems are slowly changing, you will still encounter cash-only establishments in Berlin; always have some Euros on hand. Also note, some bars permit smoking, sometimes in the entire venue, other times in a particular room, so be prepared for some retro-style air quality. Many events run late, sometimes until, and beyond, dawn.
Betty F*** (Mulackstraße 13, Berlin). A tiny bar in Mitte where you ring a bell and wait for the bartender to buzz you in. With limited seats, it’s cozy, smoky and friendly, the kind of place where talking to bar neighbours eventually happens. Somehow it’s suddenly 4 a.m.—time flies inside.
Blond (Motzstraße 28, Berlin). A great place to start in Nollendorfplatz, Blond is laid back with no door policy, and all genders are welcome. Big windows and a busy terrace when it’s warm, the people watching here is excellent.
Hafen (Motzstraße 19, Berlin). Around for more than three decades, Hafen is one of the oldest bars in the neighbourhood. The small cash-only bar can get quite crowded on weekend nights. Another good place to start a Berlin evening at, to get your bearings before you head out.
Begine (Potsdamer Str. 139, Berlin). A lesbian café, bar and cultural venue that began in a squatted building in 1986. Stop by for something to drink and eat or check their listings for genre-spanning concerts that include classical, jazz and pop as well as cabaret performances, talks and readings.
Boyberry (Motzstraße 19, Berlin). As the name implies, this is a bar for men and is somewhat typical of a Berlin gay venue: there is a standard bar in one or two rooms, but it has cruising and dark rooms as well, in this case a warren of passages in the basement. This bar is come and go as you please, generally no lines or fuss, and is open late into the night. We could have filed this under the heading Where gay and bi men can have fun, but it is also nice for a casual drink.
SO36 (Oranienstraße 190, Berlin). With a name that references an old postal code, this Kreuzberg club has been operating since the 1970s and is as much a community centre as a club. Check their listings as there are some one-off events but also regular nights, like Gayhane for lesbians and gay men (and their friends) of Turkish and Arabic background, with Greek and Hebrew tunes in the mix. There’s a monthly queer roller disco and a weekly Sunday afternoon ballroom tea dance.
Revolver Party (Alt-Stralau 1-2, Berlin). A large monthly party that has moved venues (for a long spell it was at the famous Kit Kat club) and is currently at Club Ost (meaning east), with a warren of rooms and connecting staircases. The party features big techno and house DJs. Dress tends to be sexy with fetish nods, but the shirtless or T-shirted will fit in just fine.
Nina Queer’s Irrenhouse Berlin (Revaler Strasse 99, Berlin). Another party that has moved venues over time (currently at Cassiopeia), this monthly event is run by drag queen Nina Queer. On the artier side of things, the party features drag performances, house and techno rooms, sometimes a dark room and even art installations. Whereas some Berlin queer events can feel intimidating in how, well, serious they seem, Irrenhouse is not that—just Berlin at its most fun, creative and queer.
Chantal’s House of Shame (Revaler Straße 99, Berlin). Another long-running queer party (it was founded in 1999) that attracts all genders, and a place where your straight friends will be happy to come along for the night, this weekly event has DJs, camp shows and more. A Berlin classic, it’s located near Cassiopeia and other clubs housed in a series of industrial buildings by a railway corridor.
SchwuZ (Rollbergstraße 26, Berlin). A Berlin club and cultural institution, SchwuZ is Germany’s oldest queer club, having opened in 1977, with street signs inside naming the four addresses it’s been located at over the years. The current location features multiple rooms and bars, and is about as friendly and open as a Berlin club gets, attracting a wide spectrum of the queer community.
Möbel Olfe (Reichenberger Str. 177, Berlin). Named for the Kreuzberg furniture store that once occupied the space, this relaxed cocktail bar is known for its cool music, but not too much attitude from the patrons. It’s a pan-acronym spot with gay men the majority on Thursdays, lesbians on Tuesdays.
Woof Berlin (Fuggerstraße 37, Berlin). A great place to start the evening with a drink and chat, Woof is known for its friendly staff and openness to the bear and leather communities. Cruising areas for those who want them.
Romeo und Romeo (Motzstraße 20, Berlin). Open from breakfast to midnight, this long-standing café at the heart of the Motzstrasse and Fuggerstrasse gay village is great for meeting people and people-watching. Beer during the day, coffee at night? Why not?
Where gay and bi men can have fun
While many bars, clubs and events will have a dark room (or rooms), the below are dedicated specifically to friskyness.
Boiler (Mehringdamm 34, Berlin). Berlin’s only proper gay sauna, it’s centrally located and large, with the entrance off the street in a courtyard and a steely industrial theme inside. “The male spa with a smile,” it occasionally hosts events open to more people as well as particular theme nights.
Lab.oratory (Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Berlin). While the main club, Berghain, which inhabits the massive former East Berlin heating plant, is queer friendly and legendarily difficult to get into, the basement Lab.oratory gay sex club doesn’t have that restriction beyond being men only. It’s unlike most any place else on Earth and is indicative of Berlin at its most extreme. Room after room, dark hallway or alcove, bodies wander all over and find each other. Participation is not required, so you can experience it at any level you want, though you must adhere to the dresscode of the evening.
Where to shop
Keep in mind that Sundays are quiet as stores in Germany are generally closed. That’s when people head for parks or beer gardens. Most of the shops selling gay paraphernalia are clustered in and around Nollendorfplatz.
KeDeWe (Tauentzienstraße 21-24, Berlin). Not queer beyond our communities’ affection for couture and occasional excess, KeDeWe is a must-see for its sheer size. One of the world’s greatest department stores, it still operates like they never went out of style. It’s an experience just to explore the many floors. Like many European department stores, its rooftop restaurant can be a great place for a snack, drink and panoramic view of the city.
Prinz Eisenherz (Motzstraße 23, Berlin). This queer bookstore in Nollendorfplatz, opened in 1978, is the oldest in Germany and the oldest still-running bookstore in Europe. It’s as much a place to find something to read as it is to find community, and the shop regularly hosts readings and talks on a variety of subjects.
Boxer Berlin (Eisenacher Str. 11, Berlin). Another gay Barcelona chain is in Berlin with their two-floor fetish “mega store,” should you need the proper uniform for a night out.
Brunos (Maaßenstraße 14, Berlin). This department store of all that the “gay lifestyle” may conjure has books, magazines, underwear, swimwear, fetishwear, sportswear, gifts and toys. Where you might pick up a rainbow harness or a fan to clack at drag shows.
During the research for this piece, Pink Ticket Travel received partial support from Air Transat, visitBerlin and Radisson RED Berlin Kudamm. They did not direct or review coverage. The views expressed are the writer’s own. Some of the listings have been supplemented by the research of other Pink Ticket Travel writers.
