Berlin - Wild Days, Wilder Nights

Berlin - Wild Days, Wilder Nights

All the stories you heard about Berlin are probably true!

Berlin is considered one of the best places to live in the world and the city is nowadays a center of multicultural experiences, a collage of diversity and personality.

Wild days and even wilder nights makes Berlin a great city for gay travelers to explore.

Go Green

Berlin values green. Walking around, you’ll see trees in every street. There are parks and lakes where you can swim naked for free in the hot summer months.

Tiergarten is the biggest green area in the city center. You can have your FKK (nudity) experience or just ride a bike around the park—but don't dare to have a grill.

Other parks, like Volkspark Friedrichshain, are a paradise for your grill taco, but nudity is not as welcome.

Berliners love to play ping-pong and volleyball in the summer time and parks like Greisdreieck offer lots of areas for sport, from jogging to skating.

The go-green-philosophy isn’t just about the Berlin parks—it’s also the food and the lifestyle. Rent a bike or have a bike tour and enjoy the freedom of moving in the city.

Try out the many delicious vegetarian (and vegan!) restaurants, even if you are not committed to that lifestyle. Bio food and international cuisine are everywhere, but for those who enjoy the greasy hamburger and the not-so-healthy snack, the options are infinite. (I’m partial to Berlin Burger International in Neukölln)

Queer Berlin

Berlin is queer not because it is gay-friendly or tolerant, but because everyone here is different and welcomed.

Of course there are the occasional intolerant people, but chances are you’re cool enough to ignore them. You can have the experience of the naked sauna (Boiler is the place to be on weekends) and the almost-naked dance-floor (which makes some clubs really, really popular).

For gay-adventures, clubs and bars accommodate every type of attitude, fetish or otherwise. For cocktails and Friday-night fun, visit Hafen near Nollendorfplatz. Furry night? What about the bar Roses, in Kreuzberg, with its claustrophobic space artificially expanded with mirrors. For the dark and kinky, try Lab-oratory or Tom's bar.

Dancing in Berlin comes easy. Schwuz, a club open Wednesday to Sunday, hosts thematic nights, like the one dedicated to indie and Brit-pop music called London Calling (the first Friday of every month). Other parties are sporadic, like the recent Brazilian gay nights called Beitola or the Jewish-gay-parties Meschugge.

Forget the gray clouds

Berlin coolness is only threatened by the terrible weather that this city has from time to time. Luckily, you have lots of options to enjoy the colder months.

Museums, galleries and exhibitions are always full of creativity and cultural interaction. Big events like the “Month of Photography” include lots of free activities in several independent galleries. Film festivals like the Berlinale or the Pornfilmfestival are another reason to visit the city, and some cinemas like Kino International host weekly gay film nights (Mongay).

Falling in love

As people say here, Berlin is poor but sexy. Visit Berlin just for a weekend, and who knows—you just might fall in love with it and won’t be able to leave. To really get a taste of Berlin, make sure to explore the neighborhoods and discover little local haunts that make Berlin so special. The three most hipster and alternative, international areas are Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg and Neuköln.

About the Author

Berlin based Travel Gay Europe contributor Adam Groffman is a globetrotter and self-styled hipster. He covers city destinations around the world, writing about festivals, nightlife and gay travel on his personal travel blog, Travels of Adam and is the editor of My Gay Travel Guide. When he’s not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he’s usually enjoying the local arts and culture scene of a new city. You’ll find him most often on Twitter at @travelsofadam or on Instagram — say hi!

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