15 Best Ways to Experience LGBTQ+ Berlin, From Gay Bars to Bookstores

Condé Nast Traveler

9 hours ago

Few cities feel as unapologetically queer as Berlin. A hundred years ago, this was the heart of the world's first LGBTQ+ rights movement. Weimar cabarets, cross-dressing revues, and radical thinkers made space for gender and sexual freedom, decades before most places dared to do so. This momentum was violently interrupted by the rise of Nazism, but never entirely halted. Today, Berlin ranks among the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities on Earth, not just in attitude, but in action. The city's queer identity runs deep in its neighborhoods and districts, from Schöneberg's rainbow-draped bars and bookstores to Kreuzberg's energetic activism, Neukölln's trendy pop-up venues, and Prenzlauer Berg's brunch spots, which attract diverse weekend crowds.
Even the tourism infrastructure reflects this: The Pink Pillow initiative by Visit Berlin connects travelers with LGBTQ-friendly hotels, while the Queer City Pass grants discounts for queer-friendly museums, clubs, and shops, alongside a public transport pass. Whether you're here for Christopher Street Day (a.k.a. Berlin Pride), a weekend escape, or finding the stories that inspired Cabaret, Berlin is one of the world's greatest cities for LGBTQ+ visitors.
The annual Christopher Street Day parade passes by the Victory Culumn Siegessäule on July 22, 2023 in Berlin, Germany.
Omer Messinger/Getty
Berlin by day
A Berlin institution for nearly 50 years, Prinz Eisenherz sits among Motzstraße's historic gay bars. Shelves are stocked with books on queer theory, graphic novels, and a solid range of English-language titles. The events space hosts exhibitions and talks, and the staff offer some of the city's best insider tips.
Address: Motzstr. 23, 10777 Berlin
Part gallery, part concept store, Keller Kreuzberg showcases over 100 queer-owned local and international brands, covering everything from prints to homeware. The space is proudly inclusive and sex-positive, with products reflecting a wide range of queer identities. It also supports local artists with exhibition space and regular pop-up events. Note that this place is open only on weekdays.
Address: Reichenbergerstr. 48, 10999 Berlin
Queer walking tours
In recent years, a wave of queer walking tours has sprung up across Berlin, tracing LGBTQ+ history from the Weimar era to today. Expect stories of Magnus Hirschfeld, Marlene Dietrich, and Christopher Isherwood woven through the Schöneberg district, the heart of Berlin's queer past and present. Some, like the drag-led Kieztour, infuse flair and local gossip, while others, such as Queer Berlin, offer a more reflective look at city-wide sites that shaped contemporary queer life in this city.
Address: Meeting points vary
Inaugurated in 2008 on the edge of Tiergaten, this understated gray concrete monument is one of the most moving sites in Berlin's queer landscape. Viewed through a peephole, a rolling video installation honors LGBTQ+ lives lost under the Third Reich. The inscription 'A Simple Kiss Could Land You In Trouble' is a chilling reminder of how a flourishing queer culture can be brutally silenced.
Address: Ebertstrasse, Tiergarten (opposite the Holocaust Memorial), 10785 Berlin