A perfect, gay Berlin weekend of culture

On arrival in Berlin, you'll be spoilt for choice from the outset. Numerous hotels and guesthouses are geared up for queer guests. If you want to treat yourself, you could book a room in Soho House. Although you may not be able to actually lie ‘in bed with Madonna’, you might be lucky enough to sleep in a bed that the queen of pop once slept in, because she stayed at Soho House during her European tour. Many other celebrities, including Heidi Klum, Kim Cattrall, Daniel Craig, and George Clooney (who was once spotted in the sauna), have also stayed there. Reese Witherspoon even sat on the sofa next to me once. In addition, Soho House features a pool on the 8th floor and a breathtaking view of the TV tower and the Jewish synagogue. If you don't want to book a room, the restaurant on the ground floor and the shopping area also come highly

Soho House Berlin
Torstraße 1, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
U Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Soho House Berlin's Website

Once you’ve freshened up, you’ll be able to experience Berlin’s party spirit on Thursday evening. The legendary Chantal will invite you to the ‘House of Shame’ in the ‘Suicide Circus’ on Warschauer Straße. It is immediately evident why parties have been so sorely missed during the Corona pandemic: people laugh, hug one another and dance together all night on two floors, where both Charts and House are played. Chantal still hosts a drag show there too. Those who hang in there until 6:30am are rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunrises in Berlin - watching the Spree flow by from the nearby Warschauer Brücke and seeing the sun coming up is very romantic!

Chantals House of Shame
Im Suicide Circus, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S+U Warschauer Straße
Chantals House of Shame's Website

After a long night of partying, you should sleep in and then go to a nice café, like Café Kalwil in the gay Nollendorfkiez. The café is a dream, especially for those who love ‘old granny’ cafés with sofas and chandeliers, as well as those who are passionate cake-lovers. The cakes are a delight. Whether it’s grape-blueberry cake or mascarpone-strawberry, every bite is worth the indulgence. If you don't have time for coffee and cake, you should at least try a Vanilla & Marille ice cream at some point during the day. Sicilian pistachio or macadamia with tonka are both a gourmet's dream.

Café Kalwil
Motzstraße 30, 10777 Berlin-Schöneberg
U Nollendorfplatz
Café Kalwil's Website

Vanille & Marille
Motzstraße 17, 10777 Berlin-Schöneberg
U Nollendorfplatz
Vanille & Marille's Website

Freshly fortified, Friday is a good day for shopping, as the shops are far less crowded than at the weekend. If you like a little tradition, you can combine two of Berlin's tourist highlights, namely eating currywurst at KaDeWe. On the 6th floor, in the restaurant section, you can buy an original Berlin currywurst for 9.50€ , in addition to oysters, or fantastic macaroons. The great view is a bonus.

Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe)
Tauentzienstraße 21-24,10789 Berlin-Schöneberg
U Wittenbergplatz
KaDeWe's Website

If you want to stay in the neighbourhood, you can visit the pubs and bars in the Nollendorfkiez between the underground stations Nollendorfplatz, Wittenbergplatz, and Viktoria-Luise-Platz. The Holzmarkt in Friedrichshain, directly on the river Spree, has also developed into a queer hotspot. Cafés and shops are worth a visit, and there are restaurants too, such as Pampa, Spreelunke, and Katerschmaus. After dinner, Club Yaam is a great place to party.

Yaam
An der Schillingbrücke 3, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S Ostbahnhof
Yaam's Website

Holzmarkt
Holzmarkt 25, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S+U Jannowitzbrücke
Holzmarkt's Website

Saturday is all about culture. During the day, galleries and museums invite you to visit them, including Galerie Deschler. There, a tribute to LGBTQI+ icon Volker Spengler, the former Fassbinder actor, is currently on exhibition. In the show, magnificently presented images, photographed by legendary Berghain bouncer, Sven Marquardt, are on display and curated by Nicholas Mockridge. The Urban Nation is currently exhibiting the six-decade retrospective of photographer Martha Coopers, with free admission. We also recommend the Schwules (Gay) Museum, which attracts not only the queer community, but also many straight people, with its captivating exhibitions. In addition to the Irène Mélix show, ‘Lonely Hearts’, there is an exhibition dedicated to HIV: ArcHIV goes on a search for traces of AIDS history, using the thematic AIDS exhibitions from ‘Infectious’(1992) to ‘Intimacy’ (2020). In October 2021, the first exhibition on inter* persons, ‘Mercury Rising’, will open. A spectacular space station with multimedia wall installations has been planned. Artists include Cult of Rae, Rebekka Swan, and Money Mitchell.

Galerie Deschler
Auguststraße 61, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
U Rosenthaler Platz
Galerie Deschler's Website

Urban Nation
Bülowstraße 7, 10783 Berlin-Schöneberg
U Nollendorfplatz
Urban Nation's Website

Schwules Museum
Lützowstraße 73, 10785 Berlin-Tiergarten
U Nollendorfplatz
Schwules Museum's Website

In the cultural metropolis of Berlin, a few museums and galleries are by no means all there is on offer. Because tickets sell out quickly, however, you should plan your theatre and show visits well in advance. Then nothing can stand in the way of an evening with the Geschwister Pfister in the Tipi am Kanzleramt, which is regarded as a classic. The Berliner Kabarett Anstalt (BKA) also has entertaining productions in its programme, with the upcoming ‘Operetta for 2 Gay Tenors’. At the Berliner Ensemble, Barrie Kosky's ‘Threepenny Opera’ is impressive: it has been effortlessly staged with a beautiful stage set ranging from glitter-spangled curtains to silhouette cut-outs. A few metres from the Berliner Ensemble, the largest theatre stage in the world can be marvelled at in the Friedrichstadtpalast. Currently in the programme is ‘Arise’, a spectacular show that echoesthe great revues of the past. It's easy to start a conversation - and perhaps work up a sweat - in Clärchen's Ballhaus. This is one of the last remaining ballrooms from the 20th century, and tango is still taught in its hall of mirrors. Afterwards, you should sample the delicious cuisine.

Tipi am Kanzleramt
Große Querallee, 10557 Berlin-Tiergarten
U Bundestag
Tipi am Kanzleramt's Website

BKA-Theater
Mehringdamm 34, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg
U Mehringdamm
BKA-Theater's Website

Berliner Ensemble
Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
S+U Friedrichstraße
Berliner Ensemble's Website

Friedrichstadtpalast
Friedrichstrasse 107, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
S+U Friedrichstraße
Friedrichstadtpalast's Website

Clärchens Ballhaus
Auguststraße 24, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
S Oranienburger Straße
Clärchens Ballhaus' Website

If you still have the energy to cruise after all that culture (or just want to relax), you should go to the Boiler. This is currently Berlin's only hip, gay sauna. The pool is sensational. From one of the saunas you can even seeunder the surface of the water. Berlin's parks are also ideal for gay cruising: for example, the Volkspark Friedrichshain at the memorial of the Spanish fighters, the Hasenheide, or traditionally the Tiergarten at the Löwenbrücke.

Boiler
Mehringdamm 34, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg
U Mehringdamm
Boiler's Website

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