Dear friend,
you’ve been to Berlin before? you’ve never been? you are planning a trip?
begin or expand your berlin world with this page.
***but please only share this page with radical queers you love and trust***
also if something is out of date lmk and i can change it or if something to be added!
QUEER FESTIVALS
EASTER CONFERENCE postponed til ? – Oster Konferenz – all impromptu Oster bdsm parties are on on Fetlife (Honey and Spice, Jasmin, Femme Fatalities, TIN + friends, Peppermint)
Cutie.BPoC Festival – on hold
QTIPoC Kink Festival; B.O.U.N.D. Fest.
FOLSOM – SEPTEMBER – many parties in FLINTA (Frauen, Lesben, Intersex, Non Binary, Trans, Asexaul) and Fag scenes – see Fetlife
pornfilmfestival OCTOBER – last weekend for 4 days before the weekend!
Transformations – TPOC organized film festival. white people can apply with films but qtpoc work prioritized
STRETCH – season gatherings. for trans bi and gay men and many more non binary folks there too and a sprinkling of trans women. fall and summer STRETCH are smaller and more comfortable in some ways than the giant Easter gathering
VENUES
LOCAL TIPS!
– don’t take photos at many of these places
– there’s A LOT of heavy cigarette smoke after 11 pm*
– watch your drinks! very very rarely it happens but people have been spiked.
– watch your phones/ bags! thievings going on.
-watch you don’t walk in bike lanes which are right next to the sidewalk
until December Social Pleasure Center. scan QR code for classes, events, Queer Meditation
HYDRA CAFE (sex worker led!)
SUDBLOCK ( Great for dinner/ eve drinks )
SILVER FUTURE* (WIFI) (they are willing to host events if you talk to them in advance) no food but sometimes the samosa guy comes around and also there are snacks in a bag that drops from the ceiling. there’s also non alcoholic drink menu you can ask for and huge HERB TEA selection that you can view in their European style tea box.
Möbel Olfe* (non smokers don’t go here unless you have HIGH tolerance for smoke)
SCHWUZ* BIG RADICAL DANCE CLUB -has area for sex and not horribly smokey
Quälgeist
If you are on fetlife check out: Honey & Spice, Femme Fatalities, Peppermint and Dungeons Deluxe. Also Jasmine BDSM for monthly education which there is always translators for. Very educational. Ask around for Sex Deluxe – which is more of a sex party. Sex Deluxe party you need to find out about through word of mouth. There are 4 parties a year and they are awesome! Next party may be in April.
BERGHAIN*
BIG ALL NIGHT DANCE CLUB QUEERish
this place has a darkroom! fun! it’s even fun trying to find it in the dance church maze. they don’t always let you in so dress cute. this club is open 24/7 berliners go sunday morning/ afternoon/ night and tourists on friday and saturday. snacks and ice cream for sale. you can get condoms and gloves from bar staff for free. i would bring my own lube packets though although there are huge lube pump canisters in dark room. You can even go at 10 am if you are really a deep dancer Saturday morning or Sunday morning.
GEGEN – great wild night at KitKatClub
LABORATORY – sex club for men
RESTAURANTS
Azzam cheapest and best restaurant in Berlin on Sonnenalle.
Barettino (has wifi) super delicious brunches! good juices!
Brammibal Donuts on the canal (VEGAN) also good vegan grilled cheese
Cocolo Ramen on the canal go earlier though as it’s packed! not much vegetarian but one thing i think
Ankerklause – fish and chips and big breakfasts – it’s like a boat and you can sit on the canal
bravo BRAVKO -best cake in town? and wifi
Most delightful German diner for breakfast or cake of a german diner meal – Kuchen Kaiser Oranienplatz 11-13 no wifi
QUEER ART
need to book a diy venue for art or your band/ project: altes
QUEER BODY
YOU NEED A TATTOO? ATXE or Fercha or Brody
YOU NEED A HAIRCUT? great new queer barber La Bar Ber – many hairstylists- i had Pukka they were awesome.
BUTCH CUTS book an appointment on the fb page. Only open Friday and Saturday now. Say you know me (if you do lol)
FREE HEALTH CARE YOU DON’T SHOW ID & THERES MEDICINE THERE please refer to this map for exact location
ALSO- if you are sick almost all pharmacists speak English and can help you often with medication and diagnosis like a doctor would. look out for signs that say APOTHEKE
need euro style thrift store clothes? Try HUMANA – not the expensive vintage one on Karl Marx tho
huge weird carni costume library – make a donation and bring things back! at exit
QUEER HEALING
Casa Kua – BIPOC centered healing center
Dixie Turner – new British cranio sacral healer – highly recommend
Shannon Cooney – not queer but heals and trains a lot of queers in cranio. magical!
Heile House: free/donation based health consultations, alternative medicine
MASSAGE – Richard – 30 euros/ 1 hour massage on thursday!
Somatics Practioners:
eddylevinhere@gmail.com (new queer practioner of https://pantareiapproach.com)
need to fix something w acupuncture? http://www.berlin-akupunktur.com/
or Julian – french – queer friendly – really good text +49 1575 2940027 telegram
QUEER MEDITATION – SUNDAYS at noon happening in Casino Fortuna
Plum Village LGBT sangha on Monday nights. PM for details.
QUEER SEXUALITY
Karada House – Karada House is a queer collaborative art space that researches the boundaries, intersectionalities and politics of body with events workshops festivals and more!
Slut Slam – expensive but covid safe event by Cameron Moore. Sex storytelling. Amazing embodied vibe and community.
Secret Berlin Queer cruising facebook group post here
OK CUPID, Tinder and grinder and Planet Romeo are happening
Other Nature: Pick up some lube here or their biggest seller their compact anal douche! Fun Factory is an amazing brand that is cheaper on this side of the pond. This is a collective company now!
also only open on Fridays: Sexclusvit – small and cute and queer friendly.
Manon – escort – manon.praline at gmx.net or @madamemanonpraline on instagram
Luk Transboy – escort
Finn Peaks – ftm escort
Joey – masc afab escort/ massage
Sadie Lune – kinky femme sex worker
Ann Antidote – bondage teacher
Rent a Dungeon!
THINK YOU GOT HIV/ STI get free checks here* or here
*try to use condoms/gloves there are a lot diseases here (also for oral) with the increase in prep use – hiv organizations saying no condoms needed! eeek!!
you really really like kink? click here for a map of everything kink in berlin
QUEER HEALTH
GYM you can work out twice at Mcfit for free just come in with a passport and an address. also same goes for John Reed.
Queer Fitness Class with Tom Wednesday and Friday
Queer Fitness Class with Martin Wednesday @ 18 o’clock!
trans*inter* swimming every first tuesday in the month organized by this group: Seitenwechsel
AMAZING POOLS Columbiabad and Prinzenbad (also has a FKK nudist area at the very back!) bring picnic with lots of grassy area with trees
Queer Yoga
SAUNA
Krystal Sauna! best birthday sauna! free! you get a photo by a palm tree or giant crystal and a free voucher for something small in the restaurant like a drink or ice cream. buy an ABC ticket. a few stops from downtown on the train.
FANCIER SAUNA BUT WORTH IT: VABALI – heated water beds to take naps and relax on!
new tip – women only sauna
many saunas have aufguss which is amazing. sit on first level if you can near door for your first ones. HYDRATE!
learn about the aufguss here from wiki:
(Aufguss, lit: “Onpouring”) During an Aufguss session the Saunameister uses a large towel to circulate the hot air through the sauna, intensifying sweating and the perception of heat. Once the Aufguss session has started it is not considered good manners to enter the sauna, as opening the door would cause loss of heat (Sauna guests are expected to enter the sauna just in time before the Aufguss. Leaving the session is allowed, but grudgingly tolerated). Aufguss sessions are usually announced by a schedule on the sauna door. An Aufguss session in progress might be indicated by a sign hung on the sauna entrance. Cold showers or baths shortly after a sauna, as well as exposure to fresh air, garden or open-air (Frischluftraum) are considered a must.
also check out liquidroom its like being on mdma with the salt water dark floating pool!
trans friends navigate these spaces w towels
BOILER ROOM – for men (trans and cis)
ORGANIZATIONS
TRIQ (TRANS ENGLISH MEETING LAST FRI OF THE MONTH (NON SMOKING) (WIFI)
HYDRA (peer led sex worker rights orga)
GREAT RECOVERY
Narcotics Anonymous Groups Check Saturday 12:30 and Sunday in tower 7:30
English Speaking AA : https://www.aa-lgbtqi-berlin.org – meetings everyday of the week
http://www.schokofabrik.de/ press the english button for meeting space, woodworking learning, german learning, hammam and more! only for women.
ACCOMODATION – good for finding sublets for a week to a month! post or scroll in here:
BERLIN QUEER EXCHANGE (you could potentially post skills/ events you have to offer berlin here)
Air bnb is very cheap, but always better to pay queers – post in groups first. Air bnb is gentrifying Berlin.
Boat hotel – good reviews from queers – private room is nice
Regenbogenfabrik – good vibes – diy cinema and cafe and bike fixing place
INTERNET CAFES – prepare for very slow wifi at cafes!
free wifi at all groceries stores with the name REWE and Lidl
NEST (back room is empty gorgeous and huge!) on Gorlitzer Park
EIS = ice cream
fyi berlin has thee best ice cream
BEST PHONE SOLUTION/ ELECTRONICS
just use WHATSAP or VIBER when you are here (easiest and cheapest)
germans love the app telegram or signal instead of whatsap
KNOW A GERMAN! – ALDI 7.99 (3 GB) , 12.99 (6GB) or 17.99 EUROS (12 GB) A MONTH SIM with phone and data – you need to fill out a long german form. need to show your passport to a tiny video real person who comes on your phone. have a german nearby to help you show passport to the person on your phone. you pay/ month so it’s easier. i pay with just paying at the aldi till what plan i want and enter the numbers in my phone and miraculously my phone works! there is an app on the phone to register and a website etc.
need an adaptor for north american computers/ phones? 3 euros! at YES ELECTRONICS phone broken or other small electronics? they can maybe fix! a lot of us get our phones fixed here.
Mac computer broken? Wolfcare or AppleGuy Don’t bother going to mac store they take weeks to fix also the apple approved ones too.
DAY TRIPS and ACTIVITIES
*** rent a bike at Bike 44 for 4 euros/ hour or 25 for the whole week
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO WORK OR PAY IF YOU GO TO THESE PROJECTS! please do not go there and take, only go there if you are willing to contribute! Write a month in advance. Or at least two weeks.
PONDEROSA – performance artist/ dance village
Arruda – feminist queer retreat centre – creek, forest, gardens, sauna, big spaces, accessible!!
Europe’s Best Private Tour Guide: the one and only LGBT TOUR OF BERLIN! by Finn Ballard
Modular – most mindblowing crafty store – overpriced so watch your basket
free German classes email my friend: rndt@alpadia.com (run every two months for a week crash course of afternoons only – you may get lucky!)
BERLIN PARKS : templehof, treptow and hasenhide are the nicest. hasenheide has cruising and a gay nudist area! around the rose garden.
but also try picnicing on insel
Berlin Lakes
Hiking – download All Trails for 100s of hikes in and around Berlin
If you live in Berlin
and need your house painted: Painting
QUEER PHOTOGRAPHERS
this is our queer world.
let’s fill it with love and respect and support each other to make sustainable lives.
please let me know if you or a friend needs to be added to this page!
Have fun!
Coral
queerberlin 