Berlin was the longtime escape Klaus for many a gay German seeking refuge from Western social norms and mores. For almost 50 years, West Berlin was a haven for alternative lifestylists of every ilk; their collective energy and the generous social benefits made for a relatively comfortable life for those uncomfortable elsewhere. Berlin is no longer the enigma it once was, but it is still a special place, especially for gay people. By day, the traditional gaybourhhood around Nollendorferplatz can seem somewhat subdued, but these days, tell me where outside Madrid is the exuberance of ‘You Can’t Stop the Music’ still a daily reality?

There remain unique aspects to Berlin to remind visitors where they are. For example, a visit to Tiergarten will illustrate just how comfortable Germans are with nudity. These guys can’t get their clothes off fast enough; in high summer, it’s not unusual to come across nude sunbathers in city parks or find underclad athletes honing their skills in a variety of outdoor activities. The German tradition of outdoorsmanship lives on – aren’t we lucky?

For culture vultures, Berlin’s Museum Insel (Museum Island), one of the world’s highest concentrations of priceless artworks, is a must. However, Berlin is still a city where art is created, not merely admired. Stroll through the up-and-coming Prenzlauerberg and Friedrichshain gay neighbourhoods and see avant-garde art galleries alongside experimental fashion boutiques and well-patronised cafés. For insight into Germany’s Expressionist movement, visit the excellent Brücke Museum in Berlin’s southwest.

Potsdamer Platz is the shiny new city centre. Here, among the cafés and glass skyscrapers, sense the optimism still lingering from heady days of post-Wall freedom.  The thin brick line across the expansive plaza represents the location of the Berlin Wall, of which captioned pieces are still left as graffitied memorials to the past. The Potsdamer Platz area is also the location of Grand Hyatt, where gorgeous staff and atmosphere welcome gay and lesbian visitors to its Marlene Dietrich Platz address. For workout travellers, the top-floor Club Olympus  is great and a treatment at its spa makes an excellent tonic for mornings after if lying out on the sun terrace unpampered is too taxing a proposition.

No one gay or straight should leave Berlin without visiting the Gay Museum, known in German as the Schwules Museum. A real museum all about us! Don’t expect to see solid-gold dildos or personalised latex gloves; the Gay Museum’s goal is to show the variety of homosexual lifestyles and redress clichés and prejudice. This it does admirably. There are photos, paintings, costumes, books and other memorabilia depicting aspects of gay life both normal and extraordinary. Don’t miss it. 

Berlin’s spanking new train station is itself a tourist attraction, but it is also a convenient base for daytrips around the former East Germany. The fabulous Sans Souci Palace in Potsdam is a popular outing close enough to be included on a Berlin WelcomeCard, which is sold by Berlin Tourism and nicknamed the XXL Tourist Ticket. It is an invaluable tool for getting around the spread-out city and into its attractions. Leipzig, a university town full of history and art, is a short train ride from Berlin and is home to Germany’s biggest gay sauna. It’s no coincidence that the biggest worldwide guide to gay saunas is the German website www.gaysaunen.de, because the country is overloaded with them. Further afield is the dazzling city of Dresden, home to Germany’s most impressive architectural patrimony at the Baroque-gone-wild Zwinger Palace. 

And what about that famous Berlin nightlife? It’s still there; subdued daytime Nollendorferplatz becomes much busier in the dark, as do we all.

www.out-in-berlin.com
www.berlin-tourist-information.de
www.berlin.grand.hyatt.com
www.schwulesmuseum.de