Prenzlauer Berg for Gays, Lesbians, and all Queers

Whether it's a coffee in the afternoon or drinks in the evening with friends, the Marietta Bar on Stargarder Straße is the ideal place for socialising or enjoying some quality reading time. There are also books available in the bar for those who are as enthusiastic about reading as Roberto Manteufel, Marietta’s owner. On Wednesdays, the clientele are predominantly queer men. In general, however, the crowd here is very diverse. On certain evenings, the DJ decks are set up in the Marietta Bar and guests can enjoy their drinks, listen to music, all whilst seated on the cosy 60s-inspired furniture.

Marietta Bar
Stargarder Straße 13, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg,
Train station Schönhauser Allee
Instagram account Marietta Bar

For those who want some entertainment with their drinks, the Tipsy Bear is the ideal bar. It routinely hosts drag shows, pub quizzes, bingo nights, karaoke, and other great events. The bar is distinctly queer, with quirky furnishings reminiscent of venues in Brooklyn, New York.

Tipsy Bear
Eberswalder Straße 21, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Metro station Eberswalder Straße
Instagram account Tipsy Bear

The flea market in Mauerpark is one of Prenzlauer Berg’s must-see attractions. Every Sunday the park is a meeting point for traders and for people who, after a spring cleaning à la Marie Kondo, want to sell clothes, furniture, or other treasures. Numerous stalls sell delicious food and fresh drinks. If it gets too busy here, you can escape from the flea market to the park adjacent to the flea market, where you can relax on the grass and doze in the sun. You can also head for the karaoke spot in Mauerpark - either to unleash your inner diva or to listen to other (incredibly talented) singers.

Flohmarkt im Mauerpark
Bernauer Straße 63-64, 13355 Berlin-Mitte
Metro station Eberswalder Straße
Infos zum Flohmarkt im Mauerpark

The Helmholtz district is one of the most tranquil in the north of the capital. There are numerous cafés, restaurants and ice cream parlours waiting to be discovered. In addition, there is the Prenzlauer Berg water tower, the oldest in Berlin. It went into operation in 1877 and supplied the neighbourhood with water until the 1950s. Since 1937, the area has been a public park. There is a lovely little playground, trampolines, and an area where you can enjoy a picnic on the grass.

Wasserturm Prenzlauer Berg
Knaackstraße 23, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Metro station Senefelder Platz
Infos Wasserturm (in German)

The joint owners of the restaurant Kanaan, Oz Ben David and Jalil Debit, advertise their business with T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘I am hummussexual’. David, Debit, and their team serve mouth-watering vegan-vegetarian and Israeli-Palestinian dishes. One of their specialities is, obviously, hummus. On their website, the owners point to the fact that they employ refugees from the Middle East and Africa in the restaurant. In addition, Kanaan has also been declared a safe space for all genders. Racism, homophobia, and transphobia are not tolerated. How great would it be to read similar disclaimers in other places more often.

Kanaan Berlin
Schliemannstraße 15, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Train station Prenzlauer Allee
Website Kanaan Berlin

Stolpersteine - a project by the artist Gunter Demnig - are commemorative brass plaques about the size of a beer lid. They are embedded in the pavement in front of the entrance to the last known homes of people who were persecuted by the National Socialists before they were deported to concentration camps. These included Jewish people, Sinti and Roma, people from the politically or religiously motivated resistance, and homosexuals. The Aktives Museum’s website offers several guided tours and neighbourhood walks. One of them includes a route through the Winsviertel in Prenzlauer Berg. The itinerary, with the relevant information on each person, can be printed out and the route followed alone or with a companion.

Stolperstein walk through Berlin neighborhood "Winsviertel"
Start: Tram station Prenzlauer Allee/Danziger Straße
Inspiraton for neighborhood walks via stolpersteine-berlin.de

The Sonntags-Club is an events, information, and advice centre for queers, their friends and anyone else who might be interested. On Saturdays and Sundays, only the café is open. During the week, in addition to the café, the association also offers space for groups engaging with a wide range of topics. The programme ranges from information for BDSM beginners, to meetings for women in health professions, to networking opportunities for older gay men. There is also the chance to participate in improvised theatre with other queer people and their friends.

Sonntags-Club e.V.
Greifenhagener Straße 28, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Train station Schönhauser Allee
Website Sonntags-Club

On some evenings you might want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. For film lovers, there is a quaint art house cinema on the popular Kastanienallee that hosts some cultural gems. Current arthouse films, classics, retrospectives, and exhibitions are shown here. Sometimes, the film directors are invited to screenings and are available for a Q&A. Fun Fact: the cinema used to be a butchery’s shop floor, as well as the butcher’s flat. Now, with 32 seats, it is one of the smallest and most charming cinemas in Berlin. In the summer of 2023, for example, 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed' can be found on the programme – a documentary film about Nan Goldin, an icon of queer photography. (More queer films in Berlin's open-air cinemas can be found here.)

Lichtblick-Kino
Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Metro station Eberswalder Straße
Website Lichtblick cinema

The swimming pool at Hotel Oderberger is a great place to visit on rainy days. The swimming pool was opened for the first time in 1902 and has been reopened for bathers after extensive renovations. You can swim laps here in an imposing ambience or gaze up at the high ceilings from a lounger on the pool's edge. Those looking for a little more relaxation can head to the sauna and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind.

Schwimmbad im Hotel Oderberger
Oderberger Straße 57, 10435 Berlin
Metro station Eberswalder Straße
Website pool in Hotel Oderberger

Directly opposite the famous Märchenbrunnen is the Georgen Parochial Cemetery. Places of final repose can be beautiful and inviting, as demonstrated by this cemetery in the north of Berlin. A special feature is an area designated exclusively for lesbian burials. This space was established in 2014 and is intended to provide visibility, as well as sense of community.

Lesbenfriedhof im Georgen-Parochial-Friedhof
Greifswalder Straße 229, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Metro station Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Website Georgen-Parochial-Friedhof

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Words: Julian Beyer