If you’re a man who likes to have sex with other men in public places, you’ve landed on the perfect page. If you’re under 18 or have no interest in this topic, you’ve probably ended up here by accident. Feel free to go back to our main Berlin page.
Berlin could be classed as a sex haven. There are plenty of sex on premises venues (SOPV) catering to all kinks, as well as outdoor parks, a forest, and a beach. Getting naked and staying that way is a common theme, and in some venues it’s mandatory; in others, leather, fetish, and kink are the norm.
Cruise Clubs
There are more cruise clubs in Berlin than in any other city in Europe. That means that there’s something for everyone. There are your standard cruise clubs with a bar and hangout section with dark rooms—often on the floor below. Then there are clubs that have workshops on BDSM for newbies, and others with full-on naked orgy nights; there’s even a venue where talking is discouraged—just get in and get off. Most of the clubs are found in the Schomeburg gayborhood, with the rest in the neighbouring hubs.
Cover charges are common in most cruise clubs and include one or more drinks. Most are cash-only venues, so be prepared before you head out. Smoking is common in most venues in Berlin, so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to that.
Safe sex is a priority for most venues, with condoms and lube freely available.
KitKatClub
Just about everyone who goes to Berlin knows of the iconic KitKatClub in the Mitte district. It combines techno parties with gay cruising and promotes fetish culture. It’s all about sexual freedom, so wear your most creative outfit. In fact, there’s a strict dress code; no casual or streetwear is allowed, think fetish, leather, PVC, glitter, and glamour. The three floors contain indoor dance areas, outdoor spaces, a pool, chill-out zones, and darkrooms for cruising. The music is full-on techno, trance, and electro, and there are regular parties and events most nights.
Triebwerk
Fancy a full-on naked sex party? Head to Triebwerk in Kreuzberg. It’s a men-only cruise and fetish club, well-known for its raw, sleazy energy. There are around 300 sex parties a year. The venue has a strict undress policy—leave your clothes at the door (with a €1 cloakroom fee). The venue is over two floors and there’s a bar area (where smoking is allowed), darkrooms, slings, cabins, a gynaecological chair, and a St. Andrew’s Cross.
WOOF Berlin
Why is WOOF Berlin in the Schöneberg gayborhood regularly voted among the world’s top bear bars? It’s considered one of the most welcoming; the vibe is casual, friendly, and inclusive. The male-only crowd includes rugby guys, bikers, puppies, and twinks. Visitors love the well-stocked bar and the beer garden for outdoor socializing. Of course, there’s a darkroom for cruising. The other reason it’s so popular is the annual event parties, including Halloween, Folsom Europe, World AIDS Day, and its own birthday party.
Lab-oratory @ Berghain
If you’re not quite getting enough action in Berghain (see below), head downstairs to Lab-oratory. Being naked is the main vibe, and on Thursdays, it’s compulsory; you’ll put all your belongings in a bag upon entry. The venue has multiple dark rooms, private cabins, slings, glory holes, cages, and alcoves. Unlike some other cruise clubs, it also has showers, hand basins, and free condoms and lube.
Club Culture Houze
At Club Culture Houze in the Kreuzberg gayborhood on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, you can take part in a men-only sex party. On the other nights, it’s mixed, so if you’re into that too, every night is for you. Over two floors, you’ll find playrooms, cages, slings, mattresses, and dark corners perfect for cruising and fetish play. There’s subtle lighting in most rooms; only the darkroom is fully dark. There are shower facilities and a video room where you can join the jerk-off party.
New Action
New Action is a leather and fetish bar in the Schoneberg gayborhood and is for the type of guy who likes to follow rules. It’s gay men only, and the door staff strictly enforce this. You must wear one or more of these only: leather, rubber, worker, skin, boots, braces, sportswear, pigs, master, slave, uniform, army, or biker. Be sure to wash off any cologne and leave those flip flops and fashion shoes at home. Also, no nazi stuff or right-wing signs on your clothing are permitted. Ok, so you’re ready to follow all those rules? Awesome, enjoy the darkroom, sling, shower, and as much play gear as you can get your hands on. Yes, free condoms and lube are provided at the bar.
Scheune
Does sleazy, intimate, and no-holds-barred cruising work for you? Scheune in the Schoneburg gayborhood is one of Berlin’s most popular and long-established gay cruise and fetish clubs. The crowd is broad, from young to old, and all with an interest in fetish, leather, rubber, skinhead, jeans, uniform, and pup play scenes. This isn’t a venue to hang out and chat; it’s all about the cruising and play in the basement dark room. In Berlin on a Sunday night? Perfect, you’re there for the Naked Party.
Böse Buben
Are you new to the BDSM scene? Böse Buben in the Schoneburg gayborhood is the event for you. Education on all things kink is a priority here, and guys will teach you all you ever wanted to know, and even stuff you never dreamed of. There are three theme nights a week: after-work sex on Wednesdays, suck club on Fridays, and fist club on Sundays.
Ficken 3000
For an all-inclusive night out, Fikken 3000 in the Kreuzberg gayborhood has you covered. Start at the dimly lit bar on the ground floor, then get your dance moves on with some gay disco music. Look around you, there are several screens showing gay porn. Now that you’re all hot and horny, head down to the basement, where the darkroom is the highlight. You’ll discover private compartments, glory holes, and cruising spaces. The downstairs space is also kept hygienically clean. The crowd is diverse, including twinks, bears, pups, and mature gay guys.
Grosse Freiheit 114
Gay gays staying in Friedrichshain, there’s a cruise club in your hub. Grosse Freiheit 114 is most well-known for being the setting of the Netflix series Crime Scene Berlin. It’s been hosting gay men for decades; however, in 2021, new management took over, and it’s now an all-gender queer concept, combining a vibrant music scene with darkroom facilities. The vibe now is a welcoming, sex-positive environment for the diverse queer community.
Duplexx
Remember the good old days of adult sex shops with backrooms? Duplexx in the Schöneberg gayborhood is just that. Sex toys in the front and a back room cinema with cruising booths and private cabins. There are happy hour specials and themed movie nights. The atmosphere is casual, with a steady crowd, especially after work.
BULL
The Schoneburg gayborhood has a 24/7 cruise venue called Bull Bar. It’s a strict, gay-men-only, raw, no-nonsense, unapologetically sexual hangout. The bar is a gritty, authentic space focused on sexual freedom and open play. The dress code isn’t enforced, but it’s suggested you’re naked, in a jockstrap, or a cock ring. The bar is a simple metal bench spanning the wall, and you’ll be sitting on heavy, worn-in stools. There are two large darkrooms with slings, glory holes, benches, and tables, and the bathroom inside the darkroom is a common cruising spot itself.
The JAXX
In 1995, the JAXX in the Schoneburg gayborhood introduced the sex cinema concept to Berlin. The venue has been upgraded and now includes private cabins, a darkroom, and cruising areas, alongside a shop selling adult toys. The club has some strict rules on entry, and the doormen choose who can enter or not (it’s the Berghain of cruise clubs). It’s men-only and known for its sexually explicit environment focused on cruising and casual encounters. Perhaps due to the doormen’s selections, the crowd is mostly fit, younger to middle-aged men, dressed in athletic or fetish wear. Once inside, there are more rules. Keep your talking to a minimum, but turn your cruising energy up to maximum. Smoking is allowed, and while there is no bar, you can buy beer and soft drinks from dispensing machines. There’s a large darkroom and cruising area, and lockable private cabins with screens showing a selection of about 20 porn films.
XXL Berlin
If you’re horny and in Prenzlauer Berg, go to XXL Berlin, with over 250M2, it’s the largest gay cinema and cruise club in the city. The large private cabins are perfect for threesomes, and the cruising area is where you’ll find various fetish-friendly facilities. There’s also a dark zone equipped with cages, bars, and a sling room. XXL Berlin is home to the world-famous “Sucking Station”, which adds to the club’s unique cruising experience. There are regular themed events, including “Underwear & Naked Cruising” parties held on the last Thursday of every month.
Quälgeist
Locals and visitors in Tempelhof, one of Berlin’s southern suburbs, have their own gay fetish and SM cruising club called Quälgeist. It’s a club for men interested in BDSM, fetish, and kink scenes. The interior is industrial and raw, with around 300M2 of space with bondage benches, crosses, cages, stretching benches, slings, and other BDSM toys. Guests range from beginners to experienced players. The regular monthly themed events focus on different aspects of BDSM, such as spanking, fisting, trampling, and gutpunching, which adds to the authentic fetish atmosphere. Special parties include “Quälgeist mal schmutzig” (a messy, slime-themed party) and spanking nights. The club also participates in major Berlin fetish festivals like Folsom Europe and Easter Berlin.
Gay Bars and Clubs with Dark Rooms
If the 15 dedicated cruise clubs aren’t enough for you, or you’d like a little more social activity before getting down and dirty, there are two gay bars and two clubs that have darkrooms.
Prinzknecht
Prinzknecht (Prince’s Servant) is a men-only leather and fetish gay venue in the Schoneburg gayborhood. The music played is a mix of pop and dance hits, but it’s more background music. Connecting and socializing is the vibe here. There’s a smoking area out back and an outdoor terrace open in the summer months. Then there’s the darkroom on the lower level for those in a playful mood.
Capture Bar
Capture Bar, in Friedrichshain, is an alternative, arty gay bar that allows you to socialize, dance, and cruise in one place. There’s a cozy lounge area hidden behind curtains, low lighting, and a wall lined with colorful underwear near the bar. There’s an outdoor terrace, a smoking room, and a darkroom. The door staff are on hand to ensure it’s a gay men-only venue. The crowd is a little more mature than the surrounding bars and bears, and their admirers can be found here.
Berghain Club
The world’s most famous nightclub, located on the border of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin, also has darkrooms in the basement. There are three levels, and house and techno are pumping through the sound system. It’s high-energy and epic. If you can get in. The door staff are uber-strict, and to this day, nobody knows the criteria to get in. Some people get in the first time, but never again; some have never been in, and some get in every time. If, for whatever reason, you get rejected, head down to Lab-oratory downstairs (see above)
SchwuZ
SchwuZ is located in the old Kindl brewery building in Neukölln. The club is separated into 3 spaces and has a maximum capacity of 1,100, which gets reached on weekends. Regular events include drag shows, talent competitions, queer film nights, karaoke, and themed parties. The monthly Buttcocks event (usually the first Saturday of the month) makes use of the dark room and bathrooms.
Saunas
With so many cruise club options in Berlin, the sauna scene is a little sparse. There’s one men-only classic-style sauna, and another mixed venue without a dedicated cruising area.
Boiler Sauna
Boiler Sauna in the Kreuzberg gayborhood is your classic bathhouse experience in Berlin. Over three levels, you’ll find five different types of sauna, a steam room, and a jacuzzi. There are private cabins, a dark room, and multiple communal areas designed for hardcore play. The crowd ranges from young to older men (18 to 80), locals and tourists, day visitors and night owls. There’s a bar and café with an outdoor terrace serving drinks, light meals, and snacks at reasonable prices. There are even Apple Mac stations and a massage/spa area. Free lockers with digital wristbands add to the security and convenience of the experience. It has extended hours, it’s open until 6 am every day and 24/7 over the weekend.
Liquidrom
Liquidrom in the Kreuzberg gayborhood offers a unique experience in Berlin. Inside, there’s a saltwater pool and domed steam baths. What makes the experience is that the saltwater pool has music and a light show; it’s techno music, but it manages to induce relaxation. Even though it has a mixed-gender clientele, it’s well-known to be extremely gay-friendly. Swimwear is mandatory in the main pool, unless there’s a special event allowing nudity. However, the sauna and steam bath areas are nude areas all the time. There are no designated cruising or play areas, but like at any gym in the world, you may get lucky in the men’s shower area.
Parks and Beaches
Berlin has some awesome outdoor areas where the guys hang out and get their cruise on. There’s the famous Tiergarten, of course, then a nudist beach at the Great Müggelsee lake, and a forest with an infamous car park.
Tiergarten
Tiergarten in the center of the city is Berlin is one of the largest parks in Germany and the biggest outdoor cruise area in Europe. The park covers 210 hectares, and cruising could happen anywhere due to the thick foliage everywhere, with lots of little hiding places. The cruisiest area, however, is the center-west of the park between Neuer See Lake and the Bremer Weg statue. It gets busiest after work and into the evening.
Volkspark Friedrichshain
Friedrichshain has its share of bars and clubs, and also a giant cruising park. Most guys tend to meet near the Weinstraße bus stop and hang around the Spanienkämpfer (the Monument to the International Brigades). From 9 pm is when it starts to heat up, mostly guys looking to get off after partying in the area.
Volkspark Hasenheide
Volkspark Hasenheide on the Kreuzberg border is popular due to the unofficial nude sunbathing lawn in the meadow. Just because it’s not official doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. During summer, scores of guys go there to embrace the sun as well as some action in the nearby bushes.
Grunewald
Grunewald Forest is 9 miles from the city center, and the action starts in the car park. Conveniently located 800 feet from the Grunewald S-Bahn station, so you don’t even need a car. Guys meet up in the car park, then head on into the forest to find a place to play, usually between the tree nursery and the old sports field.
Lido Müggelsee
Great Müggelsee is a giant lake in Berlin, around 18 miles from the city center. On the eastern shore is a dedicated nude beach called Lido Müggelsee, with a cruise area in the forest next door. This cruise area is definitely a summer one, as it’s too cold in winter to let it all hang out on the beach.
Is Cruising Legal in Berlin?
Technically, yes, as there are no laws that state that cruising is illegal. However, public sex could fall under the public indecency laws, but only if someone lodges a formal complaint.
As you’ve seen from the vast number of outdoor areas, nobody seems particularly concerned about the indecency rules. Berlin authorities focus on preventing harassment, non-consensual behaviour, or activity near family areas, rather than policing adults in secluded places. So keep it discreet and consensual, of course, and enjoy your fun.
If, however, you’re not prepared to have a little risky playtime, the huge amount of SOPV gives you plenty of legally approved options. It’s safer, cleaner, and indoors.
