Berlin is super gay. Gayness is so well accepted in every aspect of society that you’ll find sprinkles of it everywhere.
Today, most people associate the city with crazy sex fetish clubs and an extremely lax attitude to, well just about everything. In fact, you’re not far from the truth: in Berlin, anything goes, except crossing the road when it’s red. Don’t get caught jaywalking in Germany!
Couples (straight or gay) will in particular love this city. There’s plenty of romantic things to do to suit all preferences.
Here's our 5 favourite romantic experiences in Berlin following our recent visit.
1. Dine at the highest restaurant in Germany
The Fernsehturm Berlin TV Tower at Alexanderplatz is one of the most iconic buildings of the city. It is 368m (1,207 ft) high, making it the highest structure in the entire country.
The Telecafé is 207m (679 ft) high and it slowly spins round, making it the highest revolving restaurant in Germany.
This was one of our most memorable dinner experiences: overlooking the Berlin skyline at sunset from over 200m high as you turn slowly to get the full 360 degrees view.
The restaurant takes 1 hour to fully revolve 360 degrees and is hands down the best view you can possibly dream of for a romantic dinner with your beau.
2. Baroque themed dinner and music concert
Berlin punches its weight when it comes to classical music. This is the city that gave us some of the most famous - Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Wagner and many more.
The Charlottenburg Palace is decorated in rococo style and now a museum where classical music concerts are hosted and romantic dinners served.
We had the perfect date night here, when the theme was Italian. That meant yummy classics like carpaccio, gnocchi, tiramisu and more...
The musicians at the Palace were all dressed up in Baroque era style - think big wigs and dresses for the women and the men suited up with elaborate curly backcombed wigs.
And they blew us away:
3. Discovering the sites hand in hand
Berlin has many iconic sites, each with its own story. Walking through them at night after sunset, hand in hand when it's all lit up is the best way to enjoy them with your lover.
We rarely feel comfortable walking hand in hand and showing public displays of affection during our travels, except in places like Barcelona, Madrid, parts of London and a few others. Berlin is one of these exceptions. As a gay couple we felt so accepted here and comfortable enough to walk the streets holding hand.
The East Side Gallery on Mühlenstrasse in the Kreuzberg area is one of the most visual reminders of the former Berlin Wall. It has been converted into a colourful 1.3km (0.8 miles) memorial with graffiti by artists from all around the world. One section of the Gallery is devoted to lovers, where you can seal your love with a love lock.
The famous Brandenburg Gate is another important monument to stroll through after sunset when it is lit up. It's not only an iconic symbol of the EU but of reunification as well. During the days of the Berlin Wall, it was No Man’s Land and abandoned for 3 decades until 1989. Today it rises up alive and proud for the world to see.
4. Romance and cocktails in a speakeasy bar
In a city where most gay bars are geared to dark rooms or specific fetishes, it's refreshing to stumble on those hidden gems where you can enjoy a romantic drink with your beau.
Stagger Lee is a gay friendly speakeasy bar in the heart of Berlin's gay scene in Schöneberg. The lighting is subtle, the furniture a nod to the 1920s when speakeasy bars really came into prominence and the cocktails, delicious! It's the perfect place for a romantic drink before hitting the nearby gay party scene.
5. Tickets to a show at the Friedrichstadt-Palast
The Friedrichstadt-Palast is a famous theatre in the heart of the city and now considered the largest and most modern show palace in Europe.
The Palast was built in 1865 as a market hall before being converted into a circus and finally into the theatre it is today.
We watched The WYLD, which like most shows at the Palast, included hot topless dancers, crazy cabaret, incredible singing, flamboyant dance routines and plenty of fabulous outfits:
For more information about gay Berlin, check out our guide to the gay scene of Berlin and gay bars of Schöneberg.