Gay Munich Travel Guide – Germany

Gay Munich Travel Guide

Gay Munich Travel Guide: Beer, bratwursts, traditional costumes, and sporting ambitions – the Bavarian capital Munich as the third-largest German city has many characteristics for which Germany is famous. Even if the German state of Bavaria is one of the politically more conservative federal states, Munich has become a well-known and popular place to live for the LGBTQ + community, and not just. The gay movement began to secure a permanent place in Munich as early as the 1950s, which of course was a very positive and progressive development not only for gay men but also for the entire LGBTQ+ community. In the past few years, the Bavarian capital has secured the reputation of being one of the most liveable cities in the whole world, not only because of its exceptionally low crime rate.

But without its breweries and beer halls, such as the Hofbräuhaus, which opened in 1589, the annual major events such as the Oktoberfest, or a traditional white sausage, Munich would not be Munich after all. The cityscape of the administratively independent southern German city is also characterized by centuries-old buildings such as the Marienkirche, the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, or Nymphenburg Palace, as well as numerous world-famous museums. And of course, there is a lively LGBTQ+ community in Munich, which organizes one of the biggest CSD and Pride events in Germany every year. Everything you need to know for a Munich gay city trip to the Bavarian capital can be found in this Munich travel guide for a couple of men traveling!

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City Trip to Munich – When to go?

Germany, in general, is a travel destination that is worth visiting in both summer and winter. The same applies, of course, to Munich, which, with its location in the southern part of Bavaria, has both hot summer days and cold winter weeks to offer. Our first trip took us to the Bavarian capital in late summer, where, thanks to numerous parks and green spaces, we could find sufficient opportunities for refreshment in between, despite the heat. In autumn, more precisely in October, Munich invites the world to the largest beer and autumn festival. Winter is characterized by cold periods with snow and frost. The city then transforms into a true winter wonderland with the Pink Christmas Market for gays and the LGBTQ+ community as well as the largest Christmas market, the ‘Munich Christkindlmarkt‘.

Not far from Munich, LGBTQ+ travelers in Munich can spend the entire winter in the snow, for example in the ski areas Berchtesgadener Land or around the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. In spring, with the first rays of sunshine, Munich turns into a popular travel destination for lesbian, gay, and queer travelers. But what to do when it rains in the Bavarian capital? Don’t you worry! There are numerous museums and historical buildings that are definitely worth a visit. We are looking forward to our next visit, maybe to the CSD Munich Pride, or for a visit to the pink Christmas market?

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How LGBTQ+ and gay-friendly is Munich?

Conservative or not, you can consider Munich to an LGBTQ-friendly German city. Gay-friendly tendencies go back to the 1950s, and thus to a time when same-sex behavior was still punishable by law. One of the most famous figureheads of gay life in Munich was Freddie Mercury, co-founder, composer, and lead singer of the band Queen, who lived in Munich’s Glockenbackviertel for about six years. At that time, creative LGBTQ+ life starts to flourish in Munich. The community established various bars, clubs, and parties in the city, especially in gayborhood Glockenbachviertel.

Probably the best-known gay and queer establishment in Munich, the bar, restaurant, hotel, and gay sauna named ‘Deutsche Eiche’, became increasingly important in the early 1970s. Munich today is still one of the LGBTQ+ and gay-friendliest cities in Germany, not only thanks to its numerous locations but also through social projects that support the young queer generation. The exciting history of the LGBTQ+ community in the state capital is constantly being written, including the AIDS Monument, the art installation in a former cruising hot spot on Hofplatz, and the annual CSD Munich Pride.

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Gay CSD Munich Pride

As early as 1980, just 11 years after the Stonewall uprisings in New York, the first CSD took place in the Bavarian capital, at that time under the name Politparade “Stonewall-Demo”. 150 brave gay men and 30 lesbian women came to this first Pride event. Only 10 years later, in 1990, the CSD Munich already had several hundred participants. A trend that should continue. As one of the largest LGBTQ + events in Germany, the CSD Munich Pride has established itself as an integral part of the annual CSD calendar with more than 150,000 participants (as of 2019).

Gay-friendly Hotels in Munich

LGBTQ + travelers can choose from numerous accommodations, hotels, hostels, and bed & breakfasts in Munich. As one of the largest and most gay-friendly cities in Germany, there is something for every taste. In our gay Munich travel guide, we can particularly recommend two hotels: The Aloft Munich, a Marriott-run hotel near Munich Central Station, and the Deutsche Eiche, which has also made a name for itself as a hotel in Germany’s most expensive trendy district. We are already looking forward to our next visit, maybe we will try another LGBTQ + friendly hotel in the Bavarian capital.

Gay-friendly Activities & things to do in Munich

The range of activities in Munich could hardly be more diverse. Exactly the right travel destination for us gay adventurers. Numerous well-known historical buildings, church buildings that can be seen from afar, and well over 100 museums actually speak for themselves. The sporting history of the Bavarian capital has, among other things, has a lot to offer with the Olympia Park area. And yet there are also sights and activities in Munich that locals don’t immediately have on their to-do list.

How about, for example, a gay city tour with tour guide Alexander Kardashenko from YourMunichTour, who always had the right information about the LGBTQ + community ready for the highlights of the city of Munich? Or, for those who are active on the move, how about a bike tour to Nymphenburg Palace in the west of the city and a walk through its wide park? Munich also has a lot to offer for (sporty) adrenaline junkies. A walk to the roof of the Olympic Stadium followed by a zip-line flight over the stadium, for example. And what do we have to say about it? Simply Munich!

Gay Bars, Clubs & Saunas in Munich

Of course, a big city like Munich has a lot to offer regarding gay nightlife and LGBTQ+ events. From gay men-only cruising locations to LGBTQ+ welcoming cafés and restaurants, Munich has much to offer for queer locals and the international traveler. In our list of LGBTQ+ and gay-friendly places in Munich, we grouped the localities by topic into Gay Clubs and  LGBTQ+ party locations, Gay bars, gay saunas, Fetish localities, as well as restaurants and cafés. Enjoy your trip to Munich with our tips for a great night out or a culinary journey in Munich.

Gay Clubs LGBTQ+ Party Locations in Munich:

• 1. NY.Club: Munich’s only gay owned and operated Dance-Club for the LGBTQ community, Elisenstraße 3
• 2. 8 Below: Party-Location for Eurodance Party, Schützenstraße 8
• 3. Harry Klein Club: Gay Party @ Harry Klein, Sonnenstraße 8
• 4. Oberangertheater: Party Location, Oberanger 38
• 5. KSAR Barclub: Location for Pink Paradise Party, Müllerstraße 31

Gay Bars in Munich:

• 1. SubBar – Sub – Schwules Kommunikations- und Kulturzentrum München e.V., Müllerstraße 14
• 2. Prosecco Bar – Disco club and hit parties, Theklastraße 1
• 3. Zur Feuerwache – Bar with Drinks and Snacks, Blumenstraße 21a
• 4. Edelheiss Bar – a rustic gay bar in the heart of Munich, Pestalozzistraße 6
• 5. Café Nil Cafe – the home of casual boys (and girls), Hans-Sachs-Straße 2
• 6. Jenny was a friend of mine – Gay Bar, Holzstraße 14
• 7. Café Regenbogen – Café of the Munich AIDS Aid, Lindwurmstraße 71

Gay Cruising Bars in Munich:

• 1. Ochsengarten Bar – Munich’s first (cruising) bar for jeans, leather, uniform and rubber guys (since 1967), Müllerstraße 47
• 2. Camp Munich – men only gay cruising, Reisingerstraße 15

Gay Sauna in Munich:

• 1. Deutsche Eiche – Gay-friendly Hotel, Restaurant, Bar, Sauna, Reichenbachstraße 13
• 2. Schwabinger Men Sauna, Düsseldorfer Straße 7
• 3. Herrensauna München, Dachauerstraße 9a

Gay Fetisch Shops in Munich:

• 1. SpeXter Fetishshop, Müllerstraße 54
• 2. Brunos Store Munich – the largest shopping adventure world for gays, Thalkirchner Straße 4

Gay-friendly Restaurants in Munich:

• 1. Moro Restaurant – gay-friendly Restaurant, Müllerstraße 30
• 2. Beim Franz – gay-friendly restaurant, Holzstraße 41
• 3. Café Glück – gay-friendly Restaurant and Café, Palmstraße 4

Gay Germany Travel Guide

Beer, BMW, Bayern München – The Bavarian capital city knew how to impress us. We enjoyed some wonderful summer days in Munich as part of our Staycation Road Trip adventure around Germany. Apropos Germany, Munich is just one capital city of 16 other federal states, all individually beautiful with their exceptional atmosphere. From the Baltic and Northern Sea over the North German Plain, the German low mountain ranges to the foothills of the Alps and the majestic Alpin mountain ranges – Germany has everything for every type of LGBTQ+ traveler including over 60 annual CSD and LGBTQ+ pride events. Make sure to put a trip to Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, the island Rügen and beyond on your bucket list while visiting one of the most gay-friendly countries in Europe according to the annual Gay Travel Index 2020. We are sure you’ll have a wonderful experience, too!