Prague

Prague, Eastern Europe's most liberal capital with vibrant gay culture

City Overview

Prague has always been considered a political, cultural, and economic hub of central Europe, with a rich history and Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architectures.

Czech society is tolerant and largely atheist, and an average gay traveller here should not expect any discrimination above and beyond that of other major European cities.

Needless to say, in Gay Prague, you can find almost every type of nightlife imaginable, from hipster cocktail bars, and bohemian cafes to underground drag pubs and all-night gay dance events.

Vinohrady is one of the coolest places to stay in Prague and LGBTQ neighbourhood, and it’s located close to Prague city centre as Prague 2 district.

Getting Around

The best way to get around Prague is walking or by public transportation. Exploring this city on foot allows you to explore the whole city as most of the main tourist attractions are within walking distance of one another.

Airport Transfer

Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport which is located 17 km) west of the city centre.

The most economical option to get to the city centre is a combination of a bus 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin where you then need to transfer to subway line A (green) to continue to a downtown station. The bus station is in front of Terminal 2 (Exit D).

There is the Airport Express bus that takes you to the Prague Main Station (Praha Hlavni Nadrazi) eliminating the need to transfer to the subway with a journey time of about 45 minutes.

There is also a share shuttle bus transfer that takes you from the airport directly to your hotel. This is in an 8-passenger van and the ride takes up to 60 minutes depending on traffic and the number of stops.

Taxis are available but tend to be expensive relative to the other transport options

Places to stay

Even though Prague is not a big city, it is still divided into different districts and neighbourhoods, all of which have their  own unique charm, advantages and disadvantages.

If you are wondering which neighbourhood is the most central that is the Prague 1 district close to the main attractions.

Prague 1 is the main touristic neighbourhood directly north of Vinohrady, split into 4 parts: the “Old Town”, the “New Town”, the “Lesser Town” and the “Prague Castle area”.

Vinohrady is one of the coolest places to stay in Prague, the LGBTQ neighbourhood, and it’s located close to Prague city centre as Prague 2 district.

Bars, Clubs & Parties

The main gay area of Prague is in the trendy residential neighbourhood called “Vinohrady”, which is the eastern edge of Prague 2 close to Náměstí Míru metro station. The majority of the gay hangouts are mainly found here, with a couple of others in “Prague 1”. 

The gay club scene in Prague is always changing, and it seems some places open just as quickly as they close. A few of the most iconic as those mentioned below.

Friends Club perfectly located in the centre offer a great place to dance. They hold daily event with Warm-up Party, karaoke nights, Friends Connection parties, Transvestite shows, old queer pop hits and club quiz nights.

Piano Bar is possibly the oldest LGBTQ bar in Prague conveniently located between Poděbrad Square and the Žižkovská Television Tower.

The Bourgeois Pig is a small and welcoming queer theatre bar that serves different sorts of martinis and great cocktails. The staff are friendly, full of humour and interesting to talk to. The place feels like home and is nicely decorated with paintings and photographs.

The Saint’s Bar is a small and cosy bar located right in the heart of Prague’s gay quarter ‘Vinohrady’, and just around the corner from the gay club Termix. The bar aims to provide a fresh and distinctive twist to the Prague gay scene and prides itself on providing a warm atmosphere, friendly service, excellent drinks and great music. The eclectic range of barmen come from all corners of the world and all speak English. 

Termix is a small and popular gay club which plays great seventies-style disco songs to dance on. The free entrance and fairly priced drinks attract a crowd of all genders and sexualities but mostly gay guys. You have to ring a buzzer to enter but don’t let this put you off as the staff is very friendly.

Cafes & Restaurants

Eastern European cuisine might not be famous cuisine but if you avoid the tourist traps of trdelnik or langos you should try and seek out Czech delicacies such as potato pancakes fried in lard, potato dumplings filled with smoked meat and  sauerkraut, sweet curd dumplings filled with fruit, pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, or roasted beef sirloin with creamy sauce and cranberries served with dumplings.

Prague’s gay life doesn’t only just happen at night as there are several gay cafes. A few of the famous are Q Cafe, Cafe-Cafe or Patra, but keep your eyes open as you wander around as you will see a few more.

Fetish Bar\Cruise bars

Drakes Club is the oldest gay & play bar for men in Prague. The ground floor has a large bar and a cabin area where you can watch films in shared or private cabins. The basement floor has a labyrinth and some play areas with cages and chains. Lockers are available should you wish to change you clothes. The club is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Factory Club is a large cruising club with 3 floors and everything a guy could dream of with private cabins, full bar, glory hole, cage, slings, and showers.

The clubs has a dark, industrial vibe with videos and music made this place all the cooler. Popular after 1 am at the weekend. Many staff do not speak English and not generally friendly to foreigners as a result.

Alcatraz is a small gay bar/cruising hangout popular with leather guys or bears. The bar has a relaxed and welcoming vibe with slings and private cabins and dark room. The naked parties are very popular.

Gay Lakes & Pools

As Prague has not beach the lakes and pools are popular to maintain a tan.

Podoli Bath is an outdoor swimming pool located next to the Moldau river. The bath provides stunning views of the surrounding hills, and it is a great place to swim during the warm summer months. The bath also provides a sauna and a nude sunbathing terrace popular with gay community.

Sebarak Lake on the Eastern side is a popular spot for nudists and LGBTQ people who want to relax, sunbath naked and take a swim. The crowd is diverse, but younger guys tend to visit the place in the afternoon when they are done with their work or studies. 

Saunas

Sauna Babylonia situated in the old town of Prague is a large gay sauna which has been open for more than 20 years. It hosts a dry sauna, 2 steam baths with a maze, and several relax rooms and cabins. The bar offers a wide variety of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. There are foam parties every Friday.

Sauna David is the oldest gay sauna in Prague has been around for 25 years and attracts mostly older men. Facilities include sauna, steam, and bar.

Sauna Bonbon is a small sauna / private men’s club popular with a sauna, jacuzzi, private cabins and steam room. Clientele are mostly middle-aged local men with nice mix of slim, fit and bears. Parties with naked, juniors and swinger themes are popular.

Main LGBTQ Events

Prague due to the open-minded nature of the Czech population has the most LGBTQ events of any East European country.

The queer year kicks off with the Queer Ball held annually in March since 2013. The ball is an opportunity for gays, lesbians, queer people, and their friends to dress up and party. It includes live music, a raffle competition, and lots of dance performances. The ball goes on until 5am the next morning, so you're definitely in for an unforgettable experience!

The Prague Rainbow Spring held in May is an international sports tournament for LGBTQ athletes and their supporters. The Rainbow Spring has been organized for over 20 years, with 100s of athletes participating from all around the world. It usually features volleyball, beach volleyball, swimming, and badminton tournaments.

The largest LGBTQ event is Prague Pride Festival in August which has been organized since 2011. The week-long festival takes place in early August, featuring exhibitions, live shows, and entertainment with the Pride Parade the taking place on the Saturday at the end of the week and attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

The parade with around 100,000 attending has typically been led by the Mayor of Prague and notable other LGBTQ or LGBTQ friendly celebrities from around Europe.

Bear Summer is an international bear week in Prague for bears, bear lovers, and friends held in August featuring social and educational events, club nights, parties, meals, and outdoor activities.

Mezipatra is Prague’s LGBTQ film festival which takes place in early November. It screens around 100 films, from both local Czech and international filmmakers.

Other

Currency – Czech koruna\Czech Crowns (CZK)

Language – Czech

Visas - Not needed for travellers from the US, Canada and Europe

Best Time To Visit – March - November

Timezone – Central European Time (GMT +2)

Homosexual Activity – Legal. The most open minded Central European country