Gay & Lesbian Life

Gay lesbian life… An appealing village-like quality becomes evident in the cafés, taverns, markets and the maze of streets around Gazi area, which is one of the oldest sections in this capital and most important for gay meetings… Moreover, Athens has the finest restaurants and the most varied nightlife in the country and remains a major European centre of culture.

Athens Pride: Since 2005 Athens pride is organized by volunteers in the open square of Klathmonos. Usually Athens pride takes place during the month of June. In the first parade on 2005 there were about 500 persons that marched together with many supportive organizations. Last year in the march were about 3000 people, according to the police’s statement. Glitterbanditz group was main guest and local famous singer Christos Dantis, performed live later on the square. The structure of the pride consist an art exhibition hosted in galleries, all day info stands of more than 7 gay lesbian and transgender organizations on Klathmonos square and about 15-20 supportive organizations and a big dance party on the same square that starts after the parade and lasts till late at night. Athens pride is sponsored by all gay and lesbian businesses in town (clubs, restaurants, saunas, bookstores, sex shops, etc.).

Organizations: apart from the commission that looks after the development of Athens Pride, several organizations develop activities on LGBT agenda. You can check our guide for more information.

Press: LGBT press is printed and on line too. You can find City Uncovered, free printed press, in many distribution points in Athens and also outside of major metro stations. Deontravelguide is publication that twice a year feeds you with proposed destinations and travel tips and it’s also distributed for free. There are numerous gay and lesbian sites located in Athens such as:
www.gayworld.gr, www.gaygreece.gr, www.gayathens.gr, www.lesbian.gr, www.hiv.gr, www.10percent.gr

LGBT film festivals:
Outview is the most important film festival that takes place in Athens, usually in the month of May, in TRIANON filmcentre. Is much updated as a festival with many important movies and national premiers. Porn film festival is another organized event, directed mostly to post-porn movies.

Events: there are no fixed annual events but from time to time you can find many proposals in our website concerning LGBT culture and nightlife’s events in Athens.

Food: eating out is a way of life. Restaurants are more than places to have a bite before the evening entertainment; very often they are the entertainment. There is a huge variety of options when in comes eating from local tavernas serving Greek / Mediterranean cuisine (don’t miss souvlaki, mousaka and greek salad!) to elegant restaurants. Check our guide for more information.

Coffee and … pleasure: Myrovolos for the girls and Blue train for the boys are the best places to have a cup of coffee. You can easily talk to strangers and make new friends. Additionally there are some net cafes where you can have a cup of coffee and browse on the internet searching for friendship or sex online. Try the chat rooms of www.gayworld.gr or www.lesbian.gr accordingly.

Nightlife: Athens is famous for the nightlife. Greeks unlike most west Europeans are late birds. They will never go to a restaurant earlier as nine or ten in the night. Many night clubs in Athens open after midnight. On Friday and Saturday night whole areas live heavy traffic between 3 - 5 am in the morning. Music bars, clubs and cafeterias are buzzing with young people until the early morning hours.

After midnight: You can start with Fou, Kazarma or Escape Army Academy in Gazi area, you may continue in Sodade the most famous club in Gazi or Lamda, the only club that has a dark room, located in Makrigianni. For the girls you can start with Noiz or Almaz and continue very later in Onar. All three of them are in Gazi area.

If you prefer Greek dance music: Then you certainly have to visit Fou club, Granazi club and for the girls Onar club. They are the temples of LG Greek entertainment. For Greek lounge entertainment visit Mirovolos in the evening and get informed about all live Greek music performances that take place in Sappho, Mirovolos and Almaz, especially on Fridays and Sundays.

Saunas: Alexander and Flex are the best saunas in town with very safe and clean services.

Sex cinemas: are another place you can cruise safely. Star cinema in central Omonia square is the most popular.

Bears: our bear friends have their own bar, Big. Very friendly, old fashioned and with different music attitude than the rest of the clubs, Big is located in Gazi too.

Gay leather & fetish shop is one and only: FCUK! Don’t miss the most progressive sex proposal in town…

Cruising areas: Lots! In the centre of the city you must go to Pedion Areos, near the statue of Athena, where cruising is very popular. National garden is another proposal. Or if its summer time, if you want you may go to the gay rocky beach Limanakia, before Varkiza or some Gay friendly beach as Asteras Beach.

Other: If you want to visit an LGBT bookstore you can go to Colourful planet, near Pedion Areos. You can find there all recent publications or free press in Greek and English, calendars and gadgets but most of all you can check all LGBT Greek books, in case you speak the language. A small foreign department is also available. Print your own LGBT T-shirt in Freedom copy shop, near Skoufa Street (Kolonaki area). Check for your emails either in Café 4U in the centre of the city or in Enidrio café if you are close to Akropolis.