Queer Guide

© WTV/Robert Osmark 

© WTV/Harald Eisenberger Queer 

Guide 

Tips for Gay & Lesbian Guests 

www.vienna.info/gay 

Member of 

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association


2 

Contents 

4 – 5 

6 – 11 

12 – 13 

14 – 15 

16 – 17 

18 – 19 

20 – 21 

22 

23 – 26 

27 – 28 

28 – 30 

31 

32 – 33 

34 – 35 

36 – 37 

38 – 39 

40 – 41 

42 – 43 

44 

45 – 47 

Queer Life in Vienna 

Gay City Tours 

Drama & Music 

Festivals 

Art & Design 

Architecture 

Shopping 

Cafés 

City Map & Addresses 

Bars 

Restaurants 

Saunas & Open air 

Parties & Clubs 

The Dark Side 

Queer Sports 

Women Only 

Hot Winters 

Events 

Calendar 2009 & 2010 

Tourist & Gay Info 

Contents 

Infos: Up-to-date information on events in Vienna, 

hotels, guided tours and important tips can be 

found online under 

www.vienna.info 

Publisher: Vienna Tourist Board. A-1025 Vienna. Project Manager: 

Susanne Langer. Editor-in-Chief: Robert Kastl. Design and 

Layout: Publicom GmbH. Data, although carefully compiled, are 

given without commitment and are subject to change. Printed in 

Austria by AV+Astoria. (2450/08/8) 

Editorial deadline: 15 January 2009 

Delightfully Queer 

Vienna – the metropolis along the Danube – is 

known worldwide for famous tourist attractions 

like St. Stephen’s Cathedral and its Giant Ferris 

Wheel, for exquisite delights like Sacher Torte 

and Melange, as well as for the Fine Arts, great 

museums and, of course, classical music. 

The Vienna of the 21 st century, however, offers 

much more. The city has advanced to the cutting 

edge of contemporary creativity and innovative 

design. Events like Blickfang and the Viennafair 

(,p. 17) present the opportunity to experience 

even more of the creative force of this capital city. 

In addition to all this, Vienna has a sizeable gay 

and lesbian scene (,p. 22), from queer café to 

cocktail bar, from lesbian restaurant to leather 

place, from bathhouse to dance club, it is all 

here. And all that on top of the gay and lesbian 

event highlights (,p. 42) like the Life Ball, the 

Rainbow Parade, Vienna in Black, and the 

Rainbow Ball. 

Apart from the gay & lesbian scene, Vienna is 

queerer than meets the eye. For centuries homosexuals 

have left their distinctive marks in 

Austrian arts and politics, perhaps subtle, yet 

noticeable. Still many a visitor today is suddenly 

confronted with the whole truth about that certain 

historic figure (,p. 6) – “What, him too!?” 

So don’t be surprised to find that — apart from 

the gay and lesbian scene — Vienna holds a colorful 

range of cultural (,p. 12) and culinary 

(,p. 28) pleasures, of exquisite shops (,p. 20) 

and curious delights waiting to be discovered. 

Vienna waits for you! 

Vienna waits for you! 

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The magic of the city draws every visitor under 

its spell. Above all, gays and lesbians feel at 

home here, despite Vienna being no “party” 

hotspot. 

As in many small countries, the Austrian capital 

– with its 1.7 million inhabitants, totaling 2.3 million 

in the greater metropolitan area – is the 

“natural” gay & lesbian center of the country. 

Many gays and lesbians from the various provinces 

move to Vienna to be able to develop freely. 

Since Vienna is the seat of numerous international 

Organizations like OPEC, OSCE and UNIDO, 

many gays and lesbians from every land under 

the sun live and work here creating a naturally 

diverse community. The fact that Vienna today is 

considered the Central European hotspot for 

innovative design and contemporary art further 

increases the attraction of the city. 

The gay and lesbian scene offers something for 

every taste. Cafés, bars and restaurants, as well 

as clubs and regular party events give everyone 

the perfect excuse for going out. The Vienna 

scene is not especially large, but proves to be 

very intimate and friendly upon close inspection. 

In addition, many gays and lesbians frequent 

mixed establishments, which are open to all 

patrons. Gay and lesbian couples, who stroll 

through the city holding hands, are a natural 

part of everyday life of a major city like Vienna. 

So, gays and lesbians move about just as freely 

and relaxed as heterosexuals. 


© WTV/Harald Eisenberger 


The gay and lesbian community is influenced 

by a large number of national organizations 

headquartered in Vienna which are primarily 

active in political and social contexts. Human 

rights organizations, the gay and lesbian subgroups 

of political parties belong as much to the 

community as sports clubs and student 

organizations. 

Politically, Austria had difficulty for a long time 

with equal rights of gays and lesbians. Only in 

recent years has there been movement on this 

subject. Various political advances, supported by 

the ruling parties, allow one to hope that it won’t 

be long before gay and lesbian couples can enter 

into registered partnerships in Austria. The city 

of Vienna, however, is a lot further than the rest 

of the country. 

Vienna clearly takes the initiative in Austria 

where equal rights of homosexuals are concerned. 

The public authorities not only tolerate, but 

actively support gays and lesbians. The municipality 

of Vienna supports gay and lesbian culture 

in the form of festivals, movies, and the Rainbow 

Parade (Pride) – in their ideals and financially. As 

part of this initiative, Vienna was the proud host 

of the ILGA Europe and the ILGA World 

Conferences in 2008. The Aids Help organization 

was granted an entire building for its use, the 

city’s official anti-discrimination office positively 

influences legal and social change in Austrian 

society; and, the Vienna Tourist Board sees to it 

that gay and lesbian life in the city is shown in 

the proper light internationally. 

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© WTV/Wilfried Gredler-Oxenbauer 

6 



Whether you are here for a day or for an 

extended stay, why not combine sightseeing 

with the gay history of Vienna on one of our 

gay historic tours. 

Tour 1: Belvedere Palace – 

Naschmarkt 

We start our first gay city walk through Vienna 

in the morning in the Park of nBelvedere 

Palace 1 , the summer residence of one of the 

first and most important gays in Austrian history: 

Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736). The shortgrown 

and, to be honest, not very attractive 

Prince came to Vienna at age 20 to contribute to 

the rescue of the city which was, at the time, 

besieged by the Ottoman army and found himself 

in a victorious position in the decisive battle 

against the Turks (1683). Before that, the French 

King Louis XIV had refused him to join his 

troops, and so the short Savoyan resorted to 

© WTV/Peter Koller 


shocking the court of Versailles by putting on 

women’s clothes together with his friend, the 

Duke of Turenne. After a much more warmhearted 

welcome at the Imperial Court in Vienna, the 

art-loving Prince served under three emperors — 

Leopold I, Joseph I und Karl VI — and won 

triumphantly in battles against the Turks, who 

ruled all over Southeastern Europe. One of his 

major victories was the liberation of Belgrade 

from Turkish rule. The architecture of Belvedere 

Palace, by the way, refers to these victories by 

imitating the form of Turkish army tents in the 

green roofs of the building. 

From the garden of the Belvedere with its 

impressive view of downtown Vienna, we walk 

via Schwarzenbergplatz 2 and the Russian War 

Memorial to Karlsplatz 3 where the biggest 

Baroque church in Vienna makes reference to 

the next gay historical figure: Emperor Karl VI 

(1685–1740) himself. He is not only the founder 

of this church, which is dedicated to St. Charles 

Borrome, but also the father of the famous 

Austrian monarch Maria Theresia and he was 

rumored to have an intimate relationship with 

Count Michael Johann III Althan, who was one of 

the very few persons accepted in the intimate 

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5 

7 

8 

4 

3 

2 

1 

7

© WTV/Hedwig Zdrazil 

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circles of the egocentric and reserved Emperor. 

When Althan died in 1722, the mourning 

monarch wrote that his pal had loved him very 

tenderly in true friendship for 19 years. 

From Karlsplatz our tour leads us past the 

Technical University 4 to Kettenbrückengasse 

6 5 , the death place of composer Franz 

Schubert (1797–1828). He died on November 19, 

1828, of Syphilis, which was supposedly caused 

by the only sexual experience Schubert ever had 

with a woman. Apart from this one mishap, 

“Franzl” concentrated his desires on male partners. 

For more than two years he shared his studio 

and his bed with the well-known homosexual 

librettist Johann Baptist Mayerhofer. Their feelings 

for each other are reflected in several of 

Mayerhofer’s librettos for Schubert’s compositions, 

and in their joint opera project “Adrast”, 

which was never realized. 

Now it is time to grab a bite to eat at the 

nNaschmarkt 6 from one of the many food 

stands offering anything from oriental to local 

delicacies before we pass the Theater an der 

Wien 7 . It was transformed back into an opera 

house again in 2006 – when Vienna celebrated 

Mozart’s 250 th anniversary. After all, it is the 

stage where Mozart’s famous Magic Flute premiered. 

We end our walk at the most famous Art 

Nouveau building in town, the QSecession 8 . 

Downstairs, the famous Beethoven Frieze by 

Gustav Klimt, one of the Secession’s co-founders, 

is always a cultural highlight. The exhibition program 

of the Secession is decided on by the 

Association of Vienna Secession Visual Artists, in 

a democratic process merely based on artistic 

criteria. Just like when it was founded, the 

Association is dedicated to presenting contemporary 

art and certainly does not shy away from 

artistic experiments. 

© WTV/Popp&Hackner 

© WTV/Daniel Zupanc Gay City Tours 

Tour 2: Opera – Imperial 

Palace – Neuer Markt 

Our second tour starts at the famous nVienna 

State Opera 9 which was built by the architects 

Eduard van der Nüll (1812–1868) and August 

Sicard von Sicardsburg (1813–1868) who were 

partners in business and in life. Unfortunately, 

their relationship came to a tragic end and that 

had to do with the construction of the Opera. 

When they started their planning, the level of the 

forthcoming Ringstrasse had not been set, and 

as the street level was later raised by one meter, 

the optical effect on the State Opera was very 

unfavorable: It looked (and still looks) as if it 

had sunk into the ground. This is also why the 

ramps on either side do not really qualify as 

ramps. As public criticism mounted (supposedly 

even Emperor Franz Joseph expressed his disapproval), 

van der Nüll – always on the depressive 

side – committed suicide on April 3, 1868. Only 

ten weeks later, on June 11, Sicardsburg died too, 

apparently of a “broken heart.” 

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10 

13 

12 

14 15 

9 

17 

16 

9


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We leave this historic place and stroll along the 

Ringstrasse over to the !Imperial Palace 10 

(“Hofburg”), where the impressive equestrian 

statue in front of the entrance to the National 

Library depicts the great, short, gay Prince 

Eugene. Walking through the Volksgarten 11 , we 

reach the so-called “Theseustempel” built in 

1820 by Antonio Canova. The statue of the 

antique hero Theseus can now be found at the 

bottom of the staircase in the Museum of Fine 

Arts. In front of the temple the $bronze 

sculpture “The Winner” will catch our attention. 

It was created by Josef Müllner in 1922 and destined 

to be one of the “gay monuments” of the 

city. 

Nevertheless, we turn around and go back to the 

Imperial Palace and pass the Inner Courtyard 12 , 

where the passages of the so-called Reichskanzleitrakt 

are flanked by the colossal statues 

“Four great deeds of Heracles” 13 . These 

muscular sculptures surely impressed the gay 

younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph, 

Archduke Ludwig Viktor (1842–1919), who was 

tenderly called “Luziwuzi” by his friends, and 

who was commonly known at Court for his malicious 

tongue and his faible for women’s clothes. 

He frequently visited the “Centralbad” (today the 

Kaiserbründl bathhouse) and caused a big scandal 

when an officer of the Austrian army slapped 

him in the face after Luziwuzi had made 

advances. Due to this incident his brother and 

emperor exiled him to Schloss Klessheim near 

Salzburg, where Luziwuzi died mentally 

deranged in 1919. 

We keep on walking gaily forward on Vienna’s 

most exclusive shopping streets, the Kohlmarkt 

and the Graben 14 . This route takes us right to 

the center of the city, to Stephansplatz 15 with 


the world famous ,St. Stephen’s Cathedral. 

This church is generally seen as Austria’s most 

important gothic building. Our walk follows 

Kärntner Strasse for just a few meters (to our 

left in Weihburggasse, we could take a detour 

to the above-mentioned infamous Kaiserbründl 

bathhouse 16 ) and finally the tour takes us to 

Neuer Markt 17 , which is dominated by the so 

called Providentia-fountain by the baroque 

sculptor Georg Raphael Donner (1693–1741). 

Donner, who was commissioned with this project 

in 1737, surrounded the central figure of Provi- 

dentia (“providence”) with four personifications 

of the tributaries to the river Danube in Lower 

Austria. The river Enns is depicted as an old ferryman, 

the river March as a mature woman, the 

river Ybbs as a juvenile fountain-nymph. Only the 

!river Traun is a gorgeous looking young man, 

who bends with his trident over the rim of the 

basin, preying on fish. With the fabulous backside 

of this lad — very inspiring for today’s gay 

looks — we have finished our city walk. 

© WTV/MAXUM 



11

Vienna State Opera 

1., Opernring 2 

Y (+43-1) 513 15 13 

www.wiener-staatsoper.at 

Musikverein 

1., Karlsplatz 6 

Y (+43-1) 505 81 90 

www.musikverein.at 

Theater an der Wien 

6., Linke Wienzeile 6 

Y (+43-1) 588 85 

www.theater-wien.at 

Vienna Volksoper 

9., Währinger Strasse 78 

Y (+43-1) 514 44 36 70 

www.volksoper.at 

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Drama & Music 

Osmark 

WTV/Robert © 

Drama & Music For a gay or a lesbian person coming to Vienna 

for the first time, it is a must to visit the famous 

Vienna State Opera, where the greatest divas of 

all times, but also gay ballet dancers like Rudolf 

Nurejew and Vladimir Malakhov celebrated their 

first triumphs. By the way, in the intermission 

during opera or ballet performances, the foyers 

of the building are sometimes even cruisier than 

the gay bars in town! And only few people know 

that the Opera was built by gay architects. 

Besides the State Opera, the mWiener Musikverein 

is the second place any fan of classical 

music should not miss. This institution with the 

Great Hall in gold, which is the setting for the 

world-renowned annual New Years’ Concert, still 

guarantees for an evening of classical music at 

its best. The Musikverein recently made technical 

improvements and added new concert halls 

while strictly preserving its architectural heritage. 

Mozart’s most famous opera – the Magic 

Flute – premiered at the Theater an der Wien. In 

the 20 th century, the theater was used for musicals 

but in 2006, Mozart’s 250 th anniversary, it 

was transformed back into an opera house. 

© WTV/F 3 

© WTV/Foto Terry Wien 

Drama & Music 

In the Vienna Volksoper opera and operetta are 

equally at home as are musicals and ballet. 

Among the highlights in 2009 is the all-time 

favorite “My Fair Lady”. Over the years, Vienna 

has become one of Europe’s capitals of musical. 

“Cats”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Les 

Misérables” are but a few of the successful productions 

of past years. The latest production 

“Rudolf – Affaire Mayerling” will bring back imperial 

memories and drama when it opens on 

February 26 th , 2009 at the Raimund Theater. 

If you happen to be an electronic music buff, you 

won’t be disappointed. Internationally acclaimed 

artists like Kruder and Dorfmeister and Grammy 

Award Winner Peter Rauhofer have put Austria on 

the map as a center of excellent electronic music. 

Meccas of the electronic scene among others are 

Flex and Fluc Wanne, which both offer a unique 

atmosphere thanks to their unusual locations. 

Vienna’s Number 1 jazz club Porgy & Bess 

enchants audiences with classical as well as 

experimental-innovative performances. 

Along the beautiful Ringstrasse, you will find 

some of the most gorgeous buildings and sights, 

including one of the most renowned Germanlanguage 

theaters, the QBurgtheater. 

For those with some difficulty in understanding 

German well enough to follow a theater production, 

stop by Vienna’s English Theatre, which has, 

in the past, played several queer-themed productions 

or plays by gay writers. The second English 

language stage is the International Theatre located 

close to the Schauspielhaus which prides itself 

to be the contemporary theater for the later and 

newest Austrian drama. 

Raimund Theater 

6., Wallgasse 18-20 

Y (+43-1) 588 85 

www.musicalvienna.at 

Flex 

1., U2 – U4 Schottenring 

exit Augartenbrücke 

Y (+43-1) 533 75 25 

www.flex.at 

Fluc Wanne 

2., Praterstern 5 

www.fluc.at 

Porgy & Bess 

1., Riemergasse 11 

Y (+43-1) 512 88 11 

www.porgy.at 

Burgtheater 

1., Dr. Karl-Lueger-Ring 2 

Y (+43-1) 513 15 13 

www.burgtheater.at 

Vienna’s English Theatre 

8., Josefsgasse 12 

Y (+43-1) 402 12 60-0 

www.englishtheatre.at 

International Theatre 

9., Porzellangasse 8 

Y (+43-1) 319 62 72 

www.internationaltheatre.at 

Schauspielhaus 

9., Porzellangasse 19 

Y (+43-1) 317 01 01 18 

www.schauspielhaus.at 

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Vienna Festival 

8 May – 14 June 2009 

www.festwochen.at 

Queer Identities 

4 – 12 June 2009 

www.identities.at 

Resonanzen 

January 2010 

www.konzerthaus.at 

Haydn Year 2009 

www.vienna.info 

Festivals 

Walz 

Festwochen/Ruth Wiener © 

Festivals Apart from regular theater and music productions, 

there are numerous arts festivals in 

Vienna well worth seeing all year round. 

The nVienna Festival boasts grandiose and 

trendsetting opera, theater and performance art 

from early May to mid-June. It attracts ensembles 

and visitors from far and wide. In 2009, the 

Vienna Festival, which is one of the most 

renowned art festivals in Europe, will once again 

entertain the audiences at Vienna’s most important 

stages (MuseumsQuartier, Konzerthaus, 

Künstlerhaus, etc.). 

A highlight of the gay and lesbian festival calendar 

is Queer Identities, the biennial “GayLesBi- 

Trans Film Festival”. The festival in its fourteenth 

year in 2007 was an overwhelming success 

which was reflected in almost completely sold 

out movie theaters. After a break in 2008, Queer 

Identities returns this year. 

Tourists in Vienna don’t ever have to feel sorry 

that they came to the city at the wrong time: 

Resonanzen is held each year in January and has 

found its following as a high-class festival of 

old music. For modern music the festival Wien- 

Modern is the adequate platform. We recommend 

getting tickets early. The festival OsterKlang 

offers an eclectic program of classical music, 

ranging from Baroque style to contemporary classical 

compositions. The Vienna Philharmonic and 

Symphonic Orchestras are, among others, the 

performing orchestras. 

In 2009, the world commemorates the 200 th 

anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn. It is 

not surprising that many concert and opera 

houses as well as the classical music festivals 

are putting special emphasis on the oeuvre of 

this famous Austrian composer. 

© ImPulsTanz/Yu Hui-Hung 

© Filmcasino 

Festivals 

The Jazz Fest Wien tries to seduce jazz buffs 

with big names like the lesbian Celia Mara and 

the famous Paul Anka. These great names of jazz 

are contrasted, or rather supplemented by the 

unusual settings: They will perform in the State 

Opera and the MuseumsQuartier. 

nImPulsTanz follows a slightly different concept 

than the usual arts festival. The performances of 

internationally renowned ballet and modern dancers 

are not only directed to spectators, but the 

festival also offers a platform for research, development 

and training in the vast field of dance. 

During summer the Music Film Festival on City 

Hall Square (Rathausplatz) gives audiences the 

opportunity to enjoy movies and recordings of 

operas, concerts and ballets on a giant video 

wall in a relaxed open-air atmosphere. It is free 

and the adjacent food stands serve delicacies 

from all corners of the globe. 

The Viennale is Austria’s biggest film festival 

and it is well-known for its non-competitive and 

spectator-oriented approach. For years this festival, 

originally founded in the sixties, has steadily 

been growing in size. 

WienModern 

28 Oct. – 30 Nov. 2009 

www.wienmodern.at 

OsterKlang 

3 – 13 April 2009 

26 March – 5 April 2010 

www.osterklang.at 

Jazz Fest Wien 

29 June – 10 July 2009 

www.viennajazz.org 

ImPulsTanz 

16 July – 16 August 2009 

www.impulstanz.com 

Music Film Festival 

4 July – 6 Sep. 2009 

www.wien-event.at 

Viennale Filmfestival 

16 – 28 October 2009 

www.viennale.at 

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Art & Design 

Art & Design 

Museum of Fine Arts 

1., Maria-Theresia-Platz 

D Tue-Sun 10 am-6 pm, 

Thu 10 am-9 pm 

www.khm.at 

Schatzkammer (Treasury) 

1., Hofburg, Schweizerhof 

D Wed-Mon 10 am-6 pm 

www.khm.at 

Albertina 

1., Albertinaplatz 1 

D daily 10 am-6 pm, 

Wed 10 am-9 pm 

www.albertina.at 

MuseumsQuartier 

7., Museumsplatz 1 

www.mqw.at 

Leopold Museum 



www.leopoldmuseum.org 

Museum of Modern Art 



www.mumok.at 

Along the beautiful Ringstrasse, you will find 

some of the most gorgeous buildings and sights 

of Vienna, including the nMuseum of Fine Arts 

(“Kunsthistorisches Museum”). This museum 

shows a great collection of Italian and especially 

Dutch paintings of the 16 th and 17 th centuries, 

including the world’s biggest collection of Pieter 

Bruegel. The Museum of Fine Arts also presents 

ancient Egyptian antiquities and changing special 

exhibitions. Closeby, you can visit the 

extraordinary gems of the Habsburg monarchy in 

the Treasury (“Schatzkammer”) of the Imperial 

Palace showing all the crowns, jewelry and robes 

of times past. The nAlbertina shows changing 

exhibitions ranging from old masters to the contemporary 

from its world largest collection of 

drawings and prints. 

If you are more interested in modern art, you 

have to see the mMuseumsQuartier. This combination 

of revitalized baroque architecture (the 

former imperial stables) and a set of impressive 

modern buildings creates one of the most fascinating 

cultural areas in the world and is home to 

a whole range of museums: The Leopold Mu- 

© WTV/Harald eisenberger 

© WTV/Harald eisenberger 

© WTV/Karl Thomas 

seum boasts paintings and objets d’art by 

Austrian modernists (Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele). 

The Museum of Modern Art/Ludwig Foundation 

is home to all the big names of the 20 th and 21 st 

centuries (Picasso, Warhol, Klee). The Kunsthalle 

is an energetic art factory highlighting the 

current trends. 

Modern Austrian design presents itself every year 

in the framework of the design fair Blickfang. 

Contemporary art finds interested visitors at the 

Viennafair, the international tradeshow for contemporary 

art from Central and Eastern Europe. 

The Modepalast expo offers the latest in young 

Austrian and international fashion design. 

If you want to see Gustav Klimt’s famous painting 

“The Kiss” or expressionist acts by Egon Schiele, 

then go to the Belvedere Palace, the former 

summer residence of the gay historic general, 

Prince Eugen of Savoy. The famous Vienna 

Secession is a must for art-nouveau-buffs and 

has been one of the most important avant-garde 

exhibition spaces for decades. In the basement 

of this temple of art, you can also see the famous 

Beethoven Frieze by Klimt. The area around the 

Secession is not only the heart of the Vienna gay 

scene, but is also of architectural interest thanks 

to the many art-nouveau buildings. 

The KunstHausWien was remodeled by the 

painter Hundertwasser in his unmistakable signature 

style and houses a permanent exhibit of his 

works as well as changing exhibitions — very 

often with a queer connection (Keith Haring, 

Pierre & Gilles). Always worth seeing are the contemporary 

exhibitions at the Bank Austria 

Kunstforum. The Haus der Musik (“House of 

Music”) makes music audible, visible and touchable 

in seven dedicated areas. This museum of 

sound is located close to the State Opera and a 

meeting point for creative geniuses and artists. 

Kunsthalle Wien 



www.kunsthallewien.at 

Blickfang 

16 – 18 October 2009 

www.blickfang.com 

Viennafair 

7 – 10 May 2009 

www.viennafair.at 

Modepalast 

23 – 26 April 2009 

www.modepalast.com 

Belvedere Palace 

3., Prinz-Eugen-Str. 27 

D daily 10 am-6 pm 

www.belvedere.at 

Secession 

1., Friedrichstr. 12 

D Tue-Sun 10 am-6 pm, 


www.secession.at 

KunstHausWien 

3., Untere Weissgerberstr. 13 


www.kunsthauswien.com 

Bank Austria Kunstforum 

1., Freyung 8 


Fri 10 am-9 pm 

www.bankaustria-kunstforum.at 

Haus der Musik 

1., Seilerstätte 30 


www.hdm.at 

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Architecture 

Architekturzentrum Wien 

7., Museumsplatz 1, 

at the MuseumsQuartier 

Y +43 (1) 522 31 15 


www.azw.at 

Architecture 

The appearance of the city today is marked by the 

architectural style of the fin-de-siècle (until about 

1900) whose prime examples can be found around 

the Ringstrasse. After leveling the embankments 

around the inner city in 1858, about 150 years 

ago, a string of new buildings – to later become 

the Ringstrasse – were erected in the then popular 

styles of historicist architecture by taking 

design elements from past periods such as the 

gothic, classical and renaissance eras. Opulent 

representational structures – among them City 

Hall, the Opera and Parliament buildings – are 

strung up together with affluent palaces like 

pearls on a necklace around the inner city. 

Another architectural style closely associated 

with Vienna and maybe even more important in 

the scope of architectural history is art nouveau. 

The reduction of decorative elements is one of its 

core features. Next to Brussels and Paris, Vienna 

can be called one of the birthplaces of art nouveau. 

The protagonists of this style, Adolf Loos 

and Otto Wagner, left us buildings which can be 

found all throughout town. Real treasures in this 

category were built along the Linke Wienzeile and 

the Naschmarkt. 

© WTV/Daniel Zupanc 

© WTV/KArl Thomas 

Architecture 

A lot has happened since. Modernism 

has engulfed Vienna and 

carried it into the next millennium. 

Award-winning architects like Hans 

Hollein, COOP Himmelb(l)au and 

Zaha Hadid have enriched Viennese 

architecture with their oeuvres. If 

you feel like taking a closer look at 

the architecture of this city, you 

should start at the Architekturzentrum 

Wien (Architectural Center 

Vienna) a young institution in the 

middle of the MuseumsQuartier. 

!Gasometer (1899) 

Industrial architecture from the turn 

of the century, redesigned with 

modern elements by architects 

such as Jean Nouvel and COOP 

Himmelb(l)au. Since 2001, it is a 

shopping and entertainment district, 

incorporates office space and 

an apartment complex as well as 

student housing. www.gasometer.at 

%Giant Ferris Wheel (1897) 

A typical panoramic ferris wheel of 

the late 19 th century. It has now 

become one of the landmarks of 

the city by the Danube and the 

entertainment park Prater in which 

it is located. Take a ride and enjoy a 

fantastic view of the city and beyond. 

The wheel rotates 0.75 m per 

second and was built by the British 

architect Walter Basset for the 

Vienna World Fair. 

www.wienerriesenrad.com 

!Millennium Tower (1999) 

Double-cylinder high-rise building designed 

by the architects Peichl/Podrecca/Weber. 

Second-tallest office building 

in Europe and the core of the Millennium 

City, a complex of office spaces, 

apartments and approximately 

100 retail stores, movie theaters, restaurants, 

cafés and a fitness studio. 

www.millennium-city.at 

!Schönbrunn Palace (1700) 

The opulent summer residence of 

the Habsburgs in former times. The 

baroque building is now a world cultural 

heritage site, a popular city 

park with locals and Vienna’s No. 1 

tourist attraction. It offers vast 

baroque gardens, the Gloriette, a 

zoo, a conservatory, Roman ruins, an 

imperial carriage museum and 

baroque fountains. Architect: Fischer 

von Erlach. 

www.schoenbrunn.at 

© WTV/Wolfgang Simlinger 

© WTV/MAXUN 

19


20 

Shopping 

Shopping © WTV/Robert Osmark 

Vienna not only lets you see beautiful things, 

they can be yours to take home. The most 

“homosexual” shopping area — in close proximity 

to the Gay District along Linke Wienzeile — is 

Mariahilfer Strasse and its sidestreets with 

large department stores and trendy boutiques. 

Here you will find H&M stores as well as G-Star, 

Peek&Cloppenburg, and many other big and 

small specialty stores, offering anything from 

fashion to furniture. At the store ,Tiberius — in 

a side street (7., Lindengasse 2a) of Mariahilfer 

Strasse — aficionados will find an impressive 

assortment of erotic leather and latex clothing 

and the must-have accessories that go with 

these outfits. Similar “gear” can be found at the 

Spartacus XXL Store (6., Mariahilfer Strasse 49). 

The selection in this store is very large and 


© Publicom/Alexander Chitsazan 

Shopping 

diverse but it is part of a big sex 

store; not necessarily a place to take 

your mother. 

Haute Couture for the rich and 

famous can be found in the city center 

on Kohlmarkt, Graben, and 

,Kärntner Strasse. Here, the 

Vienna nflagship stores of brands 

like Armani, Boss, Cartier, Gucci, 

Louis Vuitton, Prada and Zegna will 

fulfill your most eclectic desires. At 

the end of Kärntner Strasse — right 

next to the Opera — stop by the 

Ringstrassen Galleries. The exclusive 

boutiques in this upscale mall 

let you shop even if the weather is 

not that inviting. 

If you prefer your leather as book 

covers, don’t miss the gay and lesbian 

bookstore Löwenherz (9., 

Wasagasse 14). Most international 

gay magazines, the latest fiction in 

German and English, a good selection 

of gay videos, DVDs and photo 

art books are available here. 

Afterwards, succumb to the charm of 

settling down next door, in the Café 

Berg, to browse through your purchases 

over a good cup of coffee. 

Whoever prefers first rate Austrian 

design and current art and fashion 

from Central and Eastern Europe will 

discover it at the tradeshows 

Viennafair, Blickfang and 

Modepalast (see p. 17). A unique 

shopping experience of a different 

sort can be found at the !flea market 

at Naschmarkt each Saturday 

morning (right next to the U-Bahn 

stop Kettenbrückengasse). Kitschy 

heirlooms and precious treasures 

have changed owners here. 

Rummaging through the stuff on 

display is fun even if — as on any 

flea market — some of the things 

offered can only be qualified as 

junk. Traditionally such a Saturday 

morning at Naschmarkt should end 

at Café Savoy. 


© WTV/Gerhard Weinkirn 

21

22 

Cafés 

You can find all the places 

mentioned by their number 

on the city map on pages 

24-25. 

Café Berg 

9., Berggasse 8 

D daily 10 am-1 am 

Y (+43-1) 319 57 20 

Café Savoy 


D Mon-Fri 5 pm-2 am; 

Sat 9 am-2 am 

Y (+43-1) 586 73 48 

Cafés 

Viennese coffee culture and the relaxed, kickedback 

atmosphere (in German called “Gemütlichkeit”) 

are legendary. You have to indulge 

and enjoy. The gay and lesbian cafés and bars 

combine Viennese charm with queer lifestyle. 

nCafé Berg 2 

Close to the university, you can find one of the 

brightest stars in the (coffee) skies over Vienna: 

the chic café-restaurant Berg and the adjacent 

gay book store Löwenherz (Lionheart). Giant windows, 

comfortable seating and an excellent 

kitchen make Café Berg also attractive for students. 

We can recommend the Sunday brunch. It 

opens early at 10 am and is the first gay and lesbian 

daytime café in Vienna. 

Café Savoy 19 

This traditional Viennese coffeehouse dates back 

to the imperial era – quite obvious in the plush 

furnishings and stucco. On Saturdays, when an 

eclectic flea market takes place on the adjacent 

Naschmarkt, the Savoy also opens in the morning. 

The cafés Stein (9., Währinger Str. 6-8), Diglas 

(1., Wollzeile 10), Museum (1., Friedrichstr. 6) and 

Sperl (6., Gumpendorfer Str. 11) are also worth a 

visit – not just because they count many gays 

and lesbians among their patrons. 

© Café Berg 

© WTV/Heinz Angermayr 

Addresses 

Restaurants & Cafés 

3 BaKul [P11] 

5., Margaretenstrasse 58. D daily 10 am-2 am. 

8 bhatia.bar-restaurant [P11] 

4., Mühlgasse 20. D Mon-Sat 4 pm-2 am. 

Y (+43-1) 907 60 90. 

2 Café Berg [M11] 

9., Berggasse 8. Lesbian/Gay daytime café. 

D daily 10 am- 1 am. Y (+43-1) 319 57 20. 

10 Café Leopold [O11] 

7., Museumsplatz 1. D Thu-Sat 10 am-4 am; 

Sun-Wed 10 am-2 am. Y (+43-1) 523 67 32. 

17 Café Reimann [Q10] 

12., Schönbrunner Str. 285. D Tue-Thu 7 am-2 

am; Fri, Sat 7 am-4 am; Sun, holidays 8 am-2 

am. Y (+43-1) 813 57 67. 

18 Café Rifugio [P11] 

5., Schönbrunner Strasse 10. Gay daytime café. 

D daily 10 am-10 pm. Y (+43-(0)) 699 1138 02 50. 

19 Café Savoy [P11] 

6., Linke Wienzeile 36. D Mon-Fri 5 pm-2 am; 

Sat 9 am-2 am. Y (+43-1) 586 73 48. 

20 Café Standard [P11] 

5., Margaretenstrasse 63. D Mon-Fri 8 am-midnight; 

Sat, Sun, holidays 11 am-midnight. 

Y (+43-1) 581 05 86. 

21 Café Willendorf [P11] 

6., Linke Wienzeile 102. Café at gay&lesbian center. 

D daily 6 pm-2 am. Y (+43-1) 587 17 89. 

13 Das Möbel [O11] 

7., Burggasse 10. D daily 10 am-1 am. 

Y (+43-1) 524 94 97. 

5 Deli [O/P11] 

4., Naschmarktstand 421-436. D Mon-Sat 7 

am-10 pm. Y (+43-1) 585 08 23. 

4 Dunkelbunt [N13] 

3., Weissgerber Lände 14. Museum café. 

D daily 10 am-midnight. Y (+43-1) 715 26 89. 

6 Frauencafé [N11] 

8., Lange Gasse 11. D check announcements. 

Y (+43-1) 406 37 54. 

7 FZ Bar Frauenzentrum [M11] 

9.,Währinger Str. 59. Enter from Prechtlgasse. 

DThu-Sat 7 pm-midnight. Y (+43-1) 402 87 54. 

1 Goldener Spiegel [P11] 

6., Linke Wienzeile 46. Enter from Stiegengasse. 

D daily 7 pm-2 am. Y (+43-1) 586 66 08. 

Legend 

gay 

lesbian 

hetero-homo-mixed 

restaurant 

café (snacks) 

cocktail bar 

9 HALLE [O11] 

7., Museumsplatz 1. D daily 10 am-2 am. 

Y (+43-1) 523 70 01. 

22 Wiener Kochsalon [N12] 

1., Bauernmarkt 10. D Mon-Fri 12 am-4 pm, 6 pm- 

10 pm; Sat 6 pm-10 pm. Y (+43-1) 533 15 26. 

14 Motto [P11] 

5., Schönbrunner Str. 30. Entrance Rüdigergasse. 

D Sun-Thu 6 pm-2 am; Fri, Sat 6 pm-4 am. 

Y (+43-1) 587 06 72. 

16 Palmenhaus [O12] 

1., Burggarten. D 10 am-2 am; Nov-Feb: Wed- 

Thu 11.30 am-midnight; Fri 11.30 am-2 am; 

Sat 10 am-2 am; Sun, holidays 10 am-midnight. 

Y (+43-1) 533 10 33. 

15 Peter’s Operncafé Hartauer [O12] 

1., Riemergasse 9. Classical music. 

D Tue-Sat 6 pm-2 am. Y (+43-1) 512 89 81. 

11 Santo Spirito [O12] 

1., Kumpfgasse 7. D daily 6 pm-2 am. 

Y (+43-1) 512 99 98. 

23 Zum roten Elefanten [O11] 

6., Gumpendorfer Strasse 3. D Mon-Fri 11.30 

am-2.30 pm; Mon-Sat 6 pm-midnight. 

Y (+43-1) 966 80 08. 

Bars 

24 Alte Lampe [P11] 

4., Heumühlgasse 13. D Sun-Thu 8 pm-1 am; 

Fri-Sat 8 pm-3 am. 

26 aQuadrat [P11] 

5., Margaretenstrasse 55. 

D Mon-Sat 5 pm-2 am; Sun 5 pm-midnight. 

28 Blue Banana Bar [M13] 

2., Praterstern Viaduktbogen 33-35. 

D daily 7 pm-4 am. 

32 Café Cheri [P11] 

5., Franzensgasse 2. D Mon-Sat 8 pm-4 am. 

48 Café X Bar [P11] 

6., Mariahilfer Strasse 45. In courtyard. 

D Mon-Sat 4 pm-2 am, Sun 6 pm-midnight 

29 Club Date [P11] 

4., Schikanedergasse 12. D daily 7 pm-4 am. 

30 Eagle Bar Vienna [P11] 

6., Blümelgasse 1. D daily 9 pm-4 am. 

dark room 

D business hours 

Y phone 

letters and numbers 

after the name designate 

the grid on the 

map (pp. 24-25). 

23

M 

152 v 

c 35 

N 

O 

P 

117 55 

c 

Q 

c 82 

10 

b 70 

c 84 

k 81 

h 7 

j 6 

b 74 

162 h 

h 

11 12 

x 44 

x 2 

k72 j1 h19 v21 j14 j49 b13 k24 j48 c42 c37 c23 c36 k43 v30 v54 b47 b31 v32 k18 k3 v8 v46 h16 h50 k9 v10 h26 h20 h73 29 h5c b51 c 83 

1 34 

j45 j71 c15 x11 1 1 

City Map 

10 11 12 13 

v 61 

i 

v 22 

Bars, Restaurants, Clubs 

Medical Institutions 

M 

j 56 

k 28 

j 4 

N 

O 

1 80 k 

P 

Q 

Freytag&Berndt 

25

Addresses 

31 Felixx [O11] 

6., Gumpendorfer Strasse 5. D daily 7 pm-3 am. 

34 Le Swing [L12] 

20., Hannovergasse 5. D Mon-Thu 9 pm-2 am; 


35 [lo:sch] [P10] 

15., Fünfhausgasse 1. Leather&Fetish Club. 

D Fri, Sat from 10 pm. 

36 mango bar [O11] 

6., Laimgrubengasse 3. D daily 9 pm-4 am. 

37 Marea Alta [O11] 

6., Gumpendorfer Str. 28. D winter: Tue-Sat 

7 pm-1 am; summer: Tue-Sat 8 pm-2 am. 

49 schik [P11] 

4., Schikanedergasse 5. D Mon-Thu 5 pm-2 

am, Fri, Sat 5 pm-4 am. 

50 SHAMBALA Bar @ Le Méridien [O11] 

1., Opernring 13-15. D daily 11 am-2 am. 

42 Sling [P11] 

4., Kettenbrückengasse 4. D daily 3 pm-4 am. 

43 SMart Café [P11] 

6., Köstlergasse 9. S&M and Fetish. 

D Tue-Thu 6 pm-2 am; Fri-Sat 6 pm-4 am. 

44 Stiefelknecht [Q11] 

5., Wimmergasse 20. D daily from 10 pm. 

51 The Other Side [P11] 

6., Magdalenenstraße 2. D daily 9 pm-4 am. 

45 Versteck [N12] 

1., Nikolaigasse 1. D Mon-Fri 6 pm-midnight; 

Sat 7 pm-midnight. 

46 Village Bar [P11] 

6., Stiegengasse 8. D Mon-Sun 8 pm-3 am. 

Clubs & Parties 

52 DRAMA! @ Ottakringer Brauerei 

16., Ottakringer Strasse 91. 

D Dates TBA: www.dramaclub.at 

FMqueer 

D Dates TBA: www.fmqueer.at 

54 G.Spot @ Camera Club [O11] 

7., Neubaugasse 2. D first Fri each month: 

www.gspot.at 

H.A.P.P.Y. 

D Dates TBA: www.h-a-p-p-y.net 

54 HEAVEN @ Camera Club [O11] 

7., Neubaugasse 2. D Sat from 10 pm; 

www.heaven.at 

homoriental 

D Dates TBA: homoriental.wordpress.com 

62 Hot Stuff @ U96 

9., Nussdorfer Strasse 69-71. 

D 2 nd Sat each month: www.lesbian.or.at/events 

55 Joyride @ Utopia 

12., Ruckergasse 30-32. 

D Dates TBA: www.welovehouse.at 

Las Chicas women’s disco 

D Dates TBA: www.laschicas.at 

56 queer:beat @ Viper Room [O13] 

3., Landstrasser Hauptstr. 38 

D Dates TBA: www.queerbeat.at 

subVERSUS 

D Dates TBA: www.subversus.at 

61 Why Not [N12] 

1., Tiefer Graben 22. D Fri, Sat 10 pm-6 am. 

www.why-not.at 

47 Wiener Freiheit [P11] 

5., Schönbrunner Str. 25. D Thu 9 pm-2 am; Fri, 

Sat 9 pm-4 am. 

Saunas & Cruising 

70 Apollo City Sauna [O10] 

7., Wimbergergasse 34. D daily 2 pm-2 am. 

71 Kaiserbründl [O12] 

1., Weihburggasse 18-20. D Sun-Thu 2 pmmidnight; 


72 Papillon [M11] Bisexual Sauna 

9., Müllnergasse 5. D Mon, Fri 10 am-4 am; Tue, 

Thu 6 pm-2 am; Wed 10 am-2 am; Sat 6 pm- 

4 am; Sun 6 pm-2 am. 

73 Sauna Frisco [P11] 

5., Schönbrunner Str. 28. D Mon, Wed-Sat 3 

pm-midnight; Sun noon-midnight. 

74 Sportsauna [N11] 

8., Lange Gasse 10. D Mon-Fri 3 pm-1 am; 

Sat 3 pm-Mon 1 am nonstop. 

Rathauspark [N11] 

next to Parliament, heavily frequented, yearround. 

Danube Island 

Summertime only. 3 areas: (a) nudist area 

north, (b) lake on island, (c) “Toter Grund”, 2 

km downstream from rowing center. 

Lobau 

22., Dechantlacke. Summertime only. 


X Bar 48 

Bar hopping in Vienna will take you through a 

variety of small but very charming places. If you 

need a drink after shopping, drop in at X Bar, 

which is located very conveniently in a courtyard 

just off Mariahilfer Strasse. 

mango bar 36 

A constantly busy nightlife spot is the mango 

bar. Its mirrors, good music, the great variety of 

drinks and the young crowd often only serve as a 

starting point of an even more enjoyable evening. 

Village Bar 46 

The Village Bar (also located in a side street just 

off the Naschmarkt) has been a popular hangout 

for many years (although the name has changed 

several times). The new design attracts an eclectic 

crowd, the atmosphere is relaxed and communicative. 

Friendly staff and excellent drinks 

ensure a good crowd and the people are always 

open to meeting a new face. 

Felixx 31 

Felixx has become one of the fixtures of the gay 

bar scene. The central location, the comfortable, 

somewhat chintzy interior and the quick and 

good-looking waiters create a combination that 

almost any patron will enjoy. 

Alte Lampe 24 

This bar has a proud fifty-year history and it is 

known today for its comfortable atmosphere and 

friendly patrons. It is also the regular hangout 

for the bears in the Viennese community. 

Bars 




24-25. 

Café X Bar 

6., Mariahilfer Strasse 45 

Raimundhof courtyard 

D daily 4 pm-2 am 

mango bar 

6., Laimgrubengasse 3 


Village Bar 

6., Stiegengasse 8 


Felixx 

6., Gumpendorfer Str. 5 


Alte Lampe 

4., Heumühlgasse 13 

D Sun-Thu 5 pm-1 am, Fri- 

Sat 5 pm-3 am 

26 27 

Bars

28 

Eagle Bar Vienna 

6., Blümelgasse 1 


Sling 

4., Kettenbrückengasse 4 


Restaurants 




24-25. 

Café Willendorf 



Y (+43-1) 587 17 89 

Eagle Bar Vienna 30 

Bars & Restaurants 

Another institution in the community is the 

„Eagle“. The bar is popular among locals and 

tourists alike. Everybody is welcome, not just 

leather and fetish, and the atmosphere ranges 

from relaxed to exciting. 

Sling 42 

The Sling offers lonely late-nighters the possibility 

to have a drink and get acquainted intimately 

with locals in the diverse rooms of this bar. It is 

modern, clean and very popular. 

The geographical and cultural setting of Vienna 

in the heart of Europe has left its traces on the 

Viennese Cuisine. What is commonly appreciated 

in the whole world is, in fact, a delicious 

melange of Austrian, Hungarian, Czech and other 

Central European specialties. We want to give 

you an overview where to savor these delicacies. 

nCafé Willendorf 21 

The heart of the gay and lesbian scene in Vienna 

is the so-called Rosa Lila Villa (Pink-Purple Villa). 

This gay and lesbian center on the Linke 

Wienzeile hosts one of the best-known queer 

restaurants in the city. The Café Willendorf, located 

on the ground floor, is a modern café-restaurant 

with a great kitchen, big portions, reasonable 

prices and an enchanting small garden in 

the courtyard. The clientele is mixed, although 

many lesbians especially favor Café Willendorf. 

Most visitors start their bar tour here at the 

“Villa”, which is the colloquial name of this 

building. 



Restaurants 

Café Standard 20 

This wheelchair accessible restaurant was 

opened by a group of lesbians. It should be 

mentioned particularly for the good food and 

pleasant music. The members of the women 

dance group “Resis.dance” have already made 

this restaurant their regular meeting place. 

Zum roten Elefanten 23 

“Good things come in little packages” best 

describes this café/restaurant. Inexpensive lunch 

menus and set two- or three-course dinners are 

available for a short lunch stopover or to still your 

hunger before starting an evening tour on the 

town. Its close proximity to downtown and the gay 

district as well as the Mariahilfer Strasse shopping 

area give you the opportunity to enjoy some 

coffee and homemade cakes or pastries in the 

afternoon to relax from sightseeing or an exhausting 

shopping spree. 

!Dunkelbunt 4 

The café/restaurant at the KunstHausWien — 

the Hundertwasser Museum which shows changing 

exhibitions — is one of the favorite places of 

the in-crowd — gay, lesbian or straight. The 

recent change in owners has given this unique 

restaurant a thorough facelift. What makes this 

place really special is the luscious decor of flowers 

and plants and the extravagantly uneven, yet 

cosy, Hundertwasser design. The whole place is 

a unique oasis just off the city center — a 

definite must-see. 

Café Standard 

5., Margaretenstrasse 63 

D daily 11 am-midnight 

Y (+43-1) 581 05 86 

Zum roten Elefanten 


D Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 

pm; Mon-Sat 6 pmmidnight 

Y (+43-1) 966 80 08 

Dunkelbunt 

@ KunstHausWien 

3., Weissgerber Lände 14 

D daily 10 am-midnight 

Y (+43-1) 715 26 89 

29

30 

Motto 

5., Schönbrunner Str. 30, 

entrance on Rüdigergasse 

D Sun-Thu 6 pm-2 am; 

Fri, Sat 6 pm-4 am 

Y (+43-1) 587 06 72 




24-25. 

Café Leopold 

7., Museumsplatz 1 

D Sun-Wed 10 am-2 am; 

Thu-Sat 10 am-4 am 

Y (+43-1) 523 67 32 

Shambala Bar & Restaurant 

Hotel Le Méridien 

1., Opernring 13-15 

D daily 11 am-2 pm (Bar) 

D daily noon-3 pm, 6 pmmidnight 

(Restaurant) 

Y (+43-1) 588 90-7050 

Motto 14 

The Motto is the ultimate “in”-place in Vienna. 

Everyone who deems themselves important and 

beautiful will meet at Motto for a drink in the stylish, 

yet comfortable, bar, or exchange the latest 

news over a quiet dinner. The wine and drink 

selection is enormous, prices are adequate for the 

quality served. The clients are mixed gay and 

straight. The Motto is a good place for celebrity 

spotting. Designer Helmut Lang was once a waiter 

here before he rose to fame in the fashion world. 

Café Leopold 10 

Restaurants 

The MuseumsQuartier offers cultural treasures 

to behold, the Café Leopold offers culinary 

pleasures to have. The café is located on the 

upper level which gives the patrons a great view 

of what goes on in the courtyard, especially 

when you are sitting on the terrace in summer. 

The clientele is trendy (both during the day and 

in the evening) but not overly chic. DJs play in 

the evening. On Sundays the café serves a late 

breakfast – always a favorite. 

Apart from the restaurants mentioned above, 

here are a few more gay-friendly favorites: The 

nPalmenhaus 16 in the Burggarten is a stylish 

brasserie in the imperial palmery. The hip Deli 5 

– between the market stalls at Naschmarkt offering 

food as well as tunes by live DJs – is especially 

appealing to the urban crowd. The restaurant 

Wiener Kochsalon 22 , close to St. 

Stephen’s Cathedral, offers the best vegetarian 

and organically grown dishes in town as well as 

progressive cooking workshops; the café restaurant 

Halle 9 in the MuseumsQuartier is run by 

the same owner as Motto. The stylish restaurant 

Shambala 50 with its exquisite cocktail bar 

offers highest quality in drinks and food from 

dusk till dawn. 

© WTV/Bryan Duffy 

© Kaiserbründl 

© Publicom/Reinhard Mandl 

Saunas & Cruising 

The younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef was 

one of the patrons in what is today the nKaiserbründl 

71 bathhouse. He truly enjoyed the pleasures 

of the oriental bath and its guests which 

caused an enormous scandal at the turn of the 

last century. This largest Viennese gay sauna 

offers a steam bath, Finnish sauna, fitness, a 

cruising labyrinth, etc. The very popular Sportsauna 

74 is a lot smaller but also has its charms, 

especially for the mostly younger clientele. 

The Apollo City Sauna 70 is a neighborhood 

sauna with a charming and homely atmosphere. 

The Sauna Frisco 73 , which tries to conjure up 

the spirit of the gay Mecca San Francisco, 

attracts a wide range of men. Papillon 72 is the 

name of a sauna with a new concept. In the 

heart of a rather bourgeois district of Vienna this 

bathhouse caters to bisexuals. 

If the weather permits, you can also make 

friends under open skies. In the downtown area 

the preferred spot is the City Hall Park (the side 

of the Parliament Building). In summer, check 

out the !Danube Island. The naturist area 

around what is called the “Toter Grund” is especially 

busy (close to the Steinsporn Bridge). 

Pressure Valves 

Pressure Valves 

31

32 

Parties & Clubs 

Heaven Vienna 

@ Camera Club 

7., Neubaugasse 2 

D Sat 10 pm-6 am 

www.heaven.at 

Why Not 

1., Tiefer Graben 22 

D Fri, Sat 10 pm-6 am 

www.why-not.at 

homoriental 

@ check announcements 

D Fri check announcements: 

homoriental.wordpress.com 

H.A.P.P.Y. 


D check announcements: 

www.h-a-p-p-y.net 

subVERSUS 



www.subversus.at 

Parties 

Long live Heaven Vienna 54 Miss Candy, 

Austria’s well-known drag queen and inventor of 

diverse party institutions, takes special care 

along with her team to produce a sweltering 

dance atmosphere for party-goers using house, 

disco and garage rhythms. 

The Why Not 61 opens its doors each Friday and 

Saturday. The relatively small downtown gay 

club has been around for many years and has 

recently been completely remodeled. It still 

busts out of its seams each weekend. Expect a 

hot night on the dance floor where all the popular 

house and dance hits are playing. 

homoriental. The party continues to be equally 

geared to gays and lesbians. The atmosphere at 

the club is relaxed and, as the name implies, 

inspired by oriental music. 

Another popular party is the H.A.P.P.Y. club 

(once a month on Friday). The crème de la crème 

of Austrian and international DJs play house 

music at different club locations. The audience is 

mixed with a very strong gay following. 

subVERSUS. This monthly party attracts mostly 

a crowd of gay and lesbian students. This event 

has shown that the GLBT club of the Student 

Body of the Technical University certainly knows 

how to plan extra-curricular activities. Grade: A+. 

Parties 

G.Spot 54 This monthly party at the Camera Club 

appeals mostly to lesbians and gay friends. The 

focus of the music keeps changing from electronic 

to house, tribal, techno and other welcome 

diversions of the typical gay and lesbian 

club music. 

At queer:beat 56 gays, lesbians and friends can 

shake their bootie to indie rock, electronic and 

chart music. Four Djs on two dance floors make 

the mostly young crowd happy. A special bonus: 

visual art performances by local artists. 

DRAMA! 52 is not only the name but the motto 

of this quarterly event. The party is literally high 

drama, so expect to wear high fashion. It is one 

of the biggest and trendiest spectacles of the 

city and magically attracts gays and lesbians 

with a mixture of glamour and celebrities. 

FMqueer was founded by a bunch of gay and 

lesbian music and culture buffs who first met at 

the alternative radio station FM4. They host cool 

parties to their alternative taste at irregular 

intervals. Hip. Totally hip. 

Joyride 55 is a newcomer in the party scene. In 

less than a year it has built a dedicated following. 

This party attracts a young and party-loving 

crowd. The sound is house. House at its best. 

G.Spot 

@ Camera Club 


D first Fri. each month 

www.gspot.at 

queer:beat 

@ Viper Room 

3., Landstrasser 

Hauptstrasse 38 


www.queerbeat.at 

DRAMA! 

@ Ottakringer Brauerei 

16., Ottakringer Strasse 91 


www.dramaclub.at 

FMqueer 



www.fmqueer.at 

Joyride 

@ Utopia 

12., Ruckergasse 30-32 


www.welovehouse.at 

© Publicom 

33

The Dark Side 

The Dark Side 

Stiefelknecht 

5., Wimmergasse 20 

D daily from 10 pm 

Eagle Bar Vienna 

6., Blümelgasse 1 


Sling 

4., Kettenbrückengasse 4 


The Dark Side 

A lot of artwork for leather and fetish events in 

Europe is created by mSEPP of VIENNA. As the 

name implies, Sepp lives in Vienna and is a firm 

component of the local leather community, 

which is why his works are an integral part of 

gay life in Vienna. More under: 

www.sepp-of-vienna.at 

[lo:sch], Stiefelknecht, Eagle and Sling are the 

locations, where locals and guests give in to 

their leather and fetish desires. The SMart-Café 

is another S&M club, but — depending on the 

evening — it is not exclusively gay. During the 

week you should try Stiefelknecht 44 which features 

a backroom. The Eagle 30 attracts a more 

mainstream clientele and also offers a backroom. 

The Sling 42 is located in the heart of the 

gay district and offers, among other things, what 

the name of the place implies. 

The Dark Side 

Vienna Bear Congress 

21 – 24 May 2009 

The Wiener Runde is the club for the Vienna 

bears and bear-lovers. As a friendly club for cosy, 

heavy bearded men, and those who are interested 

in them, the Wiener Runde organizes the 

Vienna Bear Congress (Wiener Bären Kongress). 

In addition to a city tour, a visit to a typical winery 

(Heurigen) and a party are part of the plans. 

www.austrianbears.at 

[lo:sch] 

Vienna in Black 

15., Fünfhausgasse 1 

23 – 26 October 2009 

D Fri, Sat from 10 pm 

The international leather and fetish meeting in 

Vienna does not just offer the obligatory leather 

and fetish party but a whole range of events. 

From dinner to leather brunch, bike tour and much 

more. Which weekend could be more appropriate 

for this event than the weekend closest to the 

Austrian National Holiday (26 October) when the 

The Leather&Motorbike Community (LMC Vienna) Austrian military parades on Heldenplatz. 

is organized as a non-profit association, and they www.lmc-vienna.at 

have their own club [lo:sch] offering all the 

amenities which no leather and fetish man com- 

Black Change 

ing to Vienna should miss. The [lo:sch] is open on 28 December 2009 – 1 January 2010 

Friday and Saturday and offers themed nights and The New Year is a reason for the leather commu- 

special events. LMC also organizes “Vienna in 

nity in Vienna to throw a major party. This cele- 

Black” — undoubtedly the pinnacle of the annual bration is called Black Change and it ends on 1 

leather calendar in Vienna. The event takes place January with the blackOUT party. 

around the Austrian National Holiday (26 October) www.lmc-vienna.at 

each year and offers a whole range of parties and 

events for leather, fetish men and bikers. 

34 35

36 



Aufschlag 

Vienna Beach Trophy 

22 August 2009 

www.aufschlag.org 

Marantana 

marantana.lesbian.or.at 


Most gays and lesbians love to do sports. That is 

really no secret to anyone any more since the 

huge international success of the Outgames 

and the Gay Games. Vienna is home to a few 

sports clubs and groups which provide the 

opportunity to gays and lesbians to play sports 

amongst themselves. 

Particularly interesting to all tourists are sporting 

events of national and international dimensions 

where gay and lesbian sportspeople meet 

to compete. This development has led to a more 

diverse tournament calendar. 

Austria’s biggest gay and lesbian sports club 

Aufschlag Wien is the driving force behind this. 

On 22 August 2009, they will hold the Vienna 

Beach Trophy, Europe’s biggest GLBT beach volleyball 

tournament. The Vienna Valentine Swim 

Tournament, which is set to take place every 

other year around Valentine’s Day (14 February), 

will be held next in 2011. Apart from Aufschlag, 

there are a number of clubs which are dedicated 

to improving the physical fitness of gay and lesbian 

bodies in a comfortable atmosphere. 

Marantana offers women’s volleyball and is very 

successful at that. 

© WTV/Martin Gnedt 



Männer auf Touren will take you on hiking expeditions 

in the surrounding hills of Vienna and 

beyond to the highest alpine peaks. And the ballroom 

dancers hold their 9 th international Vienna 

Dance Contest on the 26 Sep. 2009. 

If you want to stay in shape during your trip to 

Vienna, we would like to point out that most 

fitness studios and gyms are rather well attended 

from a gay perspective. An especially high 

homo-density can be found at all the gyms of the 

inexpensive Club Danube chain, at the exclusive 

John Harris gym, the BodyStyle fitness club 

located in proximity to the Gay District and the 

two Elixia gyms. Now get the weights, girls. For 

all the frequent swimmers there are a number of 

public pools to choose from. The indoor and outdoor 

pools are well-maintained and can be found 

all over town. For gays and lesbians we would 

like to point out the Stadthallenbad built in the 

1950s and the beautifully located open-air 

Schönbrunnerbad. Inline skaters and runners 

will truly enjoy the Danube Island with its many 

miles of sports and recreation facilities. The 

place for sportsmen and women to be seen. 

Männer auf Touren 

maennerauftouren.rainbow.or.at 

Vienna Dance Contest 

26 September 2009 

www.viennadancecontest.at 

Club Danube 

www.clubdanube.at 

John Harris 

www.johnharris.at 

BodyStyle 

www.bodystyle.at 

Elixia 

www.elixia.at 

Stadthallenbad 

15., Vogelweidplatz 15 

www.stadthalle.com 

Schönbrunnerbad 

12., Park Schönbrunn 

www.schoenbrunnerbad.at 

© WTV/MAXUM 

37

38 

Women Only 

Women Only 

Frauencafé 

8., Lange Gasse 11 

D check announcements 

www.frauencafe.com 

Y (+43-1) 406 37 54 

Frauenzentrum Bar 

9., Währinger Strasse 59 

entrance on Prechtlgasse 

D Thu-Sat 7 pm-midnight 

Y (+43-1) 402 87 54 

U96 

9., Nussdorfer Str. 69-71 


www.club-u96.com 

Women Only 

The Frauencafé 6 (Women’s Café) was founded 

in 1977 and has been popular ever since. The 

new proprietors, a group of dedicated lesbians 

with a lot of experience in arts and catering, took 

over this café from a single woman, who managed 

it all by herself. The Frauencafé had originally 

been founded as a collective by a group of 

lesbians. It is women-only/transgender welcome. 

The Frauenzentrum Bar 7 (Women’s Center 

Café) — commonly called FZ — greatly con- 

tributes to the women’s and lesbian scene in 

Vienna by regularly hosting parties and events. 

All those who like to dance should come to the 

disco at the FZ on Saturday: a cheap cover 

charge, minimalist decoration and lots of space 

to dance in a pleasant atmosphere with good 

music. Lipstick dykes, however, might feel somewhat 

out of place here. 



Women Only 

Just the right thing for party-lovers are the occasional 

Women’s Parties at U96 62 on Fridays. We 

also recommend the Las Chicas Women’s 

Disco 59 which have been around for a few years 

and grown a dedicated following. 

One of the oldest institutions of the queer scene 

is the Café Willendorf, which in the past two 

years has enjoyed a special popularity among 

women. Café Willendorf 21 provides both an 

excellent kitchen and a warm and friendly bar. In 

the summer the interior garden is a dream come 

true. From time to time, the Café together with 

the lesbian counseling service located in the 

same building co-host women’s parties. 

The Marea Alta 37 , a friendly bar on 

Gumpendorfer Strasse, is mostly frequented by 

women, however, men are allowed too. The 

crowd is young and trendy. A club that is not 

women-only but very popular with lesbians is 

homoriental 58 . Since its inception, homoriental 

has truly turned into one of the best lesbian and 

gay parties in town. Another predominantly lesbian 

party is called G.Spot 55 and takes place on 

a monthly basis at a venue called Camera Club. 

Café Willendorf 


D Daily 6 pm-2 am 

Marea Alta 


D Tue-Sat 7 pm-1 am 

homoriental 



G.Spot @ Camera Club 


D First Fri of the month 

www.gspot.at 


39

40 

Hot Winters 

Hot Winters 

Hot Winters 

When the cold season falls upon the land and 

Vienna disappears under a blanket of snow, 

there are still plenty of delightful holiday 

opportunities in Vienna for gay and lesbian 

travelers. 

At the end of November, many a Viennese square 

turns into a little Christmas paradise. So-called 

“Christkindl” markets (Christmas markets) take 

on shape all throughout the city, the oldest of 

which can be found on City Hall Square. The adjacent 

City Hall Park turns into an artistic wonder 

world with its impressive Christmas lights. By the 

way, one does not only go to Christkindl markets 

to shop, but to enjoy some heart-warming company 

with a glass of body-warming mulled wine 

or Jaga tea (tea and rum). The Christmas markets 

on Spittelberg and on Karlsplatz certainly have 

the highest homo-factor. 

One of the biggest parties in town takes place at 

New Year’s. The whole inner city turns into a 

“Silvester” (New Year’s Eve) Path. Numerous 

stages, a diverse program and many food and 

beverage stands provide delicacies and entertainment 

to last into the New Year. At midnight 

the bell of St. Stephen’s Cathedral — called 

“Pummerin” — tolls to announce the beginning 

of the new year. The gay and lesbian community 

also celebrates wildly on this occasion. 

Practically all clubs and many bars have 

Christmas and New Year’s specials. Everybody 

who wants to rise early on January 1, can enjoy 

the world-famous New Year’s Concert in the 

Musikverein. If you couldn’t get tickets, go to 

City Hall Square where a hangover breakfast will 

be served and the concert can be seen on a giant 

video-wall. 

When the temperatures fall, a lot of sporty gays 

and lesbians flood to the ice skating rinks of the 

city. Especially the Vienna Ice Dream in front of 

© Anita-Daniela Krappel 

Hot Winters 

city hall and Vienna’s biggest ice skating rink 

Platz des Wiener Eislaufvereins, which is centrally 

located next to the Konzerthaus, attract 

lots of gay and lesbian skaters. 

Winter in Vienna is also synonymous with ball 

season (that’s ballroom dancing, not hotdogs in 

the bleachers). Many different groups and professions 

celebrate their own ball. The most wellknown 

are the Imperial Ball (31 Dec 2009), the 

Ball of the Philharmonics (21 Jan 2010), the Ball 

of the Coffee House Owners (5 Feb 2010), the 

Bonbon Ball (12 Feb 2010) and, of course, the 

Opera Ball (11 Feb 2010). Gays and lesbians 

have their balls, too. The nRainbow Ball (30 Jan 

2010) is a classical black-tie ballroom dancing 

event, the Rose Ball (11 Feb 2010) is a truly outrageous 

dance party and the queer alternative to 

the Opera Ball and the Club Kreativ Ball (Feb 

2010) is a crazy costume ball. 

© WTV/Claudio Alessandri 

41

42 

Events 

Life Ball 

16 May 2009 

www.lifeball.org 

Rainbow Parade 

4 July 2009 

www.hosiwien.at 

Rainbow Ball 

30 January 2010 

www.hosiwien.at 

Events 

Life Ball 

The star-studded AIDS-charity event is the most 

spectacular queer party in Europe and it raises 

close to a million euros each year for HIV projects. 

From Federal Chancellor to Hollywood star, they 

all come to watch the fashion show by one of the 

world’s super-designers on City Hall Square and 

to dance the night away. Tickets for this event 

are as precious as gold, but the fashion show is 

free for everyone. 

Rainbow Parade 

The Viennese Pride Parade has only been in existence 

since 1996, but it has quickly become one 

of the big parades of the world. It attracts around 

100,000 spectators each year from far and wide 

and the organizers can rightfully boast that the 

Rainbow Parade has one of the most spectacular 

routes down the historic Ringstrasse. 

Rainbow Ball 

Whoever said that Viennese Waltzes are only for 

straight people? The Rainbow Ball successfully 

conquered this heterosexual domain. Formal 

evening attire is strictly enforced at this gay and 

lesbian ballroom event. 

© WTV/Bernd Preiml 

Events 

Rose Ball 

The only thing reminiscent of a real ball is the 

opening march by the debutantes. Apart from 

this, the Rose Ball – organized by Heaven’s presenter 

Miss Candy – presents a funky and glitzy 

alternative to the traditional and famous Opera 

Ball. They are always held on the same date. 

Identities – Queer Film Festival 

Identities is a cultural highlight and the second 

biggest international film event in Vienna. The 

best queer movies in the most beautiful cinemas 

in Vienna and a series of events and parties 

make for an exciting week. But even in the “offyears” 

the organizers of the biennial festival 

offer cinema performances on a regular but 

smaller scale. 

Rose Ball 

11 February 2010 

www.heaven.at 

Identities 2009 – Queer 

Film Festival 

4–12 June 2009 

www.identities.at 

© WTV/Robert osmark © WTV/Robert Osmark 

43

Calendar 2009 Hotel Info 

OsterKlang 14 – 13 April 2009 see page 15 

Modepalast 23 – 26 April 2009 see page 17 

Viennafair 7 – 10 May 2009 see page 17, 21 

Vienna Festival 8 May – 14 June 2009 see page 14 

Life Ball 16 May 2009 see page 42 

11 th Vienna Bear Congress 21 – 24 May 2009 see page 34 

Queer Identities Film Festial 4 – 12 June 2009 see page 14, 43 

Jazz Fest Wien 29 June – 10 July 2009 see page 15 

Rainbow Parade 4 July 2009 see page 42 

Music Film Festival 4 July – 6 September 2009 see page 15 

ImPulsTanz 16 July – 16 August 2009 see page 15 

Vienna Beach Trophy 22 August 2009 see page 36 

Vienna Dance Contest 26 September 2009 see page 37 

Blickfang 16 – 18 October 2009 see page 17, 21 

Viennale Film Festival 16 – 28 October 2009 see page 15 

Vienna in Black 23 – 26 October 2009 see pages 35, 42 

WienModern 28 October – 30 Nov. 2009 see page 15 

Black Change 28 – 31 December 2009 see page 35, 42 

Imperial Ball 31 December 2009 see page 41 

Queer New Year 31 December 2009 see page 40 

Preview 2010 

Preview 2010 

New Year’s Concert 1 January 2010 see page 40 

Ball of the Philharmonics 21 January 2010 see page 41 

Resonanzen 16 – 24 January 2010 see page 14 

Rainbow Ball 30 January 2010 see pages 41, 42 

Club Kreativ Ball February 2010 see page 41 

Ball of the Coffee House Owners 5 February 2010 see page 41 

Rose Ball 11 February 2010 see pages 41, 43 

Opera Ball 11 January 2010 see page 41 

Bonbon-Ball 12 February 2010 see page 41 

OsterKlang 26 March – 5 April 2010 see page 15 

Life Ball May 2010 see page 42 

Vienna Festival 14 May – 20 June 2010 see page 14 

Jazz Fest Wien June/July 2010 see page 14 

Rainbow Parade Juli 2010 see page 42 

ImPulsTanz July/August 2010 see page 15 

Music Film Festival 3 July – 5 September 2010 see page 15 

Viennale Film Festival 15 – 27 October 2010 see page 15 

Vienna in Black 23 – 26 October 2010 see pages 35, 42 

Vienna Modern 26 Oct. – 30 November 2010 see page 15 

Black Change 28 – 31 December 2010 see pages 35, 42 

Imperial Ball 31 December 2010 see page 41 

Queer New Year 31 December 2010 see page 40 

Up-to-date details and information and many more events can be found in 

the event database accessible online under www.vienna.info 

Around 375 hotels and pensions in Vienna are 

waiting for you! Order your copy of the Vienna 

Hotel Guide, take a look online at 

www.vienna.info or let us give you personal 

advice. 

Further hotel information, 

bookings and other tourist 

info is available from: 

Wien-Hotels & Info 

Y (+43-1) 24 555 

FAX: (+43-1) 24 555-666 

E-Mail: info@vienna.info 

or online as a service of the 

Vienna Tourist Board 

under: www.vienna.info 

44 45

46 

Tourist Info Gay Info 

General tourist information, including gay and lesbian events, 

gay-friendly hotels, sightseeing, accommodation bookings, 

brochures, referral of tour guides and much more: 

Wien-Hotels & Info 


Y (+43-1) 24 555 

FAX: (+43-1) 24 555-666 

E-Mail: info@vienna.info 

www.vienna.info/gay 

Vienna on the web with up-to-date infos, event database, online 

booking of hotels, and much more. 

Vienna Tourist Info 

• Albertinaplatz / Maysedergasse, D daily 9 am-7 pm 

• Vienna International Airport, Arrivals Hall, D daily 6 am-11 pm 

From the Airport to the City 

• CAT to Wien Mitte station (16 minutes), vending machine 9,00 € 

• Bus to City Centre (30 minutes) 6,00 € 

• S-Bahn S8 to Wien Mitte/Wien Nord (25 minutes) 3,40 € 

• Taxi (approx. 20-30 minutes) 30-40 € 

Public Transport 

• Vienna Card — 72h public transport + free or reduced entry to 

sights and museums 18,50 € 

• single ticket (pre-sold/on-board) 1,70/2,20 € 

• 24-hour-ticket 5,70 € 

• 72-hour-ticket 13,60 € 

Emergency Numbers: 

Fire Y 122 Ambulance Y 144 

Police Y 133 European Emergency Y 112 

General Info & Counseling: 

Rosa Lila Villa 

www.villa.at; 6., Linke Wienzeile 102 

For Gay Men: Rosa Tip (upstairs) 

D Mon, Wed, Fri 5 pm-8 pm 

Y (+43-1) 585 43 43 

For Lesbians: Lila Tip (ground floor) 

D Mon, Wed, Fri 5 pm-8 pm 

Y (+43-1) 586 81 50 

Homosexuelle Initiative Wien 

www.hosiwien.at; Y (+43-1) 216 66 04 

Gay & Lesbian City Tours: 

Qwien Center for gay/lesbian culture and 

history 

www.qwien.at; 4., Grosse Neugasse 29 

Gay-friendly Health Institutions 

Clinic for sexually transmitted 

diseases (STD) 80 

TownTown, 3., Thomas-Klestil- 

Platz 8, CB 14., Mon-Fri 8 

am-noon; Y Hotline:(+43-1) 

4000-877 96 

Marien Pharmacy 81 

6., Schmalzhofgasse 1 

Y (+43-1) 597 02 07 

AIDS-Hilfe Wien 82 

6., Mariahilfer Gürtel 4 

Mon, Wed 4 pm-8 pm; 

Thu 9 am-1 pm; 

Fri 2 pm- 6 pm 

Y (+43-1) 599 37 

FAX: (+43-1) 599 37-16 

E-Mail: wien@aids.at 

Internet: www.aids.at 

In case of legal problems: 

Rechtskomitee LAMBDA 

Y/FAX: (+43-1) 876 30 61 

E-Mail: office@RKLambda.at 

Gay & Lesbian Media: 

Online Media 

Gayboy Online www.gayboy.at 

GAYNET.AT www.gaynet.at 

Rainbow.Online www.rainbow.at 

Print publications with community info 

COXX (free) www.coxx.at 

LN (free) www.lambdanachrichten.at 

XTRA (free) www.xtra-news.at 

GIB ( 4,50 €) www.gib-magazin.at 

NAME IT ( 5,50 €) www.name-it.at 

The Vienna Card for 18,50 € 

Dr. Lorenz Reiterer 83 

Dermatologist 

4., Blechturmgasse 26/6 

Y (+43-1) 505 34 83 

Dr. Horst Schalk 84 

General Practitioner/HIV 

Specialist 

9.,Zimmermannplatz 1/10 

Y/FAX: (+43-1) 408 07 44 

Your key to Vienna 

Discover the city for 72 hours by underground, tram and bus and 

receive more than 210 discounts at tourist attractions, cafés, 

restaurants, shops and wine taverns. You can buy your Vienna 

Card at the Vienna Tourist Info, your hotel or the public transport 

sales booths. More information: www.vienna.info 

47

© WTV/Harald Eisenberger

Queer Guide

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