Serbia is not a 100% liberal nation. It is extremely traditional, and if we are totally honest, there might be some complexities regarding gay acceptance. On the other hand, being the main capital city of Serbia, it has many benefits because Belgrade, compared to other Eastern European countries, is much safer for gay travellers.
While years ago the Belgrade Pride suffered bans, the last four successive parades have passed with no incidents; that is a massive hope and development for the future.
There are a lot of places in Belgrade which are gay friendly and safe. A lot of gay-friendly cafes, bars, and clubs are beginning to operate in this city. While there is no strictly gay venue, the places mentioned are incredibly inclusive as well as everyone is welcome with an open mind and open arms.
Visiting Belgrade must be included in your bucket list, as you will be bombarded with many things to do and see. One of the best highlights of the gay Belgrade tour is visiting some of the best bars and clubs in the area. Here are some of the gay-friendly bars and clubs in Belgrade that you must give a try.
One of the best and most gay-friendly bars is the Smiley Bar. It literally welcomes everyone into joining the party! This is a cute and small queer bar located beyond Hotel Moskva. Since this is a small bar, expect it will be crowded when the dawn comes and on Friday and Saturday nights when the place becomes a discotheque.
Right close to the entryway, a small stair will lead you to the acute and small gallery that is a perfect place to drink your favourite tea and coffee during the day. During the summer season, the windows of the bar are opened, so normally, people stand outside of this bar in the passageway.
This is considered one of the oldest gay clubs in Belgrade. This is an ideal destination to dance all through the night to techno and pop music. This club is composed of a two-story building and is just open on Saturday and Sunday. Later at night, this club often plays Serbian folk songs.
This is also one of the best and friendliest gay bars located on a patio off the road in the core center of the city. Club Musk in Belgrade is nicely accentuated as well as has an amazing and reasonable selection of drinks. Here, you can find the best drinks in the whole area. This gay club in Belgrade has seating and a small dance floor where you and your partner can dance.
Aside from gay bars and clubs, there are also saunas in Belgrade to pamper yourself after a tiring tour in the area. The best thing about these saunas in Belgrade is that they are not just gay-friendly but also offer the best services you will ever find in the area.
One of the best saunas in Belgrade is the Red Line. This sauna welcomes men who are in search of a secure, hygienic, and discrete place to meet, date, and experience amazing fun. What makes this sauna apart from the rest is that it provides a steam room to relax, a jacuzzi to get rid of stress, as well as friendly and cute masseurs. Also, you can relax in the lounge while drinking your favourite drink. It’s likely to stay for a couple of minutes or a few hours to relax; the choice is all yours.
This is also one of the many reasons why many gay men go to Belgrade. Cruising is a must-do activity in the city that you and your friends must experience. Savka is a popular lake that is surrounded by a renowned and big recreation zone.
When you go to the southern part of Belgrade, you’ll see good restaurants and bars. Opposite the fancy side of this lake, you’ll see a lot of alternative bars and nudist beaches. This area of the beach has a very welcoming setting and is also renowned amongst the gay community.
A lot men meet at the rear of the beach. It is relatively a long stroll from the station; therefore, if you like to visit this nudist beach, you might as well hire a bike on the eastern part of the amazing and stunning island.
If you are planning to visit Belgrade, you shouldn’t miss some of the best gay-friendly bars, clubs, as well as gay-friendly beaches. On the other hand, aside from these, make sure you don’t miss the different queer events. Some of the gay events you must not miss during your visit to Belgrade are as follows:
This is a very popular event happening in the city yearly. Belgrade Pride is a popular association discovered in 2010. This organization has organized many events since then. The Pride Week has collected many international artists from different parts of the world who deal with creative and artistic practices.
Sad to say, Pride Parade has been prohibited many times in the last few years. On the other hand, the organization profoundly believes new pride parades will happen in the coming years. The organization of the said event also organizes a book club on a weekly basis held at the gay info center.
The Rainbow Party Belgrade hosts monthly parties for the gay community residing in Belgrade city. The party is set up by a group of enthusiasts with a background in gay activism and is renowned for a more diverse music taste than you hear at other parties in the area. Aside from pop classics, you will also hear a mixture of house, disco as well as indie films. This is open to everyone, as it is straight-friendly too.
There are a lot of gay organizations in Belgrade, so expect many events to happen yearly. Some of the organizations in Belgrade are:
This organization lists cases of discrimination and violence against gays in Serbia. Discrimination is encountered every second, every minute, and every day in the household, public places as well as in professional settings.
The fact that gays in Serbia are open and exposed to long-term as well as continuous homophobia, they experience different types of disgrace and shame. This organization enables persons who are subjected to discrimination as well as violence to report incidents like these securely and aims to boost the effectiveness of safety by the knowledgeable and experienced authorities.
This organization organizes parties for gays in Belgrade. This organization is also renowned for a massive crowd, good music as well as a friendly and very inclusive atmosphere. In the year 2018, this organization organized Ponos Srbije- an alternative gay event that, not like the popular Belgrade Pride, isn’t cordoned off by law officers or restricted to particular entry points. People openly march on Belgrade Street.
Gayten-LGBT was created to contribute to making the overall societal setting directed to the removal of all kinds of discrimination and violence against the gay community in Belgrade.
This is the first all-inclusive organization that, in addition to gay men and lesbians, brings as one transgender, bisexual persons, and even intersex, heterosexuals, and queers, affirming their needs, rights, issues, existence as well as culture.
The values on which the organization relies on encourage gay people as well as their heterosexual supporters to work as one with respect as well as admiration and deference for the differences and specificities of each one, individual and group.
There are a lot of things to do and see in this amazing city, including the following:
Kafe Supa is a cute and small café located in the downtown the city. According to the report, the name Supa derived from the owner’s love of hanging in a shed when he was a little one. It is a vegan-, gay- as well as pet-friendly place. A perfect place to meet locals as well as expats. There is no place to park, so it is advisable to hire a taxi.
Cafe Meduza is a small comfortable place situated in the renowned Dorcol area, only a couple of minutes’ walk from Knez Mihailova and Kalemegdan Park. Cute interior, very friendly staff as well as good vibes, this place is superb and exceptional to socialize. During the day, you’ll see the hips of tourists and locals working from their laptops.
Mercury is the perfect place to be if you are searching for dance and fun. According to experts, this is the first cities straight-friendly place. This is a renowned floating boat club situated on the Sava river. This amazing place host different parties every weekend. The music depends on the promoters who host an event. This is a worth checking place for gay locals and internationals.
Zappa Barka is a very popular flouting river club which has a remarkable view of the city. This place ends up in Magazine images from all parts of the globe when they discuss Splavs, the most exceptional attraction in the whole area.
The exterior of this place is accentuated with portrait murals of many of the most powerful musical icons from renowned culture, including Elvis Presley, Billy idol, and Frank Zappa.
XL bar is a perfect bar for coffee lovers out there. What is more, it is also the perfect destination to unwind, relax as well as recharge your energy, not to mention that it is also a great place for business travellers and have a fast espresso break. When the night comes, this place goes under full transformation and becomes a nightclub and an ideal place for a fantastic night with friends and loved ones.
Belgrade has so many things to offer to everyone, most especially to gay travellers. However, it is very vital to pay attention to potential dangers, and public display of affection (PDA) is glared upon at best; try not to incite anyone with your actions. Besides that, Belgrade is an amazing city that has so many hidden gems for gay travellers. So, what’s the next plan? Pack your things now and head to this amazing place.
