As lots of you already know, for homo hook-ups, Western Europe can be a paradise. Yeah, there are a gayzillion bars and clubs, even in many of the smaller cities and towns, and it seems everybody and his daddy’s online these days. But another big reason is because more than any other continent in the world, the landmass that gave rise to Casanova, Don Juan and the Marquis de Sade along with Adolf Hitler and Joey Rats (er, Josef Ratzinger — you know, the creepy queen in the white dress and red Prada pumps) is chock full of sometimes elaborate bath houses that attract a wide range of dudes, including some of the very hottest. The owners put a lot of dough into these sex palaces, and the cool thing is, they’re not just for getting it on but just as much for just hanging out, spending an evening or a weekend afternoon — you’ll see guys watching the game, having a drink or even putting away three-course meals in the elaborate bars and restaurants in some of these places. They’re usually not too pricey, either — depending on the location and whether you get a locker, room, or whatever, from $10 to $30 a visit (there are also sometimes two-for-one or under-25 discounts). There are increasing numbers of sex clubs — as opposed to saunas — around, too, but it’s these full-service establishments that really provide the best mini spa vacations, plus the chance to get yer jollies.

Here’s a selective, far from complete list of some of the steamiest saunas in some of the coolest countries, just to give ya a taste. I’ll be following up in January with more from Western Europe, then down the road with dispatches from Eastern Europe (starring the breathtaking Ottoman-era hammams of Istanbul and Budapest) and from other continents.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands The iconic, long-running Thermos twins are still the top Dutch treats in what may just be Europe’s gayest city. There are actually two locations: the elaborate Thermos Day Sauna (Raamstraat 33, 623.9158), centrally located near Leidseplein with a pool and five floors of cruising, is open daily noon till 10 or 11pm, pool. If you’re more of a night owl, or just want to wind up a night of clubbing, the smaller but still well-equipped Thermos Night Sauna (Kerkstraat 58-60, 623.4936), a hop and a skip away across the Prinsengracht canal, takes over from 11PM to 8AM.

Athens, Greece Ironically enough in the place where boy love was once considered the ultimate and girls good for not much more than cranking out babies, places to practice it these days are few and funky (and not in a good way). Blame the Greek Orthodox Church, I guess. Anyway, though there are a decent number of bars and clubs, there are only about three or four bath houses, most of which are skanky and/or hustler-infested. Your best bet here is Flex (Vissis & Poliklitou 6, 210.321.0539), in the picturesque Monastiráki area, in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Barcelona, Spain Though one of my all-time favorite burgs otherwise has it all, scene-wise, there’s no question it could use some new blood in terms of the baths. But what the hey, chances are you’ll find what you’re hunting for at Condal (Carrer Espolsasacs, off Carrer Comtal, 323.7860), three floors on a side alley in the Gothic quarter near the cathedral, or a few blocks north at the smaller but popular Casanova (Carrer de Casanova at Diputació, 323.7860), on a single floor in the gay-bar district above Gran Via known as the “Gaixample.”

Berlin, Germany A big B-town fave smack near the center of things (between the Broadway-like Kürfurstendamm and the Tiergarten, a park where you can spot hot boys sunbathing and more) is the Brasil Apollo City Sauna (Kurfürstenstrasse 101, 213.2424). Formerly the Apollo City Sauna, it’s got two floors and a cruisy crowd. Over in the edgy/trendy East Berlin nabe of Prenzlauer Berg, you’ll find a lot of young dudes at Treibhaus (Schönhauser Allee 132, 448.4503).

Brussels, Belgium Of the seven gay saunas in Europe’s capital, for a young crowd and mod luxe with bells ’n’ whistles like a pool, outdoor terrace, even a fancy chill-out room tricked up in Moroccan drag, check out the popular six-floor Macho (106 Rue Marché au Charbon, 513.5667), near the Grand’ Place. Another local hit (though with just five floors) is the L’Oasis (10 Rue van Orley, 218.0800), has no pool but does have a winsome wet area and is more classical (some might also say classy) in feel—five floors in a handsome old townhouse near the main train station.

Lausanne, Switzerland This country’s biggest sauna is right here in French-speaking Lausanne: the two-story Pink Beach (Avenue Tivoli 7-9, 21.311.6969), just up from the city’s main station. Pretty much everything’s here except a pool. And for you bisexuals or het-curious types, get this: the place even has regular nights where women and straight couples are welcome.

Lisbon, Portugal A lovely city but a wee bit more closeted than most of the rest of Europe when it comes to the queer scene (especially compared to Spain next door, Portugal’s still a bit more backward and conservative). Furthermore, the smattering of saunas in Lisboa tends to be pretty dated and run down, but who knows, by the time you read this some of ’em may have cleaned up their act a bit—ask around once you get here. Spartacus up in the gorgeous old Bairro Alto quarter (Largo Trindade Coelho 2, 21 322 5022) is the most popular—give it a try, and let me know how it is these days!

Stay tuned for our next installment, and have a happy — and gay — new year!

yours truly,

Dave

This entry was posted on 12.31.2007 at 7:35 pm by Dave and is filed under BabelBlog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.