Venere Travel Blog - It's our business where you sleep!

The modern day culture of Romania is an interesting blend of the age-old conservative rural customs and traditional values injected now with the newer liberal ideas and thinking, inclusive of the ever expanding gay and lesbian population. However, it wasn’t until recently that this was the case. As Romania drew nearer to the new century, it also move closer to a new economy and government with their admission in to the European Union (EU).

Along with this admission came the exposure to some very forward thinking which includes the EU’s pro-gay policies. In late December of 2001, the BBC announced that gay and lesbian gatherings were no longer considered criminal and that gay assemblies were now permissible. Not only is homosexuality considered legal and not a criminal offense, but gays and lesbians are now protected by anti-discrimination laws.

As a result, the gay and lesbian community has seen noticeable growth, especially in Bucharest, which is now the hub of the gay and lesbian lifestyle in Romania. This has been evidenced in two different ways. The first ever Gay Fest was held in the city in 2005 plus, during the period from 2002 to the present, more and more gay/lesbian venues have opened in the city. The following is a list of the most popular gay venues in Bucharest.

1. The Impact Club

Without a doubt, this is Bucharest’s most popular (and crowded) gay dance club. The DJ’s here are outstanding and different genres of music are played throughout the week. If you like the action hard and sweaty, then this club needs to be on your itinerary. The club has different hours of operation throughout the week. With the exception of Saturday nights, when the club opens at 11 pm, it opens at 10pm the rest of the week. Mondays through Wednesdays it is open until 3 am, Thursdays and Sundays until 4 am, Friday night until 5 am, and Saturday night until 6 am.

2. Purple

Another one of the top gay venues in Bucharest. As the name implies, you’re going to see a lot of purple in this club. There purple barstools, booths, and leather sofas. Even the walls are purple and so are a few drinks on the menu. The dance floor is huge, the DJ’s and music are excellent, and there is live music scattered throughout the week.

3. Queen’s Club

This is the third of the most popular venues in Bucharest and it has seen the growth of some of the heterosexual crowd frequenting the bar as well due to the fact that some have grown tired of the “meat market” scene so characteristic of those other clubs. An excellent atmosphere combined with an excellent dance floor and music make this club a must-see.

Photo of disco ball by cosmonautirussi