Calling Vienna the San Francisco of Central Europe would be somewhat of an exaggeration. Neither would a comparison to Amsterdam, Barcelona or Berlin hold up, for that matter. Yet, although gay life in Vienna is quite low-key, things do happen, and for the most part, a “live and let live” attitude seems to prevail among the locals. The city hosts an annual GLBT Pride Parade on the Ringstrasse, as well as a high-profile international HIV/AIDS charity event known as the Life Ball. As for the gay venues, most are clustered around Naschmarkt in the 4th, 5th and 6th districts, but there are a few others scattered around the city. Austrians aren’t usually keen on starting conversation with strangers, so don’t be shy unless you want to spend the evening by yourself.
For more English-language information about lesbian and gay events see www.gayinvienna.com.