The Hornet Guide to Gay Paris

Oh, gay Paris. The City of Lights has been a the top destination for years. With iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral and the Louvre, people come here to soak up real French culture and appreciate the vast history of this city.

With its progressive social agenda, France is one of the leading countries when it comes to LGBTQ rights. In 2013, France became the 13th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, making Paris one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world.

Off-the-beaten-path Parisian attractions

Look, you already know to visit the Eiffel Tower or any of the other big French landmarks. But you might not know about some of the smaller, more interesting attractions in gay Paris. Get a true Parisian experience by walking the cobbled street of Rue Crémieux and look at the beautifully colorful buildings. (They’re the perfect background for your latest selfies.)

The I Love You Wall (Le mur des jet’aime) is an art installation doubling as a rendezvous place for lovers. This beautifully curated wall features the phrase “I love you” in 311 different languages, including all 192 languages of the United Nations. Created by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, it’s a sentimental monument to love.

The greatest thing about farmers’ markets is the farm-fresh wares. If you’re in Paris on a weekday with nothing to do, check out the Paris Flower Market. And on Sundays, it turns into a bird market with vendors displaying a colorful array of feathered friends — truly a sight to be seen.

Dans le Noir? offers its guests unique dining experience — mainly, in complete darkness. Co-founded by the Paul Guinot Foundation for Blind People, this famed restaurant lets you and your guests enjoy “surprise cuisine” while sitting in a pitch-black room.

The Lasco Project, underneath the Palais de Tokyo, is an underground wonderland of murals and art from world-famous street artists. The dark corridors give off a mysterious vibe, making it feel like you’re entering a concealed secret universe in the shape of a street art maze.

Must-visit Museums

Yeah, yeah, there’s the Louvre. But we’re more interested in these smaller, unique museums that will interest you when you’re done wondering what the Mona Lisa’s smiling about.

Even if you aren’t familiar with this world-famous French chanteuse, the Musée Edith Piaf is a must-see museum, converted from Piaf’s first apartment in the Ménilmontant district. If you visit, you’ll get to see many of Piaf’s personal objects — including her iconic black dresses — in a super-intimate environment.

Obsessed with vampires? Then you need to visit Musée des Vampires & Monstres de L’Imaginaire to explore the extensive folklore surrounding vampires. Located in Les Lilas, just outside of Paris, the museum is curated by vampire fanatic and scholar Jacques Sirgent (who will personally share vampire stories with guests).

Angoulême is the French center of comics, and the Angoulême International Comics Festival has been going strong since 1974. Fans need to visit this one-of-a-kind Comic Strip Museum, featuring iconic comic characters — from French favorites like Asterix to your favorite Marvel superheroes.

Paris has had an impressive infrastructure system in place since the 1300s, and you can learn all about it at the Paris Sewer Museum. Explore a 1,600-foot underground tunnel, and check out the gallery exhibit, which houses sewer-related artifacts and equipment, some of which is centuries old.

Recently opened to the public, Pagoda Paris offers an east-meets-west experience with this Chinese-influenced building. Its visually stunning architecture was created by a Chinese businessman, Mr. Loo, initially as a place to live. Now the Pagoda Paris hosts fantastic art and special events. You can even have your own dinner party in this magnificent setting.

Edgy gay Paris nightlife

As one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, Paris has a thriving gay nightlife. Le Marais is the neighborhood for your gay Parisian experience. If you prefer edgy places and naughty adventures, start out with La Mine.

La Mine is where to find fetishists. This hole-in-the-wall place hosts different “fetish” theme nights — be sure to bring your leather and latex and have a wild time!

If you like to watch hot guys playing with themselves in the shower — and who doesn’t?! — then Raidd has the perfect show for you. With a team of sexy go-go boys, renowned DJs spin upbeat club music for the perfect night out.

Le Mensch, a dungeon-inspired bar gives off a medieval vibe with a built-in labyrinth equipped with old chains and beams. It serves stiff drinks — and that’s great! — but patrons come here with one thing in mind: sex.

In the heart of Le Marais, Full Metal has darkrooms to explore — and for watersports enthusiasts, special urinals. If you’re spent, you can recharge and chill with other guys with Full Metal’s excellent happy hour. This bar is a sea of testosterone and heat.

IDM Sauna has a massive five-level facility. There’s also a naturist area where you can let it all hang out. Not just a place to relax, IDM Sauna regularly hosts live sex shows.

Secteur X hosts different theme nights like “Happy Sex” in this dimly-lit bar. There’s a darkroom fto play in and a naked-only area to explore. Feeling adventurous?