Ciemnia Club

Ciemnia, Polish for "darkroom," is Kraków's long-running men's gay cruising and sex club, the first and for years the only venue of its kind in the city, with around a quarter-century on the scene. Reached discreetly, ring the buzzer, cross the courtyard and head down to the basement, it's built for cruising rather than dancing, with a big darkroom, a maze, an "oralium," glory holes, private cabins, a sling and a video room, plus a low-priced bar, a smoking room and a small shop for condoms, lube and poppers. Men-only and 18-plus, it runs Poland's most popular theme nights: Naked Parties, Underwear/Topless Parties, and sport, sneaker, and uniform fetish evenings, and really comes alive on Friday and Saturday when the after-parties can run until mid-morning. Unpretentious and cheap, with English-speaking staff, it's the go-to cruise spot in the city.