Athens, GreeceĪlexander Sauna – this is Athens' most popular gay sauna located in the heart of Gazi. No matter what you’re into, check out our list of the top 15 gay saunas and gay bathhouses around the world. Before visiting, check their website/social media as many are open 24/7, yet draw a crowd for themed nights like fully naked, underwear only and leather/kink. Some gay bathhouses even cater to a specific clientele like bears, leather, twinks or jocks. Most offer some sort of membership, but you can often purchase a one-time pass. Some even have dark mazes, fetish dungeons and orgy spaces.
![gay men cruising gym steam room gay men cruising gym steam room](https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/08/barbica.jpg)
When you step inside a typical gay bathhouse, you’ll get a towel and locker and then find your way around amenities like a pool, jacuzzi, bar, open showers, steam rooms, saunas and private rooms/cabins.
![gay men cruising gym steam room gay men cruising gym steam room](https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000006560/Images/image_20200812-013531.png)
Although smartphones with hook-up apps are a convenient way to cruise, nothing can replace these gay institutions where you can live out your erotic fantasies with guaranteed action and without judgment (or endless swiping). Today, gay bathhouses or gay saunas can be found in cities around the world.
![gay men cruising gym steam room gay men cruising gym steam room](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/20/article-2345405-1A6D6572000005DC-167_634x761.jpg)
It wasn’t until the late 19th-century that bathhouses came to the US as just a place to bathe, but that soon changed by the mid-20th century when they were frequented by closeted gay men with the American gay bathhouse scene reaching its peak in the early 1970s. Bathhouses date back to the Roman Empire and since same-sex activity wasn’t that taboo during Pagan times, you can’t help but think that things happened.