Paris, France
France’s gorgeous, stirring capital has been a mecca for the LGBT community visitors and locals alike. Not every city is accepting enough to appoint an openly gay mayor, but Paris has done that, a heinous attack against this archetype of sophistication which actually makes you love the city of romance even more.
Besides romantic strolls, catching a few rays along the Seine River, or a kiss or two at the Eiffel Tower, the one other stop here should be the Père Lachaise Cemetery.
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Here, you’ll find Oscar Wilde’s grave, covered in kisses by his fans. For a extensive venture into Europe’s most lovey’dovey city, The Gay Locals offer an amazing nightlife-themed tour through Paris. The city’s gay locale, near the Hotel de Ville metro in the the city’s trendiest neighborhood, Le Marais, houses Paris’s most popular gay nightlife hub, the always packed Spyce.
The chic gay bar is often the starting point for a night out in Le Marais. So, take a sexy selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower, get herded around with a bunch of strangers at the constructed beach along the length of Seine and while away entire noons at the outdoor cafes. This city, is a fable, a fairy tale and in our hearts, always.
Amsterdam, Netherland
For the LGBT visitors and residents, Amsterdam is one of the most appealing cities for gay travel in Europe. For centuries ‘Amsterdammers’ have had a relaxed and liberal outlook towards different life-styles.
It’s the world’s most permissive city, so it’s naturally very gay. Its celebrated open-mindedness goes back about a century when homosexuality was decriminalized and Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex marriage.
This year, Amsterdam is also hosting the European-wide Euro Pride festival during the same stretch of the Amsterdam Pride, with a lot of the LGBT community folks expected to meet for debates and boards on human rights, with all the many parties as well. As such, it’s no small wonder that Amsterdam became so popular with gay visitors.
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‘Live and let live’ is one of the city’s favorite sayings. Most of the city’s gay nightlife can be found on a single street, the Reguliersdwarsstraat. There’s more sex shops and gay bars around the Red Light District, just look for ‘em rainbow flags.
One of the best gay places to visit is Cafe t’Mandje, one of the oldest gay bars in Amsterdam, open since 1927 with its gimmicky interiors and with crowds slopping out onto the street.
Milkshake, a summertime queer music festival with no dress code, welcomes everyone to come and rejoice different types of music. Not to be missed is the Homomonument, a living monument erected in the memory of the homosexuals who’ve been oppressed or persecuted around the world.
Book a flight to Amsterdam here.
Barcelona, Spain
Spain is one of the most welcoming and relaxed nations in Europe. Topped with a warm climate, Spanish tapas, and a well-established, amiable LGBT community, Barcelona is a year-round LGBT destination. Its eclectic calendar of events ensures that there’s something for the entire community.
Big annual events include Circuit Festival Barcelona, Bear Pride in March, Barcelona Gay Pride in June, Circuit Festival in August, and the International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival held each October. It’s now one of the world’s top gay destinations and not just because of the city, but also because of the stunning neighbouring beaches.
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In addition to a throbbing cosmopolitan life, the city is an inviting mix of gay and straight, and has some of Europe’s best nightlife spots, cafes and restaurants. You’ll find most of the city’s gay bars, restaurants, and shops located around the Eixample district, with other cool spots also spread throughout the city.
And the coastal city of Sitges, resting approximately 35 km south-west of Barcelona, is home to Spain’s first-ever gay disco, which opened back in the 1980s.
Berlin, Germany
Everything you could ever dream of can be accommodated for in Berlin. Germany’s wild side is an exhibit here, without question, and is among the most LGBT-friendly cities in the world. Historically, the gay center of Berlin was around Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg, but gay points of interest are now also found all over Kreuzberg and Neukölln.
The districts of Schoneberg; which hosts the Gay Pride, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauerberg, provide an assorted range of clubs, bars and restaurants for sampling. With no closing time in Berlin, the party apparently never ends! Epic parties also take place frequently, like the monthly Homopatik party, Gegen at Kit Kat which is held on the first Friday of every other month, and the SchwuZ which hosts “Madonnamania” and “London Calling” nights.
Bars to check out include the smoky Möbel Olfe with a giant “Homo Bar” sign posted outside, The Club which hosts art exhibitions and drag shows, and Facciola, a lesbian-owned and operated wine bar in Kreuzberg, famed for its pop-up Cabaret Opera nights.
The city’s annual gay pride holiday, Christopher Street Day, brings half a million visitors and features a parade and parties all over Berlin for almost about two weeks making gay travel so much fun.
The lesser known and alternative Kreuzberg Pride which takes place on the same day, celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans gendered people. Also worth checking out is the monument to the LGBT victims of the Holocaust and the world’s first queer museum, the Schwules Museum.
London
The British Capital is a non-partisan, sophisticated city, and one of the most multi-cultural cities in Europe, a place where everybody is welcome. Evidently, it is also one of the most LGBT-accepting ones.
It is home to one of Europe’s largest gay community. Its Gay Pride event is, hence, one of the world’s largest. Pride London is a fine event, there is an important Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and its gay nightlife is one of the world’s best.
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For example, Dalston Superstore, a gay bar and cafe that features art exhibitions and musical performances, as well as caters up comfort food like burgers and Sloppy Joes. Soho, the capital’s gay epicenter, has a huge cluster of sex shops and LGBT bookstores; try the newsstand on Old Compton Street for a huge variety of LGBT magazines.
Soho and Central London has a number of other gay travel attractions. Also worth visiting is The Glory, a queer and gay pub which hosts film screenings, performance art, cabaret nights, and an affordable late-night disco.
New York City, USA
New York is definitely a city with a class of its own. Fashion, theatre, advertising and the arts have kept New York up, as one of the most gay friendly cities in the world. The Big Apple is the birthplace of gay life and of the gay pride movement. It is the home of Stonewall, which led to all of the gay pride events around the world. And, most of Manhattan and now even parts of Brooklyn, is one huge gay neighbourhood.
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The Fire Island, a 32-mile island, off the shores of Long Island, is a must, summer gateway for gay New Yorkers. This amazing place is just a short ferry ride away from Sayville, which you can reach from the city via the Long Island Railroad or by car. Though there are no cars allowed on the island, but getting around by bike or on foot is an amazing way to explore the region.
Although Fire Island is known as a gay retreat, the town also invites families on holidays and straight couples, especially in the busy seasons of the fall.
The gay sections include the Pines; famous for its party scene and Pines Pavilion nightclub; as well as the more unwinded Cherry Grove area. The city has some exquisite LGBT landmarks such as the Christopher Street, the Lesbian Herstory Archives and the Theatre District.
Book flights to New York here.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland is home to a tiny, but, very live and functional gay scene; and the world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik has been one of the friendliest places and most inclusive on Earth. This tolerant and open-minded country of Iceland is home to the world’s first openly gay heads of state.
Iceland also has some of the world’s most progressive laws. In 2006, same-sex couples were granted equal rights with their heterosexual counterparts without any limitation. Today, Iceland welcomes gay and lesbian visitors from all over the world with open arms. The country’s most active gay scenes are located in Iceland’s capital Reykjavík, and in the growing community of Akureyri.
