Sunday, October 11, 2009

Planning Gay Vacations to Germany

By Howie Holben

Germany has long been a LGBT stronghold, with thriving communities in all of Germany's metropolitan areas. This is one reason why gay vacations to some of Germany's LGBT hotspots, such as Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg are well known with travelers from around the world. Germany is home to several Pride festivals of world-renown and offers an accepting gay travel throughout the country. Like in any country, city dwellers are often more accepting than rural villagers; however, as a whole, Germany is a safe, accepting destination for a gay vacation.

Cologne is a fantastic choice for gay travel to Germany and is often referred to as the LGBT capital of the country. Cologne is picturesquely positioned on the Rhine River and is the oldest large city in Germany. It is the home of the famous Cologne Cathedral, Kolsch beer, and a vibrant arts and culture scene that draw travelers from all over the world to experience this grand citys rich history and jovial residents. If anyone looks askance at a same-sex couple showing affection in public, it will very likely be a tourist, since this warm, welcoming city has a huge LGBT population that is fully integrated and well-established.

This welcoming community has no problem with couples of all sorts showing affection in public and has a well-established, highly visible LGBT population. Cologne is proud to be the host of the 2010 Gay Games and home to more LGBT bars, clubs, restaurants, cafs and other establishments than any visitor could experience in a single gay vacation. To display how LGBT-friendly this city truly is, the KolnTourismus Service Centre even offers a Pink WelcomeCard, which provides discounts on LGBT clubs, bars, saunas and shops, as well as free public transportation and discounts for local attractions, such as river cruises, opera, theater and museums.

The welcoming city of Berlin also has a vibrant, very visible LGBT community and a wide array of establishments spread throughout the city. Party goers planning Berlin gay holidays may want to consider planning their arrival during Pride season when Berlin becomes a virtual LGBT mecca for two consecutive weekends. First, Berlin hosts Europes largest LGBT city festival, the Lebisch-Schwules Stadtfest, followed by the world-renowned Berlin Gay Pride Parade and Christopher Street Day festival which are attended by hundreds of thousands of LGBT folks, friends and supporters, making this an ideal choice for summer gay vacations to Germany.

Whether you are goinr to Germany alone or traveling with a group of friends, a gay vacation to Germany will surely be filled with opportunities to learn about Germany's LGBT community, meet new friends and make lifelong memories. To get as much as you can out of your travels, you may want to participate in gay adventure vacations with a travel agency with experience arranging Germany gay vacations.

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