10 of Europe’s bt statns for LGBTQ+ travellers this Pri season | Gay and lbian travel | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY EUROPE TRAVEL GUI
• EUROPE'S TOP GAY HOTELS & RORTS 2023
• 9 MOST GAY-FRIENDLY COUNTRI IN EUROPE
• 40 BT GAY DTATNS WORLDWI, ACRDG TO TRAVELERS
• GAY TRAVEL TOURS & TRIPS
• THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023
• GAY GROUP TRIPS: GAY EUROPE
• THE WORLD'S BT GAY TRAVEL GUI

GAY EUROPE TRAVEL GUI

It’s one of only five untri to make queer rights equal at a nstutnal level and holds first place on ILGA-Europe’s Rabow Europe Inx, which ranks untri on LGBTQ+ my last vis, a gay gui showed me round the wdg medieval streets of Valletta and Rabat, potg out sential bars and rtrants om Michel-starred Noni to the Monaliza Lounge drag bar, as well as the nightclub Michelangelo lively Paceville. This spir filters down to Dubl’s many LGBTQ-iendly tablishments: two personal favour are iendly bnch spot Social Fabric Café Stoneybatter, one of the cy’s most tertg neighbourhoods, and Street 66 bar, a eful cktail spot before a night at inic LGBTQ+ stutn The southsi is gay-owned Gutter Bookshop (named after the famo Osr Wil quote), and the weekly “big gay dis” Sunday Social at Farrier & Draper; or cross the river for the Outhoe LGBTQ+ muny rource fe on Capel Street and PantiBar, owned by drag queen, activist and performer Panti Bliss. Enjoy bnch at Osr bar and fe, before a beer at one of Europe’s olst gay bars, Centralhjor, which hosts drag and Sunday jazz ssns venu clu Bøssehet Christiania, home to theatre, performanc, exhibns and parti – a well-suated boutique hotel is SP34 (doubl om £133) the Lat Quarter.

The cy’s olst gay bar The Waterloo dat back half a century, while another classic spot is the Unrground bar, equally fun for drag or karaoke.

Nearby Delmoni’s (known lolly as “Del’s”), has been Merchant Cy’s “gay triangle” sce stay nearby, try the good-value Bnswick hotel (doubl om £50), on a street wh venu marked by rabow flags. Photograph: Nick Maslen/AlamyOn my last vis to Birmgham the rabow flag seemed to be everywhere, and the historic Gay Village, wh s bars, shops and f, is hugely visible, centred largely on Hurst Street. Start wh bibimbap at the thoroughfare’s Korean rtrant Topokki before drks at Missg, Siwalk or lbian bar The Fox and dancg at the legendary Nightgale Club, the olst gay club the cy, datg back to summer’s hot LGBTQ+ event is Fierce’s Healg Garns of Bab (27 June - 17 July): part of Birmgham 2022 Ftival, ’s an artistic rponse to this summer’s Commonwealth Gam, celebratg “what the Brish Empire tried (and failed) to stamp out”.

EUROPE'S TOP GAY HOTELS & RORTS 2023

Mykonos’s rep as queer heaven dat back to the 1970s, when Jackie Onassis beme a regular visor (she first vised 1961), before blossomed as gay rort the 1980s, wh acmodatn sprgg up for the largely male 2022, you n hang out at tablished hotspots Jackie O, bar Porta or Kastro’s, and stay at the Super Paradise (doubl om £249), handy for the island’s ma LGBTQ+ beach. The season’s big gay dance ftival is XLSIOR, attend by about 30, 000 people (17-24 Augt)HelskiA Pri gatherg at Helski Cathedral. Photograph: Subodh Agnihotri/AlamyFor many gay men of a certa age, Fland is extribly associated wh leather-clad inic hero Tom of Fland, whose books pict a ggedly sexualised masculy durg a time pre-1971 when homosexualy was still illegal.

9 MOST GAY-FRIENDLY COUNTRI IN EUROPE

Now you n take a tour of where thor Too Laaksonen lived his whole adult life, passg the Kansalaistori (People’s Square) ont of parliament, once a clanste meetg pot for gay karaoke fans should check out Mann’s Street, a boozy stutn; other fun spots are Street Pri the Kamppi district, and Kvääristö, a jot for queer women, transgenr, and non-bary people. You might even be able to jo the Helski Homovaas (Helski Gay Invasn), whose purpose is to “shake up the gay scene” by takg over random straight bars.

5ln people each year, cludg 300, 000 overseas self is one of the most LGBTQ-iendly untri the world: same-sex sexual activy was ma legal 1979, and was the third untry to legalise gay marriage, 2005. First stop has to be Chue, Madrid’s “gaybourhood” wh bars and venu dotted around Plaza Chue (also don’t miss the recently refurbished Merdo San Antón for tasty food stalls and a rooftop terrace). Travel Gay has accs to years of bookg data and statistics to show which gay hotels are the bt Europe and which are the most booked gay hotels.

40 BT GAY DTATNS WORLDWI, ACRDG TO TRAVELERS

ArtHotel ConnectnLoted the heart of the Schöneberg gay district, the ‘art nouve’ 3-star ArtHotel Connectn featur uniquely themed, value-for-money gut room has a flat-screen TV, DVD player, laptop-sized safe, iPhone dock, ee WiFi. TOM'S HotelPerhaps the bt-known gay hotel Berl, TOM’s Hotel offers fortable, en sue sgle and double rooms wh flat-screen TV, DVD player and ee receive disunt vouchers that n be ed at many lol gay bars, cise clubs, snas, nightclubs, shops and and more pictur.

This budget-value hostel rtricts accs to gay men up to the age of rooms and shared dormori are well-mataed and simply furnished. Guts receive a pass which giv exclive als and disunts at var gay and more, GermanyHotel Dtsche EicheThis inic 3-star hotel central Munich has been servg the gay muny for s. But is not jt the great central lotn and 36 fortable gut rooms, junr su and apartments that to the Dtsche Eiche gay sna, the largt gay bathhoe Bavaria wh Fnish sna, salt sna, whirlpool, large steam bath, dark room, solarium, rooftop garn, bistro & and more pictur.

Hydro-massage room, sna and steam room are available to -hoe and more, ItalyB&B Send FloorConsistently popular, morn gay guthoe loted the very heart of Rome, a few steps om The Colossm, Comg Out and My rooms have a private bathroom, air ndng, HD TV, ee WiFi, mibar.

GAY TRAVEL TOURS & TRIPS

Friendly staff n provi gay rmatn around the and more Canaria, SpaAxelBeach MaspolamasStylish gay-popular hotel, loted jt a few mut’ walk om the Yumbo Center gay scene and 1. Breakfast, drks and snacks served all self-terg bungalow has air ndng, terrace, kchete wh idge, toaster, ffee maker, electronic safe, flat-screen satelle TV, and more Bona Gay RortAdults-only gay rort wh a relaxed environment. Loted jt a few mut by taxi the Yumbo Center and/or the and more, SpaHotel Calipolis SgVery gay-oriented hotel the heart of Sg and right next to Sg' gay ’ ma gay bars and clubs are jt a few mut’ walk om the hotel (as is the railway statn if you fancy a night out Barcelona).

Portugal was one of the first European untri to approve gay marriage 2010, and the Portugue nstutn bans discrimatn of LGBTQ people. Lisbon also has a very popular and well attend Gay Pri Ftival and para and the ternatnal Queer Lisboa Gay and Lbian Film Ftival every year, too.

THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023

Belgium was the send European untry to legalize gay marriage and the send to crimalize same-genr relatnships all the way back 1795. Ireland may seem like a rather nservative untry, but beme the first European natn to legalize gay marriage by a popular vote 2015. A poll done 2019 said the 87 percent of Luxembourgers believed gay, lbian, and transgenr people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

Some only mentn the obv spots, while others foc on plac that are only margally welg to LGBT travelers, g the term “gay-iendly” stead of “gay statn. Remember that every gay statn has s own appeal, whether ’s the nightlife, high nsy of other gay tourists, annual gay events, beach, or somethg else. Travelers love the abily to enjoy the cy’s gay nightlife and quat rtrants along narrow stone pathways while also havg accs to betiful regnal beach and parks.

Termix and Termax are the two most notable gay bars the cy, which are great for an energetic night out wh jt a ltle b of dancg. One of the most popular annual gay events Chigo is Market Days, brgg travelers om all over for a fun-filled weekend of performanc by LGBTQ+ artists. Poodle Beach is the epicenter of gay activy Rehoboth, where you’ll fd plenty of rabow umbrellas and beachgoers playg volleyball.

GAY GROUP TRIPS: GAY EUROPE

Montréal is Canada’s top gay travel statn, famo for s inic gay village, French fluence, and unique mix of gay nightlife venu along St Cathere Street East. Explore the chic vib at Bar Renard, watch some sexy dancers at the famo Camp male strip club, or have some seedy fun at a nearby gay sna—Sna Oasis is my favore! Most of the cy’s excg gay nightlife is Le Marais, cludg the well-known Le Raidd, Everyone lov stoppg by Raidd for sexy “shower shows” where you n tch a ltle risqué performance.

Explore all the queer-iendly spac the Zona Rosa gay district, pese lol markets, or take advantage of beg the ta pal of the world and book a ta tour! Wh a massive nightlife scene, betiful beach, and an overall LGBT-welg atmosphere, ’s no surprise that gay travelers are wild about Ibiza. The gay pal of the Land Down Unr, Sydney evok thoughts of lifeguards wearg Asiebum swimsus, the cy’s inic opera hoe, and fun-lovg, fashnable lols.

Rambunct drag bnch rtrants like Hamburger Mary’s, evengs dancg at The Abbey, and pesg quirky ems at gay shops like Block Party WeHo are all classic experienc for LGBT travelers. Along wh an open-md culture, world-class gay nightlife, and tons of handsome men, I don’t blame travelers for cludg Tel Aviv among the bt gay statns. An epic gay rort statn, Torremolos is popular wh Spaniards and other southern Europeans, but gay travelers om other areas of the world typilly often don’t even know about !

THE WORLD'S BT GAY TRAVEL GUI

The enormo gay nightlife center La Nogalera alive each eveng where you n make new iends, tch a drag show, and dance the night away at gay clubs like Centuryon. London has everythg a gay traveler uld want a cy—bougie hotels, flashy gay nightlife, an epic drag scene, cultural attractns, and world-renowned shoppg!

Vxhall is home to more gay clubs and LGBT venu like FIRE Nightclub, the Eagle London, and the UK’s only LGBT theatre, Above The Stag. It has the largt populatn of gay rints the USA, many of which are packed to the legendary gay neighborhoods of Chelsea, Hell’s Kchen, and the Wt Village.

From DJ and drag performanc New York’s bt gay bars to lossal gay parti at the cy’s largt clubs, there’s always somethg happeng. Meanr the world’s first gay art mm, soak up the sun among the massive LGBT crowd Sheep’s Meadow, or head straight to one of the 25+ lol gay sex parti. The island’s gay-welg atmosphere, unfettable Cycladic archecture, nu beach, and high-energy party scene are the perfect recipe for a gay getaway.