Germany

The best time to visit Germany will depend on what places and activities you’d like to experience. Although, given the cold winters, the spring, summer and autumn months are going to the better times to explore the nature of Germany. From May to September, visitors have the best chances to catch longer dry, warm and sunny episodes to go hiking in the Central German Uplands, to go camping and swimming in the North Sea or Baltic Sea or plan a city trip to the German cities with their rich cultural heritage and gay pride festivals. In winter, when most parts of the country are regularly covered in snow, several central German ski resorts and the winter sports areas of the German Alps are open to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and other winter-related activities. Besides winter sports, many German cities and towns know how to brighten up the dark time of the year with their world-famous Christmas markets located across the country.

BERLIN

Berlin is the largest city in Germany and is considered to be among the most gay-friendly capitals in Europe. Despite the difficult history of being a divided city for over 40 years, Berlin developed a considerable, diverse LGBTQ+ culture including the gay neighborhood Schöneberg and the popular club scene of Berghain and SchwuZ. Good to know for LGBTQ+ travelers: the Pink Pillow collection of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in Berlin offers a broad variety of gay-friendly hotels all around the city. Throughout the year, Berlin hosts several LGBTQ+ events like the “Motzstraßenfest,” the annual gay pride (CSD/Christopher Street Day) and Folsom Europe.

HAMBURG

The Hanseatic city Hamburg in the northwestern part of Germany is the second biggest city of the country with a strong connection to the River Elbe. LGBTQ+ visitors should experience the unique architecture of Hamburg by visiting the modern buildings at the harbor area, the City Hall, the Speicherstadt and the recently opened concert hall, Elbphilharmonie. Hamburg is a popular residence city for LGBTQ+ people in Germany, offering a gay-friendly environment with several events around the year like the Harbour Pride in May, the Leather Pride in August and the Winter Pride in November or December.

MÜNCHEN

With over 1.4 million inhabitants, the Bavarian city Munich is the third-largest city in Germany. Bavaria's capital city is internationally known for its beer, local cuisine, traditional culture and, of course, the annual beer festival Oktoberfest. Besides the culinary highlights, Munich has a considerable lively gay scene primarily located around the city center district of Glockenbachviertel. LGBTQ+ visitors should put the annual gay pride weekend “CSD München,” the Queer Film Weekend “Verzaubert” and other gay events during Oktoberfest on their must-see list.

COLOGNE

Located close to the Belgium and Dutch border, the city of Cologne is located on both sides of the huge Rhine River. It’s the city of the famous Kölsch beer and part of Europe's major metropolitan area Rhine-Ruhr. The fourth-biggest city of Germany is a well-known hotspot for the LGBTQ+ community and visitors alike. The gay life covers an area of two districts with the main area around Rudolfplatz, also named as Cologne's ‘Bermuda Triangle’ and in the Old Town. The gay pride in Cologne is the largest annual pride event in Germany and one of the largest in Europe, and is worth noting for lesbian visibility as well.

FRANKFURT

Frankfurt is Germany's business and financial capital. It’s located in the center of the country with an impressive skyline that stands in contrast with the historic buildings of the city center. It also has the largest airport of Germany, Frankfurt International, operating flights around the world and connecting to nearly all national airports. The city is an international hub for the LGBTQ+ community with a lively diverse gay scene, attracting a very international crowd. One of the biggest gay events in Frankfurt is the annual CSD, Gay Pride Frankfurt.

When visiting Germany, the first thing visitors might try is the famous German beer. For centuries Germany has preserved the traditional way of brewing beer in all variations protecting the purity by law. German beer is often considered to be the best in the world. But the influence of the culinary heritage of the former German kingdoms who merged into the federal republic of today is very diverse and definitely not only about potatoes and sausages. Having said that, the sausages are another food visitors should try at least once, like the (Bavarian) veal sausage “Weißwurst,” the Thuringian bratwurst or the Frankfurt sausage. Starting in the northern part of Germany, put some of the traditional fish and seafood dishes like sour herring on your list. Traveling to the center of Germany, potato, kraut and cabbage dishes are part of the German food experience. Larger cities like Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin are incorporating multiple international trends and expanding the vegetarian and vegan food scene as well. It is recommended to make a reservation, particularly during the peak dinner times from Thursday to Sunday. After dinner it is custom to put your wallet on the table and ask the waiter for the check. Card payment is commonly accepted in cities but be sure to check because the preferred payment method is often cash, even in the major cities.

Safety Considerations for LGBTQ+ visitors to Germany

Traditionally, Germany is known to be a gay-friendly but relatively conservative European country. In 2017, the majority of the German government voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. Germany ranks among the top gay-friendly vacation destinations according to the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2018 due to the gay-friendly environment in the major cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. Although, Germans living in the countryside might have some prejudices against LGBTQ+ people, they will generally remain polite, offering you respectful services. Unfortunately, there are still conservative people especially in the eastern part of the country, so it is recommended to exercise caution with regards to public displays of affection.

LGBTQ+ Travel Tips for Germany

The major German cities and metropolises are considered to be the centers of the LGBTQ+ scene. Therefore, numerous gay bars in various areas around the city centers offer the opportunity to meet locals and other visitors from all over the world. Popular events include the 60 annual pride parades all over the country. In addition to prides, there are various LGBTQ+ film festivals that attract locals and global visitors, and The Teddy Award (for best LGBTQ+ film) is an official part of the Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale).

About the Author

We are Karl and Daan, a German-Dutch gay couple happily living the nomadic life. Karl was born and raised in Dresden and lived the past years in Berlin before we started our life together. As you can imagine we are eager to explore the world around us, from our favorite neighborhood restaurant that serves the perfect pasta, to exciting undiscovered hiking trails across the globe. Distant natural wonders, famous metropolises, theme parks, gay-sports events and far-away-friends are great reasons to travel. As openly gay travelers, we are proud of who we are. With our travel blog coupleofmen.com, we hope to inspire and invite everybody to travel the world like we do: open-minded, respectful and with a happy heart.