Netherlands: Gay and Lesbian

You will not be short of things to do on a gay or lesbian holiday in the Netherlands. Amsterdam has been called the gay and lesbian capital of Europe and you will find anything and everything to interest you there. Amsterdam Pride is the Netherlands' and one of Europe's most popular and well-attended gay pride festivals, which takes place annually in early August.

The festival includes a full programme of street parties at different venues during the week, sporting events, an open-air film festival on the Nieumarkt and numerous theatrical and cultural events. Amsterdam is a great destination for gay and lesbian travellers at other times of the year too, with its lively bars and clubs, newspapers, a very easy to find gay scene and a wide range of accommodation that is not just gay and lesbian friendly, but which is gay and lesbian owned too. You will find Rotterdam similarly accommodating, but many other parts of the Netherlands are not always so obliging for gay and lesbian tourists.

The gay scene is generally not so out in the open and some bars and clubs, if they exist at all, may open behind blanked out windows. The Netherlands is still a great location for the gay and lesbian traveller.