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Cologne

Cologne (Köln, Koeln) is a wonderful city where the people are as friendly as ever with a very easy-going atmosphere anywhere you go. As soon as a bit of sun passes through the clouds, all the bars and cafes will put out tables outdoors which is a great attraction since the river Rhine goes through the city. Also, there are many green places and parks many of which have their own beer gardens. Cologne has plenty of museums and galleries but since it was largely destroyed during World War II there aren't many historic sites to be seen except for the Cathedral. The gay scene may not be as exciting as it is in Berlin so you will feel more intimate and homely here. 

There are two major parts of the city where the gay scene can be found. In the Old Town, there are plenty of old-style pubs and bars and a more modern experience is in Rudolfplatz.

The two major events every year are the Carnival in winter and Cologne Gay Pride - CSD (Christopher Street Day) in summer where the streets get packed with people dancing the night away. There are also the Leather Pride week in May and the Bear Pride weekend in November.

Veedel is a great neighbourhood to visit because of its high concentraction of indie shops, galleries and bars or head to Rheinauhafen which is the city harbour on the river Rhine where you can take a relaxing walk and stop at one of the many bars and restaurants. One of the big attractions in Cologne is the Claudius Therme which is a bath house on Schasenbergstrasse with everything you could hope for - pools, saunas and a few naturist areas.