Long one of Europe's most gay-welcoming cities, Cologne is in the heart of Germany's scenic Rhineland and is the country's fourth-largest city. It's a scenic, culturally rich, and friendly city that also hosts a wonderfully festive and well-attended Gay Pride festival in early July, called Christopher Street Day. In 2009, Cologne Gay Pride takes place July 3 through July 5, although there are a number of related events leading up to this.
If you're thinking about coming in 2010, Pride will again take place in early July, but also keep in mind that Cologne hosts the Gay Games from July 31 through August 7 of next summer. In other words, there will be plenty of great reasons for GLBT visitors to visit this charming city in the coming year.
Shop for the best hotel deals in Cologne during Gay Pride
Here's a brief preview of the main events that make up Cologne Gay Pride in 2009:
From the night of Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, there's a big Gay Pride Festival taking place in Cologne's charming Old City district. The action takes place in Heumarkt and kicks off at 6 pm on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the festivities commence at 2 pm and last into the late-night hours. Featured are presentations by the 2010 Gay Games committee, a variety of ceremonies and speeches, dance music by major DJs, and performances by several top entertainers and musicians, including Vanessa Maurischat, a Robbie Williams tribute show, Dennis Bogner, Katharina Franck, Elli & Band, Marie-Luise Nikuta, Monrose, Serafim, Steffi List, Sharon Philips, Rene Gligee, Eike Sax, Teresa Kastel, and many others.
Additionally, on Sunday, July 5, the official Christopher Street Day Parade takes place at noon - and look out, because this is one of the biggest such parades in Europe, attracting nearly 1 million participants and spectators according to some estimates. Here's a map of the Cologne Gay Pride parade route.
Many of the city's gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout Pride Week. Check local gay papers, which are distributed at popular gay bars. And check out the Cologne Gay Travel Guide by Patroc.com, which is very handy and has extensive information on the local gay scene. Additional excellent trip-planning resources are the Gay Travel site produced by Cologne Tourism, and the German Office of Tourism's site on GLBT travel in Cologne and the surrounding Rhineland region.
