Where the concierge points people first
- Café 't Mandje — Opened on the Zeedijk in 1927 by Bet van Beeren, and often called the oldest gay bar in the country. Closed for decades, reopened in 2008 with the original interior; small, friendly, unpretentious. (52.3748, 4.9009)
- Amstel Taveerne — A brown café by the Amstel where the crowd leans older and the music leans towards Dutch sing-alongs. Go if you want conversation rather than a DJ. (52.3669, 4.8954)
- SOHO - Amsterdam — A big two-floor bar on the Reguliersdwarsstraat, the busiest gay street in the city. The place to start a weekend night. (52.3663, 4.8910)
- Spijker Bar Amsterdam — A long-running bar on the Kerkstraat with a relaxed, slightly cruisy crowd. Unfussy and a local favourite. (52.3662, 4.8840)
- Bar Buka - Where girls meet — A bar for queer women, of which Amsterdam has fewer than it should. Check the night before going, as the programme drives the crowd. (52.3553, 4.8926)
The rest of the gay bars in Amsterdam — every one we hold
- Amstel 54 (52.3670, 4.8958)
- Bar Le Duc (52.3691, 4.8864)
- Bar Reality Amsterdam (52.3659, 4.8953)
- Bear-Necessity (52.3751, 4.9302)
- BLENDXL (52.3663, 4.8916)
- De Bereborrel in Bears Amsterdam (52.3765, 4.8958)
- Gay Pub Crawl (52.3665, 4.8910)
- Hotspot Bar (52.3721, 4.8916)
- Le Montmartre De Paris (52.3665, 4.8959)
- Reguliersdwarsstraat (52.3664, 4.8911)
- Rosario - Amsterdam (52.3589, 4.8722)
- Sameplace (52.3740, 4.8748)
- Taboobar Amsterdam (52.3665, 4.8910)
- The Web (52.3765, 4.8958)
The first same-sex weddings in the world happened here
The Netherlands was the first country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples, and on 1 April 2001 the first weddings took place at Amsterdam's city hall. In practice this is a city where holding hands in the centre attracts no attention. The Homomonument on the Westermarkt, three pink granite triangles by the Westerkerk, has been a memorial and meeting point since 1987. Pride in early August brings the Canal Parade, when boats rather than floats carry the procession through the centre.
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