All the big cities , and especially Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt, have thriving gay scenes, as do many medium-sized and even relatively small towns.

Despite the Nazi interlude, when homosexuals were forced to wear pink triangles and lesbianism was deemed to be non-existent, Berlin in particular has a good record for tolerating an open and energetic gay and lesbian scene. As far back as the 1920s Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden both came here, drawn to a city where, in sharp contrast with oppressive London, there was a gay community which did not live in fear of harassment and legal persecution.

Germany's most widely read gay magazine is Manner , which comes out bi-monthly; there are also numerous local publications.

Outside the major cities, Germany's lesbian community is perforce more muted than its male counterpart; being openly out in rural areas, particularly those where Roman Catholicism remains strong, is virtually impossible. Alternatively, GAIA's Guid e, available from bookstores in Britain and Germany, lists lesbian bars and contact addresses throughout the country. Worth scanning while you're in Germany is UKZ-Unsere Zeitung , the monthly lesbian magazine.