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Gay Amsterdam
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Amsterdam has one of the biggest and best-established
gay
scenes in Europe: attitudes are tolerant and facilities unequalled, with a good selection of bookstores, clubs and bars catering to the needs of gay men - and, to a lesser extent, women. The nationwide gay and lesbian organization, COC, Rozenstraat 14 (tel 020/626 3087), can provide on-the-spot
information
, and has a cafe and popular discos (men Fri, women Sat). For further advice on where to go contact the Gay & Lesbian Switchboard (daily 10am-10pm; tel 020/623 6565,
www.switchboard.nl
). There's a good concentration of
bars
around Rembrandtplein, along the Amstel and on Reguliersdwarsstraat. The
Amstel Taveerne
, Amstel 54, is perhaps the best established, at its most vivacious in summer when the guys spill out onto the street by the river; around the corner,
De Steeg
, Halvemaansteeg 10, is a tiny and similarly longtime favourite venue.
April
, Reguliersdwarsstraat 37, is a relaxed afternoon and evening hangout, with newspapers, coffee and cakes as well as booze.
Saarein
, Elandsstraat 119, once the best-known women-only/lesbian cafe, is now open to both sexes. Vrolijk, Paleisstraat 135, bills itself as "the largest gay and lesbian bookstore on the continent". Xantippe, Prinsengracht 290, has a wide range of books and resources by, for and about women. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Netherlands,
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