Amsterdam Travel Guide (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

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 café 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 café, 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.