Gayest International Getaways

Participants enjoy the yearly Regenbogenparade (Rainbow Parade.)

Vienna — Voted Europe’s most livable city in 2009 and 2010, Vienna has much more to offer the gay tourist than sausage. Frequently skipped over by gay tourists for the more obvious Berlin or the more party-centric Madrid, Vienna boasts stunning architecture both old and new, some of the most beautiful castles and palaces in Europe, and, for those looking to get intimately acquainted with the gay scene, clubs, cafés, and the annual Life Ball (in true Viennese ball tradition) for HIV charities.

Valencia — Spain's cities are known for dazzling architecture, delectable food, rich wine, and nocturnal citizens who dance and flirt all night, and Valencia, the country's third-largest metropolis, certainly lives up to the description. Hugging the Mediterranean, the city was once an industrial center but has become a gay-friendly cultural powerhouse, with numerous buildings designed by hometown hero Santiago Calatrava. The city's gay nightlife is centered around the old city, in a freewheeling neighborhood called Barrio del Carmen.

Advocateand OutTraveler.com contributor Dennis Hensley in Curaçao

Curaçao — This Netherlands Antilles island, whose motto is “Biba i laga biba” (“Live and let live”), boasts 35 beaches, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the scenic town of Willemstad), and a host of gay-friendly accommodations and clubs such as Lyric's Café and Omundo. It offers Dutch charm and open-mindedness in a Caribbean climate — plus it’s outside the hurricane belt! It's pretty much guaranteed you won't be blue in Curaçao.