Franconia

Franconia – the holiday region in the north of Bavaria – does half-timbered houses, bratwurst and beer cellars: of course! But it also does drag in a wine village, queer city tours, Prideweeks, community spaces and relaxed hideaways in the countryside.

We start the classic way – with a city tour! “Queer durch Bamberg”, for example, tells of queer lives in the UNESCO World Heritage city from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Nuremberg version, under the motto “150 years of emancipation and diversity”, looks at the history of homosexual and transsexual people between freedom and persecution.

Afterwards, it’s worth a detour to “Rosegardens” in the middle of Nuremberg’s pedestrian zone. For almost 30 years, Michael Heidrich and Oliver Spiller have run their extraordinary concept store in English country-house style, with fragrances, chocolate, rose specialities and much more. The couple are also involved with CSD Nürnberg and with campaigns for the Aidshilfe.

Nuremberg’s songbirds

Queer culture is especially creative in Nuremberg in general. The gay choir “Die Trällerpfeifen” has provided musical visibility for decades, as have their lesbian fellow singers, the “Tinnitussis”. In 2027, when “Die Trällerpfeifen” celebrate their 30th anniversary, they will jointly host the southern German queer choir festival “Sirena”. The “Schlampenlichter” also enjoy cult status with their entertaining theatre productions in Franconian dialect. Things get even more dazzling at Nuremberg’s “Paradies Revue Theater”, Germany’s second-oldest drag stage.

Spotlight on glamour and glitter

In Franconia, drag doesn’t only live in the big city. In the wine village of Handthal in the Steigerwald, drag dinners transform the traditional “Brunnenhof” into a small world of glitter and humour several times a year. A regular guest: the Hamburg drag icon Elke Winter. The renowned classical music festival “Kissinger Sommer” also shows its glamorous side in 2026 with a variety-burlesque revue: on 21 June, hostess Sheila Wolf welcomes the crème de la crème of the variety and drag scene.

Besides the stage and nightlife, film and art play a role, too. Bamberg’s “Odeon” regularly takes part in the nationwide “Queerfilmnacht”, while the Historical Museum Bamberg takes a fresh look at works from 500 years of art history from an LGBTQIA+ perspective on a special tour.

Country life under the rainbow

If you need a breather in between, Franconia now has numerous queer-friendly retreats, too. In Schwabach, the Burgersgarten has become a meeting place for community evenings, concerts and drag shows. In the Franconian Lake District, Seecamping Langlau shows how natural a camping holiday that celebrates diversity can be today. Events such as the “Queer Summercamp” are a fixture of the programme there.

Things get deeply relaxed in the Hassberge hills: the “Amber Ferienhain” in Sulzbach combines stylish accommodation with a laid-back rural atmosphere. New in 2026, too, is “Das Ziegelanger” in Zeil am Main – a lovingly renovated historic farmstead with individually designed suites, a patio and a lounge. The couples who run these stylish places have created somewhere queer guests don’t have to explain themselves.

Party mood with a stance

Naturally, Franconia celebrates Pride as well. More and more towns are holding CSDs – among them Coburg, Erlangen, Würzburg, Bayreuth and Bamberg. Among the biggest events are the Nuremberg Prideweeks from 22 July to 9 August 2026, under the motto “Nürnberg liebt”. The partying goes on all year anyway: in Nuremberg at the “Rosa Hirsch” and “Pink Gate” parties or at “Rosa Montag” at the funfair, in Hof at the “Queerbeat” party or at the Moritz Bar in Würzburg.

Finally, a detour into Franconian wine country: there, the Melber winery in Rödelsee combines winemaking with a clear stance. With its “Rainbow Collection” and limited-edition Pride Seccos, the family business supports Hamburg Pride e.V. and CSD Berlin e.V. – and at the same time provides good reasons to raise a glass to queer Franconia.

Photos: FrankenTourismus / Thomas Glomm, Florian Dawel · Nürnberger Land Tourismus / Frank Boxler