Originally Posted by
offerendum
I´m not sure if gemütlich and gezellig means the same. Gesellig (in German) means, that you are together with other people in a pleasant way. Gemütlich has a main definition, but means something different for everyone. First it means something is comfortable for you, you simple like it. For example a warm place with a soft sofo or something like that. If you say someone is gemütlich it can mean, the he is relxed. That´s the positive way. It can also mean, that he is slow or uninterested, that´s the negative way.
If you show people pictures from places and ask if it is gemütlich, you will get very different answers.
As a Dutch and German speaker, I would say that gemütlich and gezellig do mean the same thing. At least, when speaking to people in Dutch or German the meaning is quite clear and both words are used in the same way, usually in the context of a place. However, gezellig in Dutch also has the same meaning as gesellig in German when speaking about a person.
Showing people photos and asking if the place looks gemütlich or gezellig really seems more a question of personal taste. For example, I like the simple wood interiors of Bavarian country pubs, but, at home, I like something softer and darker.