| Red Light District |
The Red Light District of AmsterdamA brief History
In the Golden Age (17th century) Amsterdam was the main trading market in the world. In this age Amsterdam develops its half crescent shape of concentric half circles of canals. Nowadays the total length of the canals is around 100 km with about 200 bridges. The main monuments of Amsterdam where build during the Golden Age. For example the Town Hall at Dam Square which later became (and still is) a royal palace. And many of the historical houses along the canals where build in that time period. At the end of the 17th century Amsterdam was widely known in Europe for it's many "houses of pleasure". In these luxury brothels (tolerated in the red light district) one could enjoy music, dans and the company of common prostitutes.
"The Procuress" - Gerard van Honthorst (1625) Through the ages, authorities tried to control prostitution to limit nuisance and prevent exploitation. Depending on the morality of the time, different solutions were used.
In the year 2000 prostitution was legalized. The main objective of this new law is to prevent forced prostitution and exploitation of women. The red light district has always been the center of erotic entertainment in amsterdam. |
It is ok to take pictures but not of the girls. Most girls hate it when people take photo's of them.
Don't be surprised if they come after you (or their pimps) and you will not be the first whose camera ends up in the canal after attempting to take pictures of the girls.
In and around Amsterdam are a few swinger clubs but not in the red light district. Two well known swinger clubs are Fata Morgana and Paradise .
The average price is 50 euro for about 15-20 minutes of sex. If you want special things of more time the price goes up. Make sure you agree on the price before you start. During the "act" you don't have much of a negotiating position anymore. If sex is offered for less than 50 euro start to worry what is wrong. For the rest... enjoy the ride.
The red light area in the center of Amsterdam, where shemales can be found.
The Red Light district is pretty safe as long as you're not stupid and venture into unlit areas or away from the obvious walkways. Stay with the other tourists, don't wear jewellery, don't use shoulder bags, don't put wallets in your back pockets and don't do anything that will make you stand out in a crowd. All things you would tell someone if it was their first trip to London, Paris etc. Careful of pickpockets around the train station, Dam Square especially but basically anywhere. And be careful with taking pictures. If you insist on taking photos in the Red Light District then do it discretely and don't take photo's of the working girls directly, they don't appreciate it.
In the red light district, the girls have sex with man. If you, as a woman, want to have sex with a girl then the best is to invite an escort girl to your hotel.
Testing for STD/Aids is voluntary. So, although it is not common, you cannot be sure the girls are free of STD's. So for your own protection make sure you use a condom and practice safe sex. It is common practice that the girls provide and use condoms.
It is tried out a few times to have male prostitutes alongside the girls but it wasn't a succes. They got a lot of attention but no customers so the experiment was stopped. There are male prostitutes working for escort agencies though.
Well, as long as men are willing to pay for the services of the girls, sex will not be for free. And then again, there is nothing against them enjoying their work. It increases the fun for the guys as well.
Because you want to have seen this. A major tourist attraction tucked away in the heart of Amsterdam, it's essentially a series of tiny alleys criss-crossed by canals in the oldest part of Amsterdam, with around 300 tiny booths or cabins lining the streets, each with at least one prosititute a piece.Because it is legal. Yes sir it is sir, with both prostitution and owning a brothel being allowed by the government – so nothing to worry about. Legally, that is...
Because it is special. That'll be the ability to buy sexual services and smoke marijuana, sir. Besides your regular sex shops, theatres and peep shows, there's also a cannabis museum. And sex museum too, if you're interested – which, if you're wondering around De Wallen, you probably are.
An infamous location worth visiting: Cassa Rosso on the Achterburgwal is well worth a visit (look out for its logo, a giant pink elephant standing up wearing a tie). For €50 you can look forward to a 'couple show', a
The minimum age for entering a coffee shop where they sell soft drugs is 18.
There is no age restriction. It is up to the girls if they accept you as a cliënt or not. They will not accept kids though.
(A)=Central Train Station (B)=Red Light District
Show big map
Girls in the red light district will not come to your hotel however you can invite an escort girl to come to you hotel.
You will see policemen patrolling the streets in the Red Light District and they are there for your protection. They will not bother you because it is legal to go to prostitutes in the Netherlands.
The Amsterdam police helping a tourist in the Red Light District.
During the day, riding a beerbike with your friends is good fun.
A good place to eat with a group is Haesje Claes, 10 minutes walking from the red light district.
If you had a good time with the girl you can give a tip but it is not necessary. The finances are settled before the "act" and once you paid, you don't have to worry about money anymore and can just enjoy. That is unless you change your mind about the service you want (more time, more positions ect.). You then have to pay extra in between.
The girls start working around 10 am. There will be girls available as long as there are customers. Around 2 or 3 am it starts to quiet down (later during the weekend).
