Red Light District

The camera stands in the middle of a brick-paved lane barely wide enough for two people to pass, with buildings going straight up on both sides and only a strip of sky between them. The street sign at the corner reads Sint Annendwarsstraat, and the doorway beside the tripod is numbered 24 with a handwritten KAMER TE HUUR card taped inside the glass. This is the district by daylight, which is a different place: the doorways are shuttered, the roller grilles are down and covered in tags, and the tube lights round the window frames are switched off - you can see the red tubing and the frames themselves, unlit, which is the only thing that tells you what these ground floors are. Above that level it is ordinary old Amsterdam - brick, sash windows, hoist beams, gables leaning slightly out over the lane. At the corner the alley opens into a wider street with shopfronts and a lit sign.

The Amsterdam Red Light District is the most famous district of its kind in the world. It is also among the top tourist attractions in the city that it calls home. Within the boundaries of this district, prostitution is legal, and the resident prostitutes actually market themselves in storefront windows of sorts. These windows are often illuminated with reddish lights, hence the district’s nickname, and the overall scene is unique and interesting.

There is more to the Amsterdam Red Light District than prostitution windows, however. Peep shows and theaters are also on offer, and visitors can choose to take a break at local coffee shops that double as marijuana outlets (though, do familiarize yourself with laws in this country). On the less hedonistic side of things, the district boasts some lovely architecture, as well as an old church, and some pretty canals.

Amsterdam’s famed Red Light District, which is locally referred to as either De Wallen or Rosse Buurt, has been around since the fourteenth century. Originally, it was home to numerous distilleries, and these distilleries attracted their fair share of sailors. After spending a lot of time at sea, many visiting sailors craved more than just liquor, however. The desire for female companionship was also common, and as such, the prostitution industry began to grow in De Wallen. As far as the district’s history as a tourist destination, it is interesting to note that the first guide to highlight the unique attractions was made available in the 1600s.

Gone are the distilleries, though bars are available in good number, and it only seems right that a neighborhood steeped in vices would feature coffee shops that sell marijuana. The district is also home to museums that focus on things such as marijuana and sex. If a break from the seedier side is in order, visitors to the Amsterdam Red Light District might duck into a local restaurant. There are actually some excellent ones to choose from in the area. They can also check out Oude Kerk. The oldest church in the city, it dates back to the 1300s and is open on most days.