Red light district
Moving southwards across Oudezijds Voorburgwal or OZ Voorburgwal (shortened) along the picturesque canal you are entering the notorious Red Light district. The district is quite interestingly defined by the oldest Church or to be more precise, the oldest building in Amsterdam. The Oude Kerk.
The “Old Church” was consecrated in 1306 as the Roman Catholic Church of St. Nicholas. The iconoclasm raged here in 1566. In the following years, the church slowly gained a serene, sober appearance as a consequence of the new religious ideas. In numerous centuries, the Oude Kerk was built, enlarged, and renovated until it achieved its current characteristic form.
The Oude Kerk commissions international artists to create exceptional projects that have a special relationship with the monumental church and its red-light district surroundings. From radical changes to respectful tributes. This way of working distinguishes the Oude Kerk from the institutions in the rest of Amsterdam, both in the field of contemporary art and historical heritage. More
The whole Red light district is packed during the night but it’s a fairly peaceful place during the day. Of course, everybody in the world knows about this place and what made it famous but in reality, there are much more in this lascivious neighborhood than prostitutes in vitrines. Not that this is something you can oversee. The range of sex-related shops, theaters, strip shows, bars, and of course brothels has created a magnetizing eroticism that is an experience of its own.
The strong police presence leaves no room for safety hazards. If you are too timid to try a visit at the night by yourself, you could try one of the numerous guided tours that offer a range of enlightening stories about this place. Even if you are not into the commercialized sex culture this is a place you should check off your bucket list before you go back.
If you want to take a more thorough look into the world of De Wallen (Red light district) and prostitution in general then the easiest and most informative way is to cross the bridge from Oude Kerk and pay a visit to the world’s only Museum of Prostitution on the east side of the canal.
The Museum of Prostitution is ideally located in the center of the Red Light District, in a monumental canal house that used to be a brothel in the 17th century. The museum offers an entertaining and educational tour inside the secret world of prostitutes. One gets to explore a typical red light room, read the secret confessions of clients and prostitutes, experience how it feels to sit in one of the windows. Eye-opening for anyone willing to take a sneak peek in an otherwise secretive world.
