July 12, 2025
I honestly wasn't quite sure how to document this one! As you can see in the windows here, there are "no camera" signs everywhere. In fact Rick Steves Amsterdam guidebook suggests "leaving your phone or camera in your bag. Don't take photos of women in windows or a snarly bouncer may appear from out of nowhere to forcibly rip it from your hands. In this district, taking even seemingly harmless photos of ordinary people is frowned upon by privacy-loving locals." So, needless to say, this is the only photo I dared to take.
The Red Light District is Amsterdam's oldest neighborhood and prostitution has been practiced here since the Middle Ages.
Verdict: My normal bar for what I decide to put as "yes" is "Is this something you can't see or do anywhere else? Is it uniquely interesting?" etc. So, if I'm going by those standards, then this deserves a "Yes." Walking through during the afternoon, I found the whole area absolutely fascinating -it's certainly not anything I've ever seen before! Window after window with scantily-clad women "for sale." But certainly, there's also the feeling of sadness in terms of what got these women here in the first place and the whole seediness of it all. So, I guess I'd say this..... If you do decide to go, I recommend going during the day and just doing a walk-through to get an idea of the place and avoid going after dark, where the whole area turns to complete debauchery.
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