There are cities that stand out for their cultural and monumental value, for having been an unavoidable point of reference in the history of a territory. This is the case with Rome, Berlin or London, for example, which are places with a lot of history. But there are also cities that have a different appeal, for social, leisure or entertainment reasons. Many beach sites, in fact, can be considered fun tourist destinations above all else. Likewise, cities like New York or Los Angeles attract tourism thanks to their entertainment industry, as is the case with Las Vegas with its casinos and gambling halls. But there are very few cities in the world that have become, by their own merit, a sex destination for the vast majority of visitors. A European capital where sex is practically free and where you can also consume marijuana without being penalized? It exists, and it’s called Amsterdam.
In recent decades, the popularity of this Dutch city has grown like foam, for obvious reasons. It is a center of entertainment like few others in the world, where thanks to the liberal atmosphere one can do things that are absolutely prohibited in most places. The Netherlands has always boasted of being a particularly open place on these issues, and for this reason it is proud to welcome all kinds of visitors. Many believe that this gives the city and the country a bad image, but the truth is that Holland boasts of being one of the most consolidated democracies in the world. And it is that sex and drugs attract a lot of attention among visitors, but Dutch cities are not exempt from other types of attractions, such as museums, churches or the canals themselves. >from Amsterdam. This capital has slipped into the favorite destinations of Europeans and Americans thanks to its uniqueness, its beauty and above all, its openness. That is why today we want to immerse ourselves in its best-known neighborhood, the Red District or red light district, which is actually made up of three different districts, located in the heart of the city.
A neighborhood full of sex
The Red District or Red District takes its name precisely from the color of those neon lights that advertise sex businesses. And it is that the center of Amsterdam, the oldest neighborhood in the city, right next to the port, has always had a sexual tradition for centuries. The local prostitutes have made it their home for centuries, and today they still maintain their hegemony, although this area has also filled with other types of businesses.
The animation of the neighborhood occurs mainly at night, although during the day it is also full of tourists, who come curiously to see what the famous Red Light District is like. Sex is everywhere, and in every corner we can find brothels and brothels, some of them still with the mythical windows where the girls dance. A neighborhood not suitable for prudes, of course.
The origin of The Wallen
This area of the city is divided into three parts: De Wallen, Singelgebied and Ruysdaelkade. The first of these is the most popular of all, the largest and liveliest, and is the one mainly associated with the subject of prostitution and sex. De Wallen is the expression used in Dutch to designate “the walls”, and it is the oldest neighborhood in all of Amsterdam. In fact, there were already prostitutes here in the 16th century, when the city’s port became one of the most important in the world, given the bustle of ships and merchandise at the time.
The sailors were arriving in Amsterdam after months of sea voyage, and they wanted a little sexual satisfaction. That is why the prostitutes made a killing in this area. The neighborhood is built on top of Amsterdam’s own dam, created precisely to prevent the tides from flooding the city. This gives the Dutch capital a very distinctive look, as there aren’t many cities that can boast canals in northern Europe. The old fishermen’s houses were converted over time into Speelhuism gambling houses where prostitutes received clients. Right there, in the upper part of those taverns, they had rooms in which they could carry out their services in exchange for an agreed price. The main street of the neighbourhood, Warmoestraat, also became the commercial artery of the city centre. Today, in addition to brothels, we find sex shops, restaurants and all kinds of businesses.
Prostitution as a tourist attraction
Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of history and culture, but it is true that if there is something that makes it stand out from other European capitals, it is precisely sex. The Red Light District is today the biggest tourist attraction for the city, since there are many visitors who come here just to see the situation of prostitutes in situ. Tourists flock to De Wallen for the day, watching the girls dance through the glass windows. Some are even encouraged to enter these brothels, leaving aside the shame or taboos that we may have regarding sex.
Despite the controversy about this type of trade, Amsterdam has made a lot of profit out of prostitution. It is true that not all tourists who come to Amsterdam do so with the intention of having sex with a professional. In fact, the city can also boast of being a very familiar place with a large number of museums, churches and others. But that unique claim makes Amsterdam stand out even from other capitals where paid sex is also legal, like Berlin or Vienna, for example. Prostitution continues to be, despite many, a symbol of the Dutch capital, although this may cause some reservations in some of its inhabitants.
The situation in the Netherlands
Prostitution was legalized and fully regularized in the year 2000 in the Netherlands. This nation had always been open on sexual issues, and in fact, in the 60s and 70s, prostitutes still performed their services without problems in this neighborhood, despite the legal prohibition that was not followed.
The idea of regularizing this work was born as a formula to avoid the exploitation of women, and obtain greater control over these services. Girls can now work for free or in brothels, but always under contract, and must register as sex workers to maintain control over their sexual health. The Netherlands was one of the first territories to legalize prostitution in this way, although the example has not spread widely in other nations either.