The Red Light District in the city of Amsterdam is probably the most famous area of its kind in the entire world. The area of the city is De Wallen, although it is not well known as this, both rather by the fact that it is a Red Light District. The area is world famous for prostitution culture, which is completely legal in The Netherlands.
Prostitution in this part of the city is seen as a normal part of the culture, and the area receives a very large number of visitors every year because of this. Although Amsterdam boasts many other attractions, the city is most famous for its Red Light District, and this is the thing that attracts the majority of visitors to the country. The majority of visitors to Amsterdam and the surrounding area are young men, there to enjoy stag parties and weekends away.
The Red Light District has a number of sex workers, and they advertise by renting small, usually one roomed apartments and sitting in the windows that are directly above the public streets below. The majority of the time the windows are surrounded by red lights, hence the name that areas that are rife with prostitution are given.
The Red Light District in Amsterdam has existed since the 14th Century, although up until the last few hundred years it was better known for its distilleries than its prostitutes. The area largely catered to sailors, who wished to relax after a long time out at sea. There is a statue in the centre of the Red Light District, which holds the inscription ‘Respect sex workers all over the world’. Aside from the brothels that can be found in the Red Light District, there are a very large number of other attractions. These attractions include theatres, sex shops, and a cannabis museum.
There are a number of hotels in the area, all of which cater to the weekend visitor. The Torenzicht Hotel Amsterdam is found right in the middle of the Red Light district, and the Hotel Travel Amsterdam is also very close, on Beursstraat. Both of these hotels are very cheap and basic, with good ratings from those wanting a cheapm place to stay. Also on Beursstraat is the Terminus Hotel Amsterdam, which is slightly less basic and has a three star rating. Another option is the Hotel de Gerstekorrel, on Damstraat, which is just outside the Red Light district.
