Wowza! The two things Amsterdam is best know for is sex and pot, and this neighborhood combines both those vices/ tourist curiosities / revenue professions in one place, making for a neat package. Btw, did find it funny that Chinatown is located right next door so if you are hungry after a visit to a red door or just experiencing a bad bout of munchies, succor is right next door, so very well played indeed to the Dutch urban planners!! I loved walking thru, even though walking by the lighted red windows did feel a bit weird/ awkward - and bumping into men who were exiting from the red windows was even more excruciating and happened a number of times...! But there is a vibe to the streets here, that is undeniably exciting and vibrant and the graffiti was either mostly about sex or a variation on the topic thereof. Def go visit and have fun wandering thru the streets in this district. read more

De Wallen - Red Light District - Local Flavor Near Me

The Red Light District is pretty anti-climactic. The girls in the windows is pretty unique and interesting but that's about it. The "sex shows" are just plain silly, I can think of much better ways to blow 25 Euros. read more

De Wallen - Red Light District - Space Invader - Local Flavor Near Me

It's a must see when you come to Amsterdam. The prices start at 50 euros at least and can go up to 200 for the full experience. A bit pricey especially if your on a budget. I had fun for a couple of days with the girls and I can say that some were fantastic and I had some great sex and convos with them. Others did not provide the best services for what I was paying for. A lot of Eastern Europeans and a few from different parts of the world. It's also pretty active at night around the 10pm and goes on until 5:00 am.the girls here are hot and are clean. I learned a lot about myself, the country of Netherlands, and about sex. 5 read more

It's more touristy than I thought that it would be. I wonder how many people visit out of curiosity and just "window shopping".

(I hope my Pastor ain't following me on Yelp) Now, I'm gonna have to give Red Light District a solid four stars, because I didn't buy anything, I only came to window shop. The first night I arrived in Amsterdam, I was beat. I traveled almost all day, and by the time I arrived and checked into my hotel, it was after 9pm. But I couldn't just let this day be a waste, I showered, and headed back to the train to see The Red Light District (the only thing I knew about Amsterdam at the moment). It took a while to find (don't expect to see any signs guiding you through), it's actually behind a huge church. Anyway, I get there, see a bunch of folks, walking and standing around. First, I notice a bunch of weed spots, live sex show theaters etc. And all of a sudden, there they are! Women in lingerie standing and sitting in red windows. I walk pass, some flirt with me, give me the eye contact and follow me visually as I pass, and a few kept giving me the "come on in" motion with their index fingers or hands. But I kept it moving, I didn't want to catch something "Irish Spring" could not wash away! About those women, I envisioned them to be a bunch of European looking blondes before I came. But surprisingly, many were very attractive women that appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. I ain't gon' lie, some looked like they should have been home watching their grandkids, but they were in the minority. The cons: Some of the women looked very bored. They didn't even look out the window, they just sat there playing on their phones. How you gon' make money when you're on Facebook??? read more

Aaah yes, the famous Red Light District. Bars, coffeeshops, museum of prostitution, sex workers, porn shops, strip clubs, heavy smells of marijuana and some restaurants in between. Firstly, you're not supposed to take any photos in this area but I still managed to get a few shots here and there. I shouldn't have, but I did. I've heard stories of sex workers pimps coming out of the woodworks to confiscate your phone or making you erase what you captured etc. At one point, I was taking a photo, NOT of any of the girls, but I did want one of myself with the red lights in the background. A sex worker got really pissed at me and started banging on her window. At that I point, I just got the hell out of the area. Confrontation with a pimp? Hell no. No thanks! It gets rowdy at night with all the men hooting at the women in the windows. I find it rather immature. I even got one my feet trampled on when I was casually walking down the street . One of the girls did a little tease move and the guys got a bit too excited. So if you see a bunch of buffoons hollering while walking thru Red Light staring at the girls, try to walk fully around them. It's like c'mon guys. Get a grip. I do find it amusing though when a sex worker can tell a shy guy and bangs on her window really hard purposefully. Poor shy guys put that extra pep in that step with their head down and run on by. You see all kinds of people here even families walking with children which I found kind of odd. I definitely would not be walking my kids through here when the red lights come on at night. It's like coffeeshop, porn shop, red window w/sex worker, and restaurant with nice family eating with their kids. I know it's normal here in Amsterdam, but still. Surprisingly, the women were very attractive. I mean I don't know what I was expecting. I guess I was thinking HBO hookers at the point . Lol. Has anyone ever watched those documentaries back in the day? Hahaha Well, nobody looked like Cindy or the SchoolTeacher here I'll tell you that. Some looked real bored tho just scrolling through their phones not even looking up which was also quite amusing to me, and some put a little extra work in trying to tease the men. Overall, the Red Light District is what it is, and I actually hung out in this area a lot while in Amsterdam considering my hotel was very close. It's not dangerous like some people have said. You still have the pretty scenes of the canals. I've enjoyed some nice cappuccinos at Ivy & Bros during the day. I've come at night just to walk around, visit a few coffeeshops, have a bite to eat.. etc. You're not supposed to smoke cannabis in the streets , but I have.. only in the Red Light District though where they're obviously more lenient. Well, that's a lie actually. I've actually smoked cannabis in other areas, but usually I'd be standing in front of a coffeeshop or if I was walking through the side streets. Oh, and when I was waiting at the bus stop going back to the airport and.. .... ok, well I'll scratch the only in the Red Light District part lol I think I actually lit up pretty much everywhere now that I think about it. As long as you're not standing near children and being respectful, no one will say anything. Just use good judgement. read more

I had an amazing time in Amsterdam, but I really enjoyed the Red Light District. I had a scheduled group tour that showed us the many nooks and crannies along with the risky and scandalous history of this neighborhood. I will leave the rest to your imagination, however I did find out that there are 4 parts: Euro/Silicon Valley beauty, Caribbean ladies, Transgender and....can't remember the 4th... There are tons of sex shops, bars/pubs, sex shows, etc. You MUST visit for yourself! read more

Meh, it's ok. Yeah, there are some wimmin in windows, etc. I had to go see it and experience the ambience. There are other things to see here. I mean, it's not like they're flashing nude body parts at people. I think it's a lot better for the worker and the customer that they're not traipsing around in the streets and this all can be done with relative safety. Anyhoo, probably not some place you'd want to take small children. But seriously, there are the "coffee shops" and other businesses, lots of people walking around, little shops, etc. read more

De Wallen - Red Light District - Local Flavor Near Me

De Wallen is basically the Red Light District in Amsterdam or the literal "meat market". It may sound seedy, but it's just part of day to day life as its legal in Netherlands with unions and proper legal protections. Just a business transaction nothing more. Even if you aren't looking to be a client of the meat market (Personally, getting high at a coffee shop gives more bang for your €), it's worth a stroll through for first time visitors to the city as travellers should always get familiar with their city. Not to mention there's a nice dim sum restaurant in the area. Just watch your valuables and pockets here (and don't take pictures, unless the subject matter is general scenery!). read more

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2017: If I could offer you only one tip for the future, it would be don't go to to the Red Light District on a Wednesday afternoon. The long term horrors of doing so have been proved by many sets of burning eyes, Whereas the rest of my review has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will write this review now: Two trips to Amsterdam and I finally remembered to write a review for the Red Light District. I'm sure you've heard tales and myths about the RLD, but here's the thing - they're probably all outdated. The RLD isn't a cesspool of illegal activity and dangerous thieves, and hasn't been for about a decade. The girls are no longer Asian immigrants, and skew more Eastern European now. The RLD provides them with a safe way to make money and is great for tourism. And they've really cleaned up the RLD, and it's very centralized and easy to avoid if you're with your family or other easily offended people (just look for the... red lights). But yes, there will still be people on the street offering to sell your cocaine or ketamine. That was a no from me. Anyway, with this tamer version of the RLD comes more touristy attractions, and people trying to get you to go to their clubs with supposed drink specials. Don't fall for that. It'll get very expensive. I suppose maybe I'm just jaded since I've been to Amsterdam twice, so I suppose everything I listed above can seem like a shock to the senses if you're from, let's say, Sheboygan. But I would say Times Square in the 80s was far worse than what the RLD has become. read more

Passed by here on a walking tour during the day time. I've heard about this place from the movie "Deuce Bigelow European Gigolo" (Yes, I'm a Rob Schneider fan!). Obviously it's not a place to take children if you're on a family vacation. Seriously don't even pass by because it will be hard to monitor what your children will see ha ha The women are not exactly what you would picture and so different from what they describe in documentaries or in movies. They're just your average ordinary people. The tour guide was saying that the women do not like to be photographed because they work everyday regular jobs. Sometimes if they see you taking a pic they'll dump a bucket of pee on you-is what we were told. I wouldn't try it out. The place smells terrible as well, it reeks of weed and whatever else you can image would rise into the air in the Red Light District. I mean, yeah I get it, this is part of the Amsterdam bucket list but I would just make a quick pass just to say you've been here. read more

Once you pass the metal pillars that are lit with red lights you are officially in the Red Light District. The red pillars mark the boundaries of the area. This is a must see though some aren't interested and that is all well and good. However, for many people from young school age kids to grandfathers and grandmothers, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, teenage boys and girls, middle aged men and women, asian, african, arabic, european and people from the americas this is a curiosity they have to see for themselves. One of my female friends says women like looking at other women to see how they measure up. The young men I see walking back and forth appear to be searching for their manhood. The throngs are gawkers watching each other look at the women in the windows. It's a carnival and festive atmosphere. My out of town visitors usually want to see the Red Light District and there's lots of walking involved as they want to see it all. This is an older part of Amsterdam known as De Wallen. There are lots of older buildings. There are many souvenir shops, coffee shops{places where they smoke marijuana), bars, restaurants and hotels. Actually, it's pretty much like the rest of Amsterdam in that regard being the only exception is the women in the windows. It's relatively safe in this area being that most of the drugs, pimps and rough types are no longer prevalent. However, as in any area you should always be wary of pickpockets and strange people nearby. The area is also close to China Town. Being that Amsterdam is a city of tolerance on the backside of a church, the Oudekerk, in the Red Light District is another row of windows containing the ladies. Just up the alley from there is a kindergarten. The girls appear to be from everywhere. Though I'm guessing more are from eastern europe. How much does it cost? Fifty to a hundred euro buys you twenty minutes of pleasure. It's forbidden to take pictures of the women in the windows. I'd hate to be around to see what happens to those that do. It's a respect thing. Yes, in my opinion they do deserve some respect. I have to admit to liking walking through the area as there is always something or someone interesting to see. read more

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I love beautiful women. So I make it a point to drag my 19 year old butt here every year since I was 16... Definitely worth seeing the Eastern European eye candy.... Which isn't really eye candy since you can literally buy them for 50 euros... GUYS, warning! You only get 15 minutes for 50 euros for a high end girl... I suggest just booking an hour for 120 and not rushing yourself. Also the British guys giving you slaps on your back and cheering you on while you walk in... Those guys are not your friends. DO NOT GO DRINKING with them after unless you wanna end up in jail or worse... Those guys are maniacs 9/10 times. Also... Watch out for the scumbag teen pickpockets, I've had knives pulled on me multiple times for being stupid. Don't use me as an example. Travel with groups, watch your pocket, don't hang with Brits if your an American, and go home before 3AM. read more

What guy doesn't love to see scantily clad women? Some are truly beautiful and some are so dreadfully ugly that I would have to be paid to visit them. Most are from the former Soviet Union. Some barely speak English. They can promise you anything and you have no recourse should they not deliver. You could try to sue them I guess but that's a whole other kind of awkward. Use your best judgment. I suggest only window shopping. If they seem mean they probably are. Whatever you do, don't take pictures. Be respectful. Many men look at them as trash but they are real girls after all and they do have feelings. read more

The Red Light District is one of the most absurdly fascinating places I have ever been. If you plan to visit you should know what you are getting yourself in to - there are hoards of men wandering the streets (I was one of the only girls walking around there) and woman on display in windows, practically a human zoo. So, if you find that degrading you probably shouldn't stop for a visit. For me, it was just an interesting place to observe. You'd think that an area so open to sexuality and prostitution would be crazy, but the neighborhood is in many ways still rather peaceful. Pause to stand on the bridge overlooking the river for a moment and you'll feel rather relaxed - then turn around to see a woman in a window lit up by red lights trying to seduce you. Even when I was walking with a guy the girls would put us out and try to get both of us to come in together. Compared to a party city like Vegas where everyone is all wild, everyone in the Red Light District seemed way more calm - like this type of stuff was just normal. You could watch guys go into the rooms for a few minutes, then see their change in attitude when they walked out (whether it be them trying to act super cool or walk away as fast as they could without being noticed). Here's the thing, this is the type of place you'll only get what you want out of it. If you are some college dude looking for well, THAT - you'll enjoy it. If you're willing to step back and just observe something a little absurd without judgement, it's an interesting place to look. If you're totally in disagreement on the whole thing, go explore the rest of the beautiful city. read more

Defintely a must if you are spending your vacation in Amasterdam. Ussualy is better to go after dark and have fun!

This is one of the most depressing places. Women advertised in narrow windows, one after another; marijuana smoke and drug deals in dark corners; old churches juxtaposed with young people looking for fun in crowded streets with nothing positive to offer. It reminds me of the stories of slaves lined up to be sold to the highest bidder. After leaving this place, I took out my phone and watched some videos of people helping others, showing love (real love not objectified lust) and read about Mother Teresa and others wanting to ease suffering and show compassion and caring. I needed to remove the feelings and sights that had seeped into my brain. The one positive aspect of this visit is that I can now see and feel clearly what humankind can be. Two sides of a coin: one cold, crass and grasping after pleasure and the other soft, warm, caring and seeing "the other" as human and deeply worthwhile as such. read more

Hookers. Yep. Or, as I like to call them "Interpersonal Intimacy Consultants". This area is racy, cheesy, fun, sexy, crazy and . . . laid back. Just like Amsterdam. Thank dog for the Dutch, they should rule the world. read more

DO. NOT. Solicit the services of the "chicks" in the doors with the RED & BLUE Lights. Unless you want a life-changing experience. Aw hellz nah. read more

The are many rumors about the red light district. Some are true and some are sensationalized. It's a district of sin during the night: lots of bars, loud music,scantily clad women in the red lit windows and lots of people. During the day, it has a picturesque canal and offers proof of some normalcy. You need to visit because it's an area or rich history and when you talk to the locals you understand why they have the policies they have here. read more

AKA: The Red Light District Not what I expected. I expected a grimy, seedy-looking street with worn-down hookers. But the world of legalized prostitution looks very different than what we Americans see on our street corners at 2am on a Saturday. The De Wallen district doesn't look much different than the rest of Amsterdam. It's arranged much like an outdoor shopping mall. Each girl has her own window. Some decorate theirs with a theme and dress accordingly - i.e. raver girl, little bo beep, housewife with apron, etc. I noticed that the girls were grouped according to some physical similarity: one street had young 20-something girls, another had full figured women and another had middle-aged women. The girls all smile and wave to you as you pass by. But, you are not allowed to take pictures. De Wallen is located next to the University of Amsterdam, which I thought was interesting. There are restaurants, pubs and cannibis shops sprinkled throughout. I expected an onslaught of male gawkers, but nope. In fact, passers-by hardly seem to take notice of the dolled-up female "merchandise" displayed in the windows. The neighborhood felt strangely "normal". It was an interesting experience. It truly felt like I was in another world. I would recommend passing through in the daytime since I can't attest to what it's like at night. read more

I had no idea I could review the Red Light District until it popped up on Yelp by one of my friends who left a tip....so how could I not leave a review!?!? The Red Light District was walking distance to our hotel at Dam Square. The first time we walked through we didn't realize we were even in the Red Light District until the fiance and I walked past a window, and BOTH our heads whipped to the side when we saw a women wearing nothing bigger than dental floss blowdrying her hair in a window! During the day, the lights aren't glowing red as they are at night, so there wasn't a clear sign where we were. This is such a great place to walk through and take a gander at the beautiful women in the windows and tourists trying to take in the coffee shops and window "shopping." At night, the red bulbs are clearly glowing in the windows and more women are on display. It truly was a ton of fun and I'm so glad we saw this famous area! read more

De Wallen neighborhood = Red Light District to us Americans. I wasn't sure really what to expect besides red lights and prostitutes in windows. That about sums it up, though. Seems pretty normal during the day, with quite a bit of tourists walking through. Not many stop and gawk, just walking by somewhat "window shopping." I noticed if you DO stare, (and you're male) the girls will give you sexy cat eyes to entice you for a quick S&F. I heard it'll set you back 50 euros in case you're interested. It was an interesting experience only because there's nothing like that around where I'm from. It seems quite normal for everyone in Amsterdam, though. read more

Amazing spot. Obviously it is one of the most unique area on the planet. Very much a memorable spot. I am a huge Harold and Kumar fan, so, coming here was a dream come true. read more

Visited Amsterdam in June. The red light district is clean until the wee hours of the morning, lots of drinking, lots of men, yet no fighting. Walking the district was entertaining with classy clean girls, complete opposite of US prostitution. They rent their rooms by the day, they are gorgeous dressed in lingerie, skimpy bikinis or classic sexy outfits like a school girl complete with the glasses and they are tested. I was most impressed with the amount of men, drinking and sexual tension yet everything was still so calm. There wasn't even a police presence until about 1am. It's just a different culture and entirely different atmosphere there. The district starts behind Statue of Penis and Hotel Krasnopolsky with red light booths facing one of the big churches there. Definitely a must see while in Amsterdam. read more

Everything they say about the Red Light District is true. We visited for 'sightseeing' and it was 'interesting' to say the least. Go with an open mind and don't be too crazy. You should be ok. This place gets busy after 11PM. Be mindful of your surroundings and make sure your valuables are close to your heart... The narrow alleys are not to be missed. Good luck! read more

Imagine handling some daily shopping and you notice am alley no big deal but because the alley has red lights and your in Amsterdam curiosity has been struck... Or mine has anyways. So I walk down the alley and there were small windows maybe 10x12 and the ones with the red lights had the merchandide for show. At first it was just shocking it was like one of those late night phone sex commercials playing out in your face....But wait there's more so as you walk you will see "business deals" being made clients coming and going. And if your a tourist like myself your easily spotted because the look on your face tells it ALL..... after 2 alleys I was over it I began to wonder how they got there? Does your mom know? What does she think about it? Is this really THEIR choice? How much do you get paid? Like was it a life dream???? But seriously girl what's the story? But because I wasn't paying those questions went unanswered. read more

Everything that people say about Amsterdam is true... It is different in the morning than night time... I went in the morning and it's very wholesome, but the weed scent is everywhere... I went with co workers in the evening for dinner and the ambiance was very different... The weed scent is still there... Talk about window shopping... There were women on every window in DAM RAK street... Almost everything is legal and not taboo... It is very different to California! read more

What can you say about De Wallen...it is like no place on earth! I personally met and spoke with 40 to 50 girls. I could not find any Dutch prostitutes working Amsterdam's Red Light District. The girls were mainly gypsies from Serbia, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Spain and a few girls from Guatemala and Africa. Red lights are for female prostitutes or trans passing as girls. Blue lights are for boys. A mix of blue and red means the transvestite takes on all comers...male or female. The minimum age for a prostitute in the Netherlands is 18. (I was told it was recently changed to 21.) The minimum age for a customer is 16. Europe on the whole allows for legal 'underage sex' as it is called in the U.S.A. For example, in Spain the age of consent is 13. In Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino and Serbia the age of consent is 14. In Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Monaco, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden the age of consent is 15. So laws vary greatly by region and by custom. (All age statistics are from the Wikipedia.) The prostitutes rent the kamers or red rooms for 8 hour shifts. Day shift rates are about €85, nighttime rates are €115. The flashier / better locations may go for €150. The average rate for basic sex is €50 for about 15 to 20 minutes, special requests cost more as do drunks. Sex is usually protected with a condom. Few prostitutes will kiss their customers. Some customers like being spanked, tied up, abused, peed or pooped on...all for an extra fee. Some men do not have sex and only talk with the prostitute or rub baby oil on her. Sometimes couples come in and the wife or girlfriend watches. I was told about 40% to 50% of the customers are married. On a good shift, a prostitute may have sex with 6 to 10 men. Most red rooms come equipped with a panic button for the prostitute to use if they have any problems. Prostitutes that work in clubs, escort agencies or from home can charge from €150 to €750+ per hour. Photography is not allowed in De Wallen. If you have no skills for documentary photography go across the canal and shoot with your zoom lens if you want a photo. De Wallen is kept very dark. It is like trying to photograph in a wet darkroom that is lit only by the red safelight. You have to be very discrete because the prostitutes employ enforcers or have pimps to 'discourage' photography. If a prostitute has an inkling you are taking her picture, she bangs on the her display window loudly with her ring finger to alert the enforcers. Sometimes she opens the door and starts screaming and chasing down the photographer. The enforcers will demand the memory card or film from the photographer. If a scuffle ensues the camera may get tossed into the canal. If the prostitute is of a meaner nature she might open her glass door and throw bleach or ammonia on the photographer. Of course, dealing with all these problems IS the specialty of the expert documentary photographer whose job it is to bring home the best possible images under adverse conditions. Notice: Yelp reduced the resolution of the hi-res photographs I submitted for this review. The photographs shown here are not indicative of the quality of the original photographs. read more

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The Red Light District is definitely worth a late night visit purely for people watching entertainment. Find a spot at a bar across the street from a brothel and watch gawking tourists stroll around. Try not to think about the moral and sanitary issues. read more

Haven't been here since I was about 27! Fun memories and not much has changed in the RLD...except the overt smoking in public. Beautiful old bldgs...red light windows and late night cafes oozing the essence of Maui Wowie. read more

Like housing a giant adult store in a beautiful, historical church, to help you imagine what the Red Light District was like for me, take the neon seediness of the darkest street of downtown Las Vegas, the dirty debauchery of Bourbon Street, and the imminent danger of Tijuana Mexico, and add the smell of pot and sex so strong that I want to open a coffeeshop called Cheech and Dong. The only tulips I saw in Amsterdam was from the women wearing their shorts too high. read more

The Red Light District in Amsterdam is UNREAL!!!! Its not like ANYthing you've ever seen or know of!!!! I suggest going twice even! Once during the day to see everything as it is... and then again at night, when EVERYthing changes ;) It's such a fun and entertaining atmosphere... and JUST ABOUT ANYTHING goes... Just DONT take pictures of the girls in the windows!!!! And make sure you check out the Hemp Museum located in the RLD !!!! Such an interesting place!!!! read more

What I don't like: Tourist trap, not a lot of quality food in the area, and ESPECIALLY college kid tourists who stand and gawk at the women like monkeys in the zoo. Unfortunately, it's a public street and people can do what they want, however, I personally just wished the crowd was a little more mature. Also on the list of things not liked: the prices are outrageous for services and not worth it. However, if you're going for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this is the place for it. Just know what you're paying and ask all the necessary questions beforehand. It's worth checking out one of the show clubs, e.g. Moulin Rouge. (Separate review for that under the business). Caution: kind of pricey. What I do like: Beautiful women. That's where the four stars come from. read more

The Red Light District is one of that singles places in the entire world. You have to go and just on the streets to see "everything" going on. Is very fun, is 100% touristic but is great. There`s some restaurants also that stays open and I liked them very good options. The only thing that bothers a little bit is the group of men waling everywhere sometimes is too childsh, The weather was very good, around 12 C and it was fun,I was surprised. During the dy is also very nice to walk on the canals etc. read more

On my night out, I decided to do some exploring with my wife. We took a ferry to get downtown. We were surprised that a lot of places were still open rather late--mostly places to eat (although there were still a few bars open at 2 AM). We stopped at a burger place in this area and got a small dessert at another shop. We made our way to the famous red light district, and I was somewhat disappointed. In my mind, i had pictured that it would be more like a rave--lights flashing, lasers with smoke, and dance music blaring. It was pretty quiet instead. It is mostly windows with beautiful women dressed in underwear/bikinis (we didn't see anyone naked). I thought the architecture and layout of this party of Amsterdam was pretty cool. read more

Defiantly a fun place to walk, shop, and people watch. Plenty of shows, and shops for your enjoyment. Worth it just to see. read more

I don't see how you can give the Red Light District anything less than 5 stars! Wandering through at twilight on a Saturday night was fascinating and seeing all the girls standing in their windows winking at eligible men gave us hours of entertainment to watch. There are actually some decent bars in the area and you do get an almost festival-like vibe from the place that everyone is just there to have a good time. You can't go to the Red Light District without seeing one of their famous 'shows' so if you are looking for a good one I would recommend 'Casa Rosa' - 45EUR for the show plus four drinks, stay as long as you like and a free rude lollipop at the door. Amazing. read more

A must see late at night! Its not just about the...well the ladies but they have an endless number of food options and shopping! Its very crowded at night but a great spot to visit! Obey the rules and put your phone away, oh and beware of the fake taxis! read more

I've watched this area grow, change and adjust to the times allot over the last 18 years. On each trip it is better and better. I even have friends that have purchased a beautiful place at ground level on one of the canals and they love it. Understand that I've never used the Red Light aspect of it or the Sex Theater and such. Instead I've had many meals in the area and every time I've enjoyed a better meal than previous visits. I've done some unique shopping in the area and there is so much more to see and do. There are fewer Red Light Windows and far more shops now than in the past. And each time I'm offered fewer and fewer illegal drugs. This last time I wasn't offered any. To my pleasant surprise. And to be honest I felt the safest this time over any other trips. There are more cameras and police in the area. That's not to say you shouldn't take precautions not matter what. Don't look like a tourist. Always look like you know where you are going and don't respond when someone says, "Hey! American". Keep firm control over any bag and put your wallet in your front pocket, especially in the evening. If someone bumps into you and wants your attention, keep walking away from them. and check your pockets. They are just setting you up. Just remember, Don't look like a tourist. read more