DE WALLEN

Description

Essentials about De Wallen in brief

In hardly any other city is the red light district such a big tourist magnet as in Amsterdam. De Wallen is known far beyond the borders of the city – not only for its brothels, sex stores and peep shows, but also as a party and entertainment district with lots of bars, pubs, fast-food stores and the coffee shops that are obligatory for Amsterdam.

The flair of De Wallen

De Wallen is located in the heart of the oldest part of the city and date back to the 13th century. The name, which is best translated as “little walls,” goes back to the enclosure of the canals with walls to protect against flooding. Since Amsterdam has always been a seafaring city, a red-light district developed near the harbor early on to please the sailors with female company after a long time at sea. De Wallen is particularly well known today for its window prostitution. Prostitutes offer their services in over 300 small one-room studios, most with red-lit “shop windows.”

The Wallen mainly comprise the area east of Damrak around the Oude Kerk, enclosed by Warmoesstraat, Zeedijk, Nieuwmarkt and the adjacent Chinatown district. The main streets in the neighborhood are the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Oudezijds Achterburgwal.

De Wallen exudes a charm all its own. Especially the historic buildings, the narrow streets and small canals that run through the neighborhood contribute a lot to the flair of De Wallen. When the (red) lights are reflected in the canals in the evening, De Wallen is absolutely unique.

Unlike red light districts in other cities, De Wallen has a very mixed crowd – young and old, men and women, gays and lesbians, couples and singles. In de Wallen everyone is welcome, everyone finds the pleasure that suits him/her, (almost) everything is allowed and no one stands out.