Amsterdam's not so Seedy Red Light District

The erotic shop windows are just one aspect to the Red Light District, but there are also countless sex shops, peep shows and many brothels throughout this pretty district.

It could be said that this debauchery on display is one of the reasons Amsterdam is so famous, and its definitely fair to say this part of the city really does leave nothing to the imagination. However, despite the seedy connotations the Red Light District may conjure, the District is beautiful, clean and extremely safe.

One of the most talked about aspects to the Red Light District is the peep shows. If you’ve heard stories about what happens in the peep shows, the likelihood is they are true. There are various clubs which have shows, entry is not cheap, but it usually comes with drinks. The show consists of 4 different scenes which rotate throughout the night. What are these erotic scenes? There is a heterosexual scene, a lesbian scene, a dominatrix scene and a woman performing an erotic dance while doing various tricks (like smoking from her vagina).

The question on your tongue, do they actually have sex on the stage? Yes. The performers have full blown sex right in front of your very eyes. The heterosexual pair does not just have missionary sex, but doggie style, they perform the 69er, and the lesbian scene fulfils every man’s fantasy. The dominatrix scene even involves member from the audience (no sex, don’t worry!) There is nothing left to the imagination in these shows.

The various scenes last about 10 minutes each and they rotate throughout the night. The clubs are clean and viewing the shows is comfortable and interesting to say the least. The later the night becomes the busier the clubs become, and every night throughout the week this area draws a crowd.

The Red Light District is not the only raunchy area of the city. Amsterdam is also home to the sex museum, which takes a look at sex through the ages. The museum is in a different part of the city, and it is relatively small and contains some interesting information about sex although it mainly consists of pictures on walls and magazine clippings.

The Red Light District in Amsterdam is a unique. It’s not seedy visiting the area if you stay on the main streets and respect the girls. I.e., taking photos of girls is not at all acceptable. It’s definitely worth visiting this area and seeing what Amsterdam is famous for (a part from the cafes) - the shop windows and peep shows.