Amsterdam is rightly considered the most liberated and depraved city in the world. Legalized temptations attract thousands of tourists. Everyone knows that light drugs and sex on the grass are officially permitted in this city, but not many have heard of the red light district. And those who still know about him, lower their eyes bashfully, hiding the devils who appeared in them. What is so famous for the red light street in Holland?
History of the red light district
The name of the street of red lanterns went back to the beginning of the fourteenth century and has a rather interesting history. Becoming a fairly large port city, Amsterdam every day took and escorted dozens of ships from different parts of the world. Imagine yourself, what was needed first of all for seamen who were away from earthly temptations and pleasures for quite a long time? That's right - women and booze. And the red light street is just near the port.
Electric lighting of the streets, while we remember, was not yet, so passers-by, moving around in the dark, used a kind of "lanterns." And here to distinguish "nocturnal butterflies" from ordinary women it was decided to first illuminate themselves and their way only with "lanterns" of red color. Later, the red lanterns shone on the doors and doors, behind which the sailors, who were bored by caresses, were waiting for the loving ladies. Hence the name of one of the main attractions of Amsterdam - the red light district, and the red lantern in this city became a symbol of love for money.
Red Light Street in Amsterdam today
In 2000, the government adopted a decision in which prostitution was officially recognized as providing services. All representatives of this profession had to undergo the licensing procedure and register with the tax authorities. Public houses are checked by sanitary services, and "night butterflies" themselves undergo periodic medical examinations. The visitor has every right to demand and familiarize himself with these documents.
Suddenly and strangely for our mind, the phrase sounds: a prostitute is a private entrepreneur, prostitution is a business from which an entrepreneur pays a tax to the state. Representatives of the "horizontal business" today even have their own trade union, which will help to draw up a right contract with representatives of brothels and, if necessary, protect them from dishonest employers.
How does this look like?
Now go to the description of the area. Conditionally, you can divide the street into several parts:
- for women, where they will be met by passionate lovers, able to fulfill any bold desires of their clients;
- for tourists, in this part of the quarter are beautiful buildings, shops, and of course, women, but not too sophisticated in their art;
- for customers, this is a real world of sex, where on small streets, in the windows of their homes, as if on the windows there are half-naked beauties for every taste, showing themselves and inviting to look under their red lantern burning above the door or window.
Now a few words about the stores, which in this part of the city completely correspond to their neighbors in the "horizontal business". On the red street there is a Condomerie store, the range of which consists entirely of condoms of any color, shape, smell and composition. In addition to it, there are also several sex shops where you can find everything you need to carry out the most daring fantasies.
Where is the red light street?
In order to get to this street, you need to pass for the Krasnopolsky Hotel to Dam Square and from this square you will get to the very center of the red quarter. Occupies this quarter the whole center of the Old Town! By the way, perhaps at the end of this article you have a question: "What is the street name of the red light?". In Dutch it looks like this: De Rosse Buurt, and in English - Red Light District (RLD abbreviated), everything is quite primitive.
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