In my last post about my Day in Amsterdam, I mentioned that we saw two old churches and that the last church, Oude Kerk was situated in De Wallen. De Wallen is the largest red light district in the city, located in the heart of the Olde Center of Amsterdam. The area is a haven for prostitutes, sex shops and coffee shops that sell marijuana. It is a major tourist attraction and since we were there, we had to see what it was all about.
The streets around the area have many unusual shops and museums. Like this Erotic Museum. Luckily, we were there on Good Friday, so there probably was not as much activity as there normally would be on a Friday during the day.
But there was activity. And I do not have pictures of what we saw. And yes, we did see prostitutes, and they were not fully naked, thank goodness. It was not what I expected. I really don’t know what I expected, but it was definitely different.
Although you cannot see the doors to the left and right of this alley door, they are full glass. And inside those glass doors is a little room where the prostitutes work. They are just on the other side of the glass as you walk down the streets. And you cannot take pictures (I wouldn’t have wanted to, but I am sure people do take pictures) so this is as close as I got. I could have taken pictures of the coffee shops or sex shops, but I didn’t really feel comfortable since there were people that would have ended up in the pictures. But let me tell you, we saw a lot of interesting things and if you go, you will, too.
I did manage to get a picture of this Sex Shop that was closed. It was located in Oudekerksplein, the old Church Square. And those windows and doors on either side? Yup, that is where the prostitutes would work.
In fact, right behind the Oude Kerk is a monument to prostitutes. The statue is named Belle and the plaque reads “Respect Sex Workers All Over the World” and those doors behind it are part of the church. We really were amazed that the Red Light District literally did surround the church.
And probably this bronze relief in the cobblestones was what really made us stop and think. I am sure that we walked over it a dozen times. It is really just laying there among the cobblestones. From what I can find, it was placed there anonymously one night. The only way I noticed it was when the sun glanced off it. I looked down and had to capture it on my camera. It is after all a work of art. One that probably does go unnoticed by many. I am glad that we visited De Wallen. It gives me comfort knowing that the church is there in the center of it all. On the solid and sturdy ground, there as a witness to those that need it the most.
Well, this post sums up our Day in Amsterdam. A day really was not enough, but I am glad none the less that we explored this place before heading on down the Rhine to Kinderdijk.
This is not a sponsored post. This is my experience from my trip with Viking River Cruises. Email me to find out how you can save $100 when you book your first cruise with Viking through their referral program.
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