Red Light Districts: 2006-2008
Prostitution is a part of life. Many tourists windowshop the famous red light districts of Europe with wide eyes. What cities have the most interesting red light districts? Here's what you thought:
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Antwerp
Antwerp has a very nice, although seedy and kind of small RLD. Very safe however with a polizei patrol passing every few minutes and obvious "undercover" officers on nearly every corner. Several decent looking women and a few bombshells. Fifty euro buys you fifteen minutes. I take part, whatever, it's fun. There's a couple bouncers in each cluster of windows to keep order. Very relaxed atmosphere as once I was drunk and acting a fool and they were quite alright with it. Stay away from the irish pub immediately adjacent the RLD as they don't take kindly to foreigners and will rip you off every chance they get.
Kevin
Grand Rapids, MI USA Thu 11/29/2007
Prive Huis
The Amsterdam window scene didn't seem my cup of tea, but then I heard about Prive Huis (private house) brothels. Tried Park 118 which is 105-130 euros depending on the type of room; the lady gets 50 regardless. Eva also wanted more money for extra services. She was a bit too businesslike for me, although generally nice, but didn't seem too comfortable doing this type of work. I've heard some there are better than others, but none of the names I knew to be good were available.
Rick
San Fracisco, ca USA Mon 09/10/2007
Sofia in Bulgaria
Spent many months in the Bulgarian capital Sofia last year, and just wanted to suggest and highly recommend Karma Sutra which is probably the best strip club you could ever go to.. A huge rotation of girls, normal-bar priced drinks, and if you want to go all the way -- some of the girls are into it for about 100 euros.. DO NOT go to the Taboo Club where the Russian doorman easily extorted £1000 pounds out of me, after I was stupid enough to sit down with a girl and drink (mutually) 2 glasses of champage.
Entropy
Australia Wed 06/06/2007
Europe Prostitution
Prostitution definitely exists in Europe just like Nevada, USA, and anywhere else in the world.
For Germany, the Frankfurt area probably has the biggest indoor volume of women from all over Europe, Africa, Central/South America, and Asia (Thailand) with prices from a low 20euro and up (German women usually charge 100 euro and up). I've seen several eastern European street prostitutes in Munich during annual Oktoberfest and almost all larger Western German cities have at least one brothel house (aka Haus) where the lady pays the building manager a flat fee of maybe 50-90euro for her Haus room and collects fees/income from her customers after that. Most of these establishments in Germany are fairly well managed with daily cleaning, abundant condom supply, and emergency signals the ladies can use.
Amsterdam is more well-known and maybe a better sight to see through the glass windows (similar to Miari area in Seoul, South Korea). Amsterdam prices are usually 50euro and up with women mostly from North and Eastern Europe and Africa.
Soho in London appears to be a high price rip-off and the police post large signs outside certain establishments warning you that you might be charged several hundred British pounds without realizing it.
Paris near the Pompidou center still has several adult video shops and certain prostitution apartments that charge close to 100euro and up. The area is not as large as it used to be 20 years ago. I heard there was a government/police clean up of the area about 15 years ago, but the red light area is definitely still there in a lesser form.
Spain – Madrid, big cities, and Mediterranean coastal area has several prostitutes out on the streets that are coming in from Central/South American like Columbia, Bolivia, Dominican Rep (some move back and forth between Madrid, Frankfurt, and home in Latin America). Also some have come to Spain from Eastern European countries like Latvia, Hungary, etc., although not sure why they would go all the way to Spain instead of Frankfurt. Possibly, there is more money per customer in Spain, but more customer volume in Germany. I didn't see anything in Berlin, although I'm sure prostitution will get larger and more visible as the city emerges as the central European capital it once was.
I only saw an occasional street worker in Rome and Pisa Italy. I didn't notice anything in Florence or Venice. I heard Naples and Southern Italy gets highly dangerous.
I don't remember seeing anything in Lisbon, Portugal over 15 years ago, but I suspect there is more activity there now. Luxembourg City has several strip clubs – not sure about the prostitution there. Brussels, Belgium has a lot of dirty and seedy areas, but I didn't notice any prostitution (maybe strip clubs). I've heard Prague has certain areas, as well as Hungary and Greece, but I'm not familiar with those areas.
Alex
GERMANY Fri 03/23/2007
re Traveler
regarding the RLD warning below - this is not the case - yes there are panic alarms and yes they girls have protection, but unless the visitor is druink/ abusive etc, then it is not in these girls interests to cause a fuss in a well visited public place and put off potential customers. Business is Business and the RKD is quite well regulated and above board in matters like this.
Snoopy
USA Thu 02/01/2007
Be Warned
I was in Amsterdam's Red Light District a few years back where I was hasseled by a street person. (I was alone which is why I think I was approached)
He warned that the some of the girls in the windows will push a "Panic Button" once you've entered their room for services. Two or three big men will beat you up, take your money and throw you outside with or without your pants.
The street person who voluntarily gave this unsolicited advice then proceeded to agressivly demand money.
So be careful. Don't walk alone and it might be a good idea not to be tempted by the ladies in the windows.
Traveler
Revere , MA USA Mon 01/29/2007
Red Lights outside of
Amsterdam has more than one Red light District. There is the main one between Centraal Station and Dam Square, but there are two others most tourists don't know about. One is around the Singel Canal area (near the Renaissance Hotel), the other is near the Rijks Museum in the residential area across from the main canal.
Dirk
Torrance , CA USA Wed 12/27/2006
Red Lights outside of
While in Amsterdam with my 7 year old daughter, my husband and I went out for a walk around 9 pm at night, in the Spring. We had been before and we were staying and strolling NO WHERE NEAR the map designated red light district -- I made sure of it! However, we accidentally walked up on a few windows with red lights and women.
So be careful, there are ladies in areas outside of the designated red light district (legal or not I don't know).. beware of the red lights if you don't wish to go there. We made a quick turnaround before my daughter noticed anything but it was embarrassing.
Anonymous
Belgium, BE Belgium Thu 12/21/2006
Haarlem
Amsterdam's is a bit dingy and can be a little scary, But Haarlem's is almost quaint. I enjoyed wandering around taking in the sights after leaving the bar, to wind down before turning in. I did notice that on my trip in 2004 most of the windows and the "mall" type building were mostly empty. In 2000 they were over half full. Hope that it is not an indicator of it going away. Not a partaker of the services, but I think it is a wonderfully open attitude for the society to have.
Paul
IA USA Fri 11/03/2006