De Wallen (Red Light District)
De Wallen
Amsterdam's oldest district. Between a 13th-century church, canals and gabled houses are legal red-light windows and coffeeshops. It is historic by day and raucous by night.
De Wallen, meaning the walls, is the oldest district in Amsterdam. It centres on the canals Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal. At its heart is the Oude Kerk, consecrated in 1306, the oldest building in the city. Rembrandt's wife Saskia is buried there, and you can climb its tower for about €14. Around the church are houses, almshouses and taverns from the 14th to 17th centuries, along streets where sailors once went for entertainment. The Netherlands legalized sex work in 2000, and about 300 brightly lit windows are concentrated here. Together with coffeeshops, which legally sell small amounts of cannabis, a sex museum, a cannabis museum and cheap bars, they make up this contradictory and distinctive district. Worth seeing during the day are the Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder museum, a 17th-century secret Catholic church hidden in the attics of houses, which costs about €17, the Chinatown and Buddhist temple on Zeedijk street, and the De Waag, a 15th-century city gate and weigh house on Nieuwmarkt square. At night, the red neon lights reflect in the canals, and crowds fill the streets. Important rules: photographing or filming the windows and sex workers is strictly forbidden. Doing so may get water thrown at you or your phone confiscated, and fines apply. Since 2020, tour groups have been banned from the window area. Since 2023, the city government has banned smoking cannabis in the street, and bars limit takeaway alcohol. Shouting loudly after 22:00 is prohibited. Do not buy drugs sold by street dealers. As a Chinese traveler, note that cannabis products are illegal in China, and carrying them home or entering China after using them carries legal risks. The district is a 5-minute walk from Centraal Station. It is best to walk through during the day to see the architecture, and a short evening visit with companions is enough.
Opening hours
Open all day; Old Church 10:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Oude Kerk
- Our Lord in the Attic
- Rembrandt House Museum
- Amsterdam Centraal
- Dam Square
- Royal Palace of Amsterdam
- Begijnhof
- Bloemenmarkt