Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OVERVIEW
The walk starts at the centrally located Dam Square. Two par-
allel streets with similar names—Oudezijds Voorburgwal and
Oudezijds Achterburgwal—run north-south through the heart
of De Wallen. You'll walk a big, long loop: north on Voorburgwal
past the Old Church, hook around on Zeedijk street, and return
on Achterburgwal, ending two blocks from Dam Square.
ThE WALk BEgINs
• From Dam Square, head down Warmoesstraat (to the left as you face
the big, fancy Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky). A long block ahead, you'll see
a small shop on the right...
Condomerie
This condom shop has a knack for entertainment. Inside is a
small glass case displaying a condom museum. On the counter is
a three-ring notebook displaying all of the inventory (Mon-Sat
11:00-18:00, closed Sun, Warmoesstraat 141, tel. 020/627-4174,
www.condomerie.com).
• From here, pass the two little phallic street barricades with cute red
lights around them and enter the traffic-free world of...
De Wallen
Dildos, dirty playing cards, penis-headed lipsticks, S&M starter
kits, kinky magazines, and blue videos—welcome to De Wallen.
While the Red Light District is notori-
ous throughout the Netherlands, even
small rural towns often have sex shops
like these to satisfy their citizens' needs.
Browsers are welcome inside the sex
shops. Video arcades—giving access to
dozens of porn f films—charge by the
minute.
According to legend, Quentin
Tarantino holed up at the Winston
Hotel for three months in 1993 to write Pulp Fiction . Farther down,
you come to an intersection with the Old Church down the street
on the right (you'll go to the church in a moment). Standing here,
note the gay rainbow flags and the S&M flags (black and blue with
a heart). Also notice the security cameras and modern lighting.
While freedom reigns here, everything is kept under a watchful
eye by the two neighborhood police departments.
Along this street and throughout the Red Light District, you'll
see bars displaying advertisements for football (soccer) games, as
 
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