Amsterdam - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 57

Rembrandt's paintings, fine English descriptions, and a carillon
loft. The loft comes with push-button recordings of the town bell
tower's greatest hits and a self-serve carillon “keyboard” that lets
you ring a few bells yourself (€8, Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun
11:00-17:00, pleasant restaurant, next to Begijnhof, Kalverstraat
92, tel. [phone], www.ahm.nl). The museum's free pedes-
trian corridor—lined with old-time group portraits—is a powerful
teaser. The Amsterdam History Museum is a fine place to buy the
Museumkaart, and then use it to skip long lines at the Van Gogh
Museum (for details, see page 35).
J See Amsterdam History Museum Tour, page 161.
Red Light District
ss Amstelkring Museum (Our Lord in the Attic/Museum
Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder) —While Amsterdam has long been
known for its tolerant attitudes, 16th-century politics forced Dutch
Catholics to worship discreetly. Near the train station in the Red
Light District, you'll find a fascinating hidden Catholic church
filling the attic of three 17th-century merchants' houses. Don't
miss the silver collection and other exhibits of daily life from 300
years ago (€7, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun and holidays 13:00-17:00,
closed Jan 1 and April 30, no photos, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40,
tel. [phone], www.museumamstelkring.nl).
J See Amstelkring Museum Tour, page 153.
ss Red Light District —Europe's most touristed ladies of the
night tease and tempt here, as they have for centuries, in 400
display-case windows around Oudezijds Achterburgwal and
Oudezijds Voorburgwal, surrounding the Old Church (Oude Kerk,
see next page). Drunks and druggies make the streets uncomfort-
able late at night after the gawking tour groups leave (about 22:30),
but it's a fascinating walk earlier in the evening.
The neighborhood, one of Amsterdam's oldest, has hosted
prostitutes since 1200. Prostitution is entirely legal here, and the
prostitutes are generally entrepreneurs, renting space and running
their own businesses, as well as filling out tax returns and even
paying union dues. Popular prostitutes net about €500 a day (for
what's called “S&F” in its abbreviated, printable form, costing
€25-50 per customer).
J See Red Light District Walk, page 88.
The Prostitution Information Center, open to the public,
offers a small €1.50 booklet that answers most of the questions
tourists have about the Red Light District (free, Tue-Sat 12:00-
19:00, closed Sun-Mon, tours on Sat—check website for details,
facing Old Church at Enge Kerksteeg 3, tel. [phone], www
.pic-amsterdam.com).