What does Red Light District mean?
The name “Red Light District” comes from the use of neon red lights featured in the doorways of parlours. Street prostitution is illegal in the Netherlands so for many, the use of a red neon light in a doorway is a smart trick to attract customers.
In the Red Light area Known as “De Wallen” (pronounced Day Vaw-len) to the Dutch, you'll find prostitutes offering their “services”, from behind a window. Along with that, the area is known for its many live sex shows, sex shops, brothels, and strip clubs.
(CNN) — Amsterdam's De Wallen red-light district has long been one of the city's most provocative neighborhoods thanks to its notorious window brothels. But the historic area has become something of a spectacle in recent years thanks to a dramatic rise in tourists to the Dutch capital.
Prostitution in Amsterdam is nearly as old as the city itself. As early as the 15th century and possibly earlier, the first prostitutes arrived to earn a living in the harbor of Amsterdam. The Red Light District is still located in the oldest part of the city. The women initially plied their trade in the streets.
transgender
You might also notice windows with a blue light instead of a red one. This means that the person behind the glass is transgender or transvestite. There are around 400 such vitrines in Amsterdam, so you can imagine that the competition is fierce.