De Wallen, Amsterdam's Red Light District, covers the oldest part of the city, between Central Station, the Zeedijk, Damstraat and Nieuwmarkt, around the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal canals. Its red-lit windows sit beside 17th-century houses, the oldest church in Amsterdam and residents who live here every day. The district is free and open at all hours, but the city enforces strict rules: no photos of sex workers, no cannabis and no alcohol in the street. Visit it as a lived-in neighbourhood: by day for its heritage, in the evening with discretion.
Highlights
Oudezijds Achterburgwal
This is the district's main street: a canal lined with bridges, windows, erotic theatres and bars. By day you mostly notice the old façades and gables; in the evening, the red reflections on the water. Do not stop in front of the windows to stare, and keep the narrow quays clear for others.
The Oude Kerk and Oudezijds Voorburgwal
At the centre of the district stands the [Oude Kerk](/fr/attractions/oude-kerk-amsterdam), the oldest building in the city, surrounded by windows. Along the neighbouring canal, at number 38, the [Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder](/fr/attractions/musee-ons-lieve-heer-op-solder) museum hides a 17th-century Catholic church in its attic.
The district's rules
Photographing or filming sex workers is forbidden. Since 25 May 2023, smoking cannabis in the street has been banned in the district, with a €100 fine if you ignore the first warning. Drinking alcohol in public, urinating in the street and dropping litter are also banned; at weekends and in the evening, city hosts remind visitors of these rules at the entrances to the district.
Bars and guided tours
At weekends, in the core of the district, bars and cafés close at 2am, with no new admissions after 1am, and terraces close at 1am from March to October; this measure applies until 1 April 2027. Guided group tours in the Red Light District have been banned since 1 April 2020. On the other hand, the earlier 3am weekend closing of the windows, tried in 2023, was dropped in February 2024.
Red Light Secrets
This museum of prostitution, at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 60H, set in a former brothel, explains the trade through the working rooms and audio testimonies. Open daily from 11am to 1am (last entry at midnight), from €14.50 online, not allowed for under-16s; the visit takes about 45 minutes. It is the only place in the district where photos are allowed.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Keep your phone away when facing the windows: a photographer may be asked to delete the pictures, or even be confronted. In the evening, watch your pockets in the crowd and turn down any offer of drugs in the street: our guide to [scams and safety in Amsterdam](/fr/articles/arnaques-securite-amsterdam) details the traps to avoid. Prices checked in October 2026.
How to get there
Oudezijds Achterburgwal, 1012 Amsterdam. About 10 minutes' walk from Amsterdam Centraal station (trains, metro 51, 52, 53 and 54, trams and buses). Nieuwmarkt metro station (lines 51, 53 and 54), on the eastern edge of the district.
Opening hours
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