Tour Amsterdam's Red Light District with virtual guide
Amsterdam Red Light District Tour is releasing an app with which tourists can tour through the popular district on their own, with the help of virtual guide 'Sophie'. The company hopes that this will help reduce problems caused by tourists entering the district in groups, Het Parool reports.
The app costs 4.49 euros for iPhone and 4.99 euros for Aindroid. It includes a 2 hours long tour during which Sophie will take you past 31 stops, from Schreierstoren to the Nieuwmarkt. During the tour, Sophie talks to 22 experts and people who work in the neighborhood.
City archeologist Jerzy Gawronski is introduced as the "man who knows everything about the history of the city". Sophie calls drug expert August de Loor a man whose "seen everything", and praises writer-historian Russel Shorto. "Anyone interested in history and liberalism should read his book."
Window brothel prostitute Kasia speaks a bit about her profession, and how she earns around 10 thousand euros a month. "Most sex workers are their own boss, some have a sort of pimp", Kasia explains. The Fokkens twins, the 'Ouwe Hoeren', talk about their sex work career of 50 years, in which they served cruise ships full of customers. And Jan Otten, owner of the last peepshow in the Red Light District, talks about his business. "Go there", says Sophie. "Do it", Otten agrees.
Korte Niezelburg, grandson of the founder of Febo, explains how to use the food wall. And to make sure that foreign tourists understands the Netherlands' tolerance policy on soft drugs: "Technically illegal, but officially allowed", Sophie explains.
