Part IV: Central Europe in .NET

Creator USS Code 128 in .NET Part IV: Central Europe

Dutch pragmatism and tolerance has led to the establishment of the bestknown, safest, and cleanest prostitution zone of any Western city Its sheer openness has made the district one of Amsterdam s major sightseeing attractions Amsterdam never presumed to have the capability to stop the world s oldest profession, so it decided to regulate prostitution and confine the licensed brothels to the old city streets surrounding the Oude Kirk, or Old Church These houses of ill repute display their wares behind plate-glass windows The storefronts of some of the prettiest 17th-century homes in Amsterdam are occupied by women half-naked or wrapped in leather watching TV, darning socks, reading books, and otherwise occupying themselves until a customer comes along At such time, they either close the blinds or abandon the window for the privacy of an inner room Prostitutes pay their taxes, and the state ensures that they have regular medical checkups and health coverage However, this didn t stop 60 percent of them from contracting HIV in the days before the spread of the disease was understood The district is mostly frequented by five types of people Three are harmless: lots of giggling, gawking tourists, darty-eyed career guys in suits, and the age-old sailors Two other types can be scary and tragic: unlicensed prostitutes strung out on heroin and trolling the streets, and packs of shifty, seedy men who look like all they do is indulge in drugs and brothels Come prepared to be provoked or saddened by the sight of scantily clad women behind glass, who manage to look bored and provocative at the same time and be even more careful and aware than usual Don t take any pictures they don t want their faces recorded, so you could find your Nikon being pitched into one of the canals I ve always felt pretty safe here during the day, but by night I d either steer clear entirely or stick only to the main streets and leave my valuables at the hotel See map p 264 The Red-Light District fills the streets around the canals Oudezijds Achterburgwal and Oudezijds Voorburgwal Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21, 24, or 25 to Dam Square, and then duck behind the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky

Museumplein Although it doesn t get as much publicity as the Louvre or the Uffizi, Amsterdam s Rijksmuseum is one of the top museums in Europe Not surprisingly, it houses the largest collection of Dutch masters in the world Rembrandt is the star of the show, with a couple of self-portraits, the gruesome Anatomy Lesson, the racy The Jewish Bride, and his masterpiece, The Night Watch, which is the defining work for the Golden Age of Dutch painting Frans Hals is well represented, with The Merry Drinker being one of his best portraits You find party scenes courtesy of Jan Steen, de Hooch s

intimate interiors, still-lifes by Bollengier, and four Vermeer paintings, including the famed Woman Reading a Letter and The Kitchen Maid Note that the Rijksmuseum will be partly closed through 2008 for massive renovations In the meantime, a mini-Rijksmuseum will remain open in the main buidling, comprising some 400 masterpieces, while the rest of the collections will be split up amongst temporary exhibits all over the Netherlands (including ten masterpieces, by the likes of Jan Steen and Rembrandt, at Schiphol Airport) or lent out to traveling shows See map p 264 Stadhouderskade 42 (at Museumplein) % 020-674-7047 wwwrijks museumnl Tram: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 24, or 25 Admission: 9 ($10) adults, free under 18 Open: Daily 9 am 6 pm