Hamburg’s oldest brothel closing

by Iva Skoch on

I wonder what it actually means when brothels close because “business is falling.” Does it mean that German men are getting way too civilized and sophisticated to frequent brothels? Doubtful.

Yet, Hamburg’s oldest brothel, Luxor, a family-run operation in the heart of Germany’s premier red light district, is closing its doors, IHT reports.. Business, apparently isn’t what it used to be. They used to have 10 girls, now they only have 4. No word on whether they are all family members.

They are probably getting pushed out by bigger and cheaper competition, some multi-national brothel operation. What a shame. Do you have no sense of tradition and old-school values, people?

Where is Eliot when they need him?

Amsterdam to Extinguish One-Third of Red Light District

by Catherine Bodry on

A chunk of one of Amsterdam’s most famous tourist draws, the red light district, will soon be transformed into housing. The 700-year-old district is a maze of alleys lined with brothels, sex shops, and “coffee shops” selling marijuana and other mind-altering substances. This darker side of Amsterdam is as much a tourist destination as Anne Frank’s house or the Van Gogh Museum. However, the city’s Mayor, Job Cohen, opines that the concentration of sex in the city center is too high.

The brothel owner got a pretty sum for his 51 windows — 25 million euros, or $35 million. Real estate must pay more than sex these days.

[via Reuters]

Trouble With Your Love Life? Visit the New Sexual Theme Park

by Jonathon Morgan on

As I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions, the sunny, temperate afternoons and lush green countryside make the UK a great pace to visit during the Spring and Summer. Ahhh.

Now there’s yet another reason for Britain-bound travelers to celebrate — a new sexual “theme park” is has opened in London.

In tourist-friendly Piccadilly Circus, you’ll find Amora, a “love and relationship academy” featuring exhibits that explore every aspect of sexuality, from flirting to fetishes.

After a jaunt though the erotic attraction, you can wander into nearby Soho — which not only is home to great bars, restaurants and jazz clubs, but also the city’s renowned red light district. And — while I wouldn’t normally admit this, but seeing as it’s pertinent — I can personally vouch for at least one of the district’s adult-themed stores. In what has been, as of yet, my only experience with a “sex shop,” I entered one of the Soho’s sleazier establishments at the tender age of 15, and…

Well, we’ll just say it was an eye-opener.

But, at least according to an Amora spokeswoman, sleaze is the last thing you’ll find at the new erotic museum, which aims to inform the more high-brow sexual connoisseur.

Seems worth a visit — as, by the sounds of it, you might even learn a thing or two.

Lights Out for Amsterdam’s Red Light District?

by Adrienne Wilson on

My tour of Amsterdam was probably one of the purest 5-hour jaunts imaginable. Think windmills, cheese and clogs, because that’s all I managed to capture photos of and I slept a majority of the time on my tour bus. No Mary Jane the weed or Mary Jane the sex-show prostitute to be seen, so maybe I was on the wrong bus. Like it or not – some travelers come to Amsterdam ONLY for these two purposes. Maybe not both or simultaneously, but like I said SOME travelers and hey, they’re booming industries.

-Or was a booming industry.-

From the sound of this News from Amsterdam piece six days back some entrepreneurs in the Red Light District are not getting their licenses renewed. You see, they have this thing called the Bibob Act which can deny the licenses to entrepreneurs who can be linked to crooked-criminal-filthy money. Ouch! Apparently 37 entrepreneurs have been hit with the bad news and together they own half of the ‘windows’ where prostitutes can be found. Double ouch! Sounds like a hot time in the city. It might just be time for all the sex sight-seeing folks to seek out the windmills too. If you use your imagination they could look like…

via Jaunted