Red Light District, as it sleeps
Timing matters more here than almost anywhere else we work. Until around two in the morning, the canals and alleys are packed, and the noise rises clearly to the upper floors of the narrow hotels along the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Warmoesstraat. After that the crowds thin fast and the district becomes surprisingly peaceful, the ideal backdrop for a session built on stillness. A booking at half past two gives you silence outside and a room lit by a single lamp. Earlier in the evening, choose a room over an inner courtyard or on the quieter eastern side toward the Nieuwmarkt. Rooms in the district are small, but this technique needs nothing beyond a bed, and the closeness of a compact room tends to add to the intimacy rather than take from it. The windows outside are lit to be seen; your room should be lit to hide, so turn off every overhead light and keep the curtains shut.