In January 2012 I spent three hours in Ghent. I had been staying in Brussels for a few days and was on my way to Amsterdam for the second part of my holiday. Ghent was slightly out of the way but I had always wanted to visit so I took the detour. The train takes about 40 minutes from Brussels North station to Ghent Sint-Pieters.
There are around 100 red light windows in Ghent just South of the city centre. It's still very much within the main shopping area and feels much safer than parts of the Brussels red light district where I had just been. Belgradostraat has 29 windows and the rest are about 100m away in the streets of Schepenenvijverstraat and Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang (including a covered part known as Glazen Straatje).
Just like Brussels many of the red light buildings have names and mini bars. They sound more like brothels but they really are just red light windows. The names regularly change especially after renovations. I was there from about 9am to noon and did not see many girls working. The girls I did see ranged from old and ugly to quite attractive. I did not speak to any.
Belgradostraat
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent12.jpg]
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Salon de Cupido is a red light building on the corner of Belgradostraat and Brabantdam. It spans Belgradostraat 2 and possibly no 4.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent29.jpg]
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Above are the insides of some of the rooms at Belgradostraat 2 and 4. In most cases the beds are in other rooms.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent04.jpg]
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More red light windows along Belgradostraat including Medi, Amber and Eden. There's around 29 in all on this street.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent08.jpg]
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Further East along Belgradostraat there are L'Etoile, Osiris, Weisse Rose and Venus plus some unnamed.
http://[URL unfurl="true"]www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/BourdelaMap.jpg[/img[/URL]]
This is the map I compiled of the main red light area excluding Belgradostraat a little further North.
[b]Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang- Glazen Straatje[/b]
Glazen Straatje is a covered section of Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang built in 1844. It is a protected historic passageway and looks like one of those posh shopping alleys in Paris. Glazen Straatje translates to Glass Street and the name is certainly apt. There are approximately eight red light windows on each side under an arched glass roof. If you entered without knowing the last thing you would expect would be prostitutes plying their trade in the fancy boutique style windows. Names you will see here are Mignon, L'orchidee, Au Plaish and L'Amour.
[url=http://[URL unfurl="true"]www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent15.jpg][img]http://www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela160ghent15.jpg[/url]...
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Inside Glazen Straatje and from the South looking in.
Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang- the rest
The outside part of Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang runs for about 100m crossing Schepenenvijverstraat. Along this section of the street you will find Bodega, Venus, La Caresse, Betty Boop, Babylon, Le Pink and The Crazy Cabaret (the last two are on corners with Schepenenvijverstraat) and a few other unnamed red light buildings/windows.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent20.jpg]
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There is a second passageway on Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang which was built in 1886. It's less fancy than Glazen Straatje and as far as I know it hasn't got a name. It is also less well kept and has a dirty old net hanging above it which I assume is to stop pigeons roosting in the rafters. The passageway runs into Vlaanderenstraat which is where the first photo below was taken from.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent14.jpg]
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Schepenenvijverstraat
There are around eight red light buildings on this street. Names include Unique, La Seduction, Vogue and Crystal which is the most recent and opened in 2010 or 2011.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent22.jpg]
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www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent26.jpg]
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More Schepenenvijverstraat
Outside the red light district
No visit to Ghent is complete without a look at the historic city centre. I guess most readers are Greek and familar with amazing architecture.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent34.jpg]
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There are around 100 red light windows in Ghent just South of the city centre. It's still very much within the main shopping area and feels much safer than parts of the Brussels red light district where I had just been. Belgradostraat has 29 windows and the rest are about 100m away in the streets of Schepenenvijverstraat and Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang (including a covered part known as Glazen Straatje).
Just like Brussels many of the red light buildings have names and mini bars. They sound more like brothels but they really are just red light windows. The names regularly change especially after renovations. I was there from about 9am to noon and did not see many girls working. The girls I did see ranged from old and ugly to quite attractive. I did not speak to any.
Belgradostraat
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent12.jpg]
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...[/color[/URL]] Salon de Cupido is a red light building on the corner of Belgradostraat and Brabantdam. It spans Belgradostraat 2 and possibly no 4.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent29.jpg]
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[/url] Above are the insides of some of the rooms at Belgradostraat 2 and 4. In most cases the beds are in other rooms.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent04.jpg]
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[/url] More red light windows along Belgradostraat including Medi, Amber and Eden. There's around 29 in all on this street.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent08.jpg]
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[/url]Further East along Belgradostraat there are L'Etoile, Osiris, Weisse Rose and Venus plus some unnamed.
http://[URL unfurl="true"]www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/BourdelaMap.jpg[/img[/URL]]
This is the map I compiled of the main red light area excluding Belgradostraat a little further North.
[b]Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang- Glazen Straatje[/b]
Glazen Straatje is a covered section of Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang built in 1844. It is a protected historic passageway and looks like one of those posh shopping alleys in Paris. Glazen Straatje translates to Glass Street and the name is certainly apt. There are approximately eight red light windows on each side under an arched glass roof. If you entered without knowing the last thing you would expect would be prostitutes plying their trade in the fancy boutique style windows. Names you will see here are Mignon, L'orchidee, Au Plaish and L'Amour.
[url=http://[URL unfurl="true"]www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent15.jpg][img]http://www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela160ghent15.jpg[/url]...
[/url] Inside Glazen Straatje and from the South looking in.
Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang- the rest
The outside part of Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang runs for about 100m crossing Schepenenvijverstraat. Along this section of the street you will find Bodega, Venus, La Caresse, Betty Boop, Babylon, Le Pink and The Crazy Cabaret (the last two are on corners with Schepenenvijverstraat) and a few other unnamed red light buildings/windows.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent20.jpg]
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[/url] There is a second passageway on Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang which was built in 1886. It's less fancy than Glazen Straatje and as far as I know it hasn't got a name. It is also less well kept and has a dirty old net hanging above it which I assume is to stop pigeons roosting in the rafters. The passageway runs into Vlaanderenstraat which is where the first photo below was taken from.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent14.jpg]
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[/url]Schepenenvijverstraat
There are around eight red light buildings on this street. Names include Unique, La Seduction, Vogue and Crystal which is the most recent and opened in 2010 or 2011.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent22.jpg]
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[/url]www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent26.jpg]
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...[/color[/URL]] More Schepenenvijverstraat
Outside the red light district
No visit to Ghent is complete without a look at the historic city centre. I guess most readers are Greek and familar with amazing architecture.
www.amsterdam-red-light-district-maps.com/images/bourdela700ghent34.jpg]
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