The Netherlands is world famous for its liberal attitudes towards sex and is home to one of Europe’s most famous adult entertainment scenes. This densely populated nation of about 17 million welcomes over 20 million foreign tourists each year, many drawn by its permissive Red Light Districts and legal sex industry.
Prostitution here is legal and regulated, making the Dutch one of only a few European societies to legalize sex work fully. From Amsterdam’s neon-lit windows in De Wallen to upscale erotic nightclubs and cannabis-scented sex shows, this is indeed the frontier of the modern adult entertainment industry.
That X-rated culture extends into porn and camming as well, with the Dutch displaying eclectic viewing habits and even producing notable stars of their own. All of this unfolds against a backdrop of famously open-minded (and pragmatic) Dutch culture when it comes to sex.
Netherlands Sex Guide
Prostitution Laws in the Netherlands
Prostitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated.
Since October 2000, brothels moved from a grey area of tolerance to fully legal, licensed businesses. Sex workers can operate as independent contractors or as employees, and brothel operators must obtain permits from local authorities. That’s not to say there is no ‘underground’ sex scene… It’s just that the licensed, regulated version is so open in the public eye.
In the late 1990s there was strong public support for this legalization – a 1997 survey found 73% of Dutch citizens favoured legal brothels and considered prostitution “an acceptable job”.
Today, legalization comes with strict regulations: meaning each of the cities issue licenses and enforce rules on where and how sex businesses can operate
For instance, street prostitution is only allowed in designated zones (tippelzones) if at all, and some more conservative municipalities maintain a ban by refusing to issue any brothel permits
Hiring sex workers under age 18 is of course, illegal nationwide, and new laws are being introduced to raise the minimum working age to 21 (penalizing clients or owners who engage younger workers).
Overall, we’d describe the Dutch approach as highly regulated but pragmatic. There is a clear drive to treat sex work as ordinary work under the law, while combating trafficking and abuse with licensing oversight. An approach we very much agree with.
Escort Industry
With sex work legal, escort agencies and independent escorts operate openly across the Netherlands’ major cities.
As you’ll see in our city guides, there are dozens of escort agencies advertising online in the major cities, from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, The Hague, and beyond.
It’s also a massive market for independent escorts, thanks to some well-known advertising platforms.
Kinky.nl is one such platform – a famous classifieds site for sexual services used by independent providers nationwide.
Other similar platforms we’ve seen, like Sexjobs.nl, attract millions of visits per month in the Netherlands (3.6 million in February 2025, per SEMRush data), which shows just how common it is for punters to use the web, despite the widespread availability of brothels and window girls.
Because prostitution is legal, escorts can openly outline their services, rates, and whether they host (incall) or travel to clients (outcall). Rates typically start from around €100–150 for a half-hour incall session with an independent escort. For a full hour, prices generally range between €150–300, depending on location, escort experience, and services provided. High-end escort agencies or luxury independent providers often charge €300–500 per hour, especially in major cities like Amsterdam.
It also means we can talk about those services on this site, unlike in other major cities (hurrah!).
The industry spans all levels: local newspapers and magazines once carried adult ads, but nowadays online forums and directories are the primary meeting place for punters and working girls.
In practical terms, hiring an escort in the Netherlands is a pretty straightforward affair of browsing profiles online, arranging a meeting and doing the deed – a far cry from the underground nature of escorting in other countries we’ve profiled.
Brothels
Brothels in the Netherlands range are famous all over the world.
From the iconic window prostitution districts to discreet little clubs and private houses (known locally as privéhuizen). In 2000, the ban on brothel-keeping was lifted, allowing these establishments to operate with licenses and inspections.
Rates at the famous window brothels typically start around €50 for a short (15-20 minute) session, while longer sessions of 30 minutes to an hour might cost between €100–€150. There is variation between girls and services, but in general, the prices are pretty standardised.
Of course, the most famous brothels are the iconic window prostitution districts of Amsterdam and other cities. We wrote about the famous Window Girls, and they continue to attract both tourists and punters in huge numbers.
Amsterdam’s De Wallen district alone features hundreds of windows and has become a tourist attraction in its own right, although this may change in years to come with plans to relocate many of the workers.
The Hague likewise has two red-light areas—the Doubletstraat in the city center and Geleenstraat/Hunsestraat in the Scheveningen district—each hosting dozens of windows.
Other cities like Alkmaar (Achterdam street) and Groningen tend to lean towards smaller, quieter window zones. These window brothels are regulated by the city, and their sex workers have to follow some strict licensing requirements and local rules. Age limits, regular health checks, etc.
Aside from windows, there are traditional brothel clubs and private houses (privéhuizen). These are more like lounges or small hotels where clients meet sex workers inside.
Prices in privéhuizen usually range from €100–€200 per hour, with some of the fancier versions charging upwards of €200–€300 per hour for premium or specialty experiences (GFE, PSE, etc).
In Dutch cities, you’ll find most privé clubs are tucked away in discreet buildings or industrial areas: clients ring a doorbell, enter a lounge, select a companion, and head to a private room. Some clubs offer entrance fees (usually around €50–€100) that include a drink or two, with service costs negotiated separately.
Historically, Amsterdam’s Yab Yum, a luxurious gentlemen’s brothel on the Singel canal, was probably the most famous in all of Europe… until it was closed in 2008 due to… “criminal allegations“.
Today, alternatives like the upscale Club BonTon in Amsterdam continue the tradition. Billing itself as the city’s “highest-end strip and sex club,” it offers luxury experiences priced waaay higher than the competition. Sessions here start around €250–€400 per hour, creaming a steady profit from fat-walleted tourists.
Despite the reputation for sex-sex-sex, only 40% of Dutch municipalities currently have licensed prostitution businesses. And it varies city by city. Some impose strict zoning, caps on venues, or even rent controls, while about 25% maintain a zero-policy, effectively banning brothels altogether.
Massage Parlours
You might think that with such a prolific brothel scene, there’d be no need for dingy little massage shops to satisfy the Johns. Well, you’d be wrong!
Erotic massage parlours are yet another facet of the Dutch adult industry. These venues, often advertising as “erotic massage” or “body to body massage,” will routinely offer sexual services under the guise of massage therapy.
They range from Asian-style massage salons that provide a sauna and a “happy ending,” to more specialized tantric or Nuru massage providers. Under Dutch law, any massage parlour that offers sexual services is considered a sex establishment and requires the same local licensing as brothels.
But that’s not how it works in reality.
Many of these erotic massage venues operate semi-legitimately, with some listing only “relaxation massage” while everyone understands what extra services are on the menu.
Sex Clubs
The term “sex club” in the Netherlands normally means a venue where sexual activity is allowed or facilitated – essentially brothel-like clubs or live sex show venues, not to be confused with swinging clubs (we’ll look at those later).
Some sex clubs are essentially mid-tier brothels: they have a bar, music, maybe a strip show, and sex workers available for private sessions in back rooms.
Others blur the line between entertainment and “participation”, with live sex shows or peep shows that clients watch.
Amsterdam’s red-light district historically had many such venues – like the famous Casa Rosso theatre (pictured above), which puts on highly entertaining (and explicit) stage performances.
Another example is the Moulin Rouge club, known for striptease and live sex acts on stage, a fair deal racier than other venues of the same name in different European cities.
Of course, public live sex acts are a rarity in most countries. It’s no surprise that these venues appear on many tourist bucket lists.
If we look at the prostitution side, many licensed brothels style themselves as “sexclubs” – meaning a nightclub-like setting where you can buy drinks and mingle with hookers before deciding to go upstairs.
This is a common format outside the window areas.
Club LV in Rotterdam or Golden Dreams in The Hague are two popular examples.
The ambience is more social and relaxed compared to the more transactional window setup. There is often an entrance fee that includes a drink, and a lineup of hostesses present.
It’s worth noting that FKK-style sauna clubs, popular in Germany and Austria, are not a big part of the Dutch market (the term FKK isn’t commonly used in NL). Instead, the Dutchies have gravitated to either the window format or the bar/club format for commercial sex.
On the other end of the spectrum, small-town sex clubs might be little more than a bar with a few rooms in the back. Authorities keep tabs on these clubs, and high-profile crackdowns (like the closure of Yab Yum) show that licenses can be revoked if criminal elements are detected.
Notable Red Light Districts
Where do we even start?
No discussion of Dutch adult entertainment is complete without its red light districts (in Dutch, “rosse buurten”). The Netherlands has made window prostitution an icon of its liberal ethos. De Wallen in Amsterdam is the largest and best-known red-light district in the country (and likely the world), with several hundred windows illuminated by red neon at night
Here, sex workers of all nationalities rent window cabins and advertise their availability to passersby – it’s an immersive sight, often crowded with tourists gawking, bachelor parties, and actual clients shopping around.
De Wallen’s narrow alleys also host sex shows, peep shows, sex shops, and museums (like the famous Sexmuseum and the Erotic Museum), making the whole area a hub of adult tourism.
Despite its party reputation, the district is a legal work zone and a point of pride for Dutch tolerance; there’s even a bronze statue in Oudekerksplein honoring sex workers worldwide. In recent years, however, Amsterdam officials have voiced concern about congestion and organized crime in De Wallen
Efforts like Project 1012 have closed a number of windows since the mid-2000s, and plans are underway to possibly relocate part of the red-light district to a new “erotic center” outside the city center.
We spoke with several Window Girls about the plans, and their feedback was unanimous: “It’s a fucking disaster!“.
As of 2025, De Wallen remains active but under pressure to reform.
Outside Amsterdam, The Hague boasts a sizable red-light district split between the Doubletstraat (a long alley of window rooms in the city center) and the Geleenstraat/Hunsestraat area a bit further out.
These areas collectively host over 150 windows and are popular with locals, expats and the tourist riff-raff. The Hague’s RLD is known to be somewhat grittier and cheaper than Amsterdam’s, but it’s fully legal and monitored.
Alkmaar, a historic town north of Amsterdam, has a compact red-light street called Achterdam with a couple dozen windows.
Groningen in the north and Eindhoven in the south also maintain modest red-light zones (Eindhoven’s Baekelandplein, for example).
Some other cities that used to have red-light districts have shuttered them: Utrecht closed its boat-based window zone at the Zandpad in 2013 (due to trafficking scandals), and Rotterdam closed its popular Keileweg street prostitution area in 2005.
As far as we are aware, the scene is fairly dead there now.
Either way, a 2020 inventory found 11 cities in the Netherlands still have active window prostitution areas.
One thing to note (for tourists): Photography of sex workers is strictly forbidden and will get you confronted or your camera confiscated. Probably both. Don’t be a bellend. 😊
City Guides
For city-specific intel…
Euro Sex Scene has coverage of the local sex scene in three major Dutch cities:
Attitudes Towards Sex
We’ve all seen how Dutch society is characterized as open-minded and pragmatic about sex, and this reputation… is largely deserved.
Holland was at the forefront of the sexual revolution in Europe: it legalized pornography in the 1980s, prostitution in 2000, and was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001.
Sex education in Dutch schools is comprehensive and starts at an early age, which has been linked to the country’s low rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
In general, the Dutch view sex as a normal, healthy part of life, to be discussed without excessive embarrassment. This doesn’t mean every individual is liberal, but the cultural norm skews towards tolerance and a lack of puritanical fuss. Something we certainly appreciate.
One curious way this attitude manifests is in entertainment and media: sexual content on television or in advertising is not as heavily censored as in some other countries.
So, it’s not unusual to see an unabashedly sexual TV show or ad campaign in the Netherlands that might raise eyebrows elsewhere (and/or end up in The Daily Mail in the UK).
In everyday life, young adults typically have the freedom to have their partners stay over at home, and topics like contraception and consent are openly talked about. A 2017 survey by Rutgers (a Dutch sexual health institute) even found Dutch people rating their own sex education a modest 5.8 out of 10, indicating they feel it could be more informative – a stark contrast to places where sex ed is controversial.
A strong majority of Dutch people accept sex work as a legitimate job.
Hiring a hooker or visiting a sex club doesn’t carry the same weighty stigma it might in more conservative societies (though it’s not exactly broadcast in public either).
The presence of brothels on city streets is generally met with indifference by locals – they’ve been part of the urban landscape for decades. That said, the Dutch can be practical and discreet. They value consent and safety, and there’s an expectation that even liberal behavior should not devolve into public nuisance.
Case in point… public sex acts (like those sometimes attempted by tourists in the red-light district after too many beers) are still frowned upon and met with indignity, as they should be! The overall sentiment, however, is that sexual morality is a private matter; as long as it’s between consenting adults and doesn’t harm others, it’s largely live and let live.
In short, the Dutch tend to approach sex with a combination of gezelligheid (a cozy, accepting friendliness) and no-nonsense realism.
Porn Viewing Trends
Who needs porn when you’ve got so much adult entertainment on your doorstep?
Well, the Dutch apparently…
Yep, the Netherlands consistently ranks among the top countries in the world for porn consumption per capita – in recent Pornhub traffic stats, it placed 13th worldwide for number of visits.
Tube sites are extremely popular in the Netherlands, just as elsewhere.
In fact, Pornhub is one of the most visited websites in the country (at one point it was the 21st most-visited site overall in the Netherlands) According to Semrush data, Pornhub garnered around 61.2 million visits in a single month from Dutch users (as of January 2025) – by far the largest adult site audience in the country.
Other international tube sites also rank high: Xvideos (20.2 million monthly visits) and XHamster (~12.6 million) are in the top tier, followed by XVideos’ sister site XNXX (~10.6 million)
Top Dutch Porn Sites
Nothing out of the ordinary here: the global giants dominate.
Pornhub leads the pack with tens of millions of visits monthly, and Xvideos, XHamster, and XNXX also draw eight-figure traffic. Many Dutch viewers also frequent Redtube, Redgifs, and Motherless, which all rank among the top 20 adult sites nationally
One thing we noted: the Netherlands has some homegrown platforms in the mix too.
Kinky.nl, while primarily an escort listing site, also rolls as an adult content hub with user-generated erotic ads and galleries; it logs about 7 million visits a month, making it one of the top Dutch-origin adult websites. How much of that is for porn, and how much for escorts… we couldn’t tell you!
Dutch-specific porn streaming sites are still fairly few (most Dutch-language porn is hosted on international sites, btw), but one example is Poldertube.nl – a tube focusing on Dutch content. It has a small but loyal audience.
In terms of content preferences, the Dutch porn audience has some quirks. Amateur and Dutch-language content does have a loyal following – series like “Meiden van Holland” (Girls of Holland) produced by local star Kim Holland cater to those who enjoy hearing their native tongue in action.
At the same time, according to Pornhub Insights from recent years, popular categories in the Netherlands mirror those in many Western countries: genres like MILF, Lesbian, and Hentai often top the list of searches. The Dutch have also shown a penchant for “Vintage” or retro porn, perhaps reflecting interest in the golden age of erotica.
BDSM and fetish content is readily consumed; the presence of Fetlife.com in the top adult sites suggests a healthy kink community online (Fetlife sees about 2.2 million Dutch visits a month).
Another interesting tidbit: Netherlands is one of the few countries where women make up a significant share of porn viewership – Pornhub stats have indicated Dutch women spend more time on the site than men on average, and about 32% of Dutch Pornhub visitors are female.
We could draw a few obvious (lazy) conclusions from that data, but let’s just leave it at that. 😂
Some other studios based in The Netherlands include:
- Blue Artichoke Films
- Empress Valley Media
- Raw Delight
- Sauvage
- Cinema Erotica
- Kinky Mistresses
- Teen X
- Group Sex Games
- Desire Media
- Maximum Pervert
- Ultra Deca
- Naked Beauty
Notable Adult Stars From the Netherlands
Perhaps the most famous modern Dutch porn star is Bobbi Eden, born in The Hague in 1980.
Bobbi Eden had an extensive porn career in the 2000s, but also crossed over into mainstream media with reality TV appearances and a knitting book (showcasing the eclectic second acts of porn actors).
She made international headlines during the 2010 World Cup by tweeting that she would give blowjobs to to all her Twitter followers if the Dutch team won the tournament. This bold promise had the natural effect of boosting her social media following into the god damn stratosphere.
Ultimately, the Netherlands had their hearts broken (in more ways than one) with a late 1-0 defeat to Spain. Andrés Iniesta will never be forgiven.
Another prominent Dutch adult star is Kim Holland, who is not only an adult film actress but also a major producer of Dutch porn content.
In her late 50s now, Kim Holland still runs her production company and website, which in the past stirred up controversy by filming porn scenes in unconventional places.
One infamous incident saw her crew shoot a sex scene inside a historic church in Tilburg; outrage ensued, but the public prosecutor ultimately ruled that making a porn film in a church wasn’t a crime (no trespassing occurred and blasphemy isn’t illegal!),
Other Dutch adult performers of note include classic stars of the 90s like Helen Duval and Deidre Holland (both had substantial careers in European and American porn circuits), and more recently, performers like Rose-Marie Fox (Dutch cam girl turned porn actress).
Even going back to the 1970s, the Netherlands had an impact on erotic cinema through actress Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch icon of the softcore Emmanuelle films.
Popular Cam Sites in the Netherlands
For live camming, Dutch users are fans of the big international platforms like Chaturbate, BongaCams, and LiveJasmin.
Obviously, these platforms are not exclusive to Dutch cam models, but they do have a strong representation. Another site on our radar is XCams, which offers Dutch-language live shows.
Interestingly, Semrush’s ranking of adult sites in NL shows xHamsterLive (a whitelabel of StripChat) in the top 20 with roughly 1.7 million monthly visits.
We don’t usually see this, but it suggests that cams embedded in popular tube sites get a lot of Dutch traffic.
Chaturbate itself doesn’t show up by name in some public lists, but it’s consistently a top 50 adult site in the Netherlands by other measurements.
The Netherlands also has local cam sites targeting Dutch speakers (for those sick of following in English). One example is IsLive.com, a Dutch cam platform that’s been around since the 2000s. Bobbi Eden (noted above) signed a deal with IsLive in 2012 to do cam shows.
(Not sure if she’s still active; but the site remains popular.)
Analysis from CamsRank.com suggests that the major platforms typically have around 80 Dutch performers live.
Below are some live shows from Dutch cam girls broadcasting right now:
LGBTQ Scene
The Netherlands has long held a reputation for being one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world. Homosexuality was legalised in 1811 with the Napoleonic Code and was never changed. Though this decriminalised the act of homosexuality, it was still classified as a mental illness until 1973, when discrimination in the military based on sexuality was also banned.
Predictably, the LGBTQ adult scene is incredibly active throughout Holland. Amsterdam in particular is famed for having one of Europe’s largest and most vibrant gay scenes, with well over 100 gay and lesbian bars, clubs, saunas, shops, and even hotels catering to the community
For context, the country hosted the world’s first gay marriage in 2001 (the Amsterdam mayor himself officiated the first ceremonies), symbolizing the high level of acceptance. This tolerant environment extends to adult entertainment: there are numerous gay sex clubs, cruising bars, and adult cinemas.
In Amsterdam, you’ll find gay cruise clubs like the well-known Club Church, which hosts fetish theme nights for men (anything from leather parties to naked nights). There are also mixed LGBT-friendly sex clubs such as Thermos and NZ (Nieuwezijds) Sauna, essentially gay bathhouses that have operated for decades.
The Reguliersdwarsstraat and Warmoesstraat areas in Amsterdam are known for their concentration of gay bars (like NYX, Spijkerbar, Eagle, etc.)—some of which have darkrooms or backroom play areas. A bar like Spijkerbar, for instance, looks like a regular pub downstairs but has an upstairs darkroom for adventurous patrons.
Likewise, The Web bar features a cruising basement.
These are accepted parts of nightlife; it’s not unusual to see middle-aged Dutch men and women casually chatting outside (while things get hotter inside).
Beyond Amsterdam, other cities have smaller but notable LGBTQ scenes. Rotterdam has a cluster of gay bars and an annual Rotterdam Pride. The Hague and Utrecht each have a few gay clubs/saunas. Even mid-sized towns will typically have at least one gay bar.
Regarding attitudes, the Dutch approach to the vibrant LGBTQ scene is largely aligned with their overall pragmatism: what’s the fuss all about?
Swinging Scene
Unsurprisingly, The Netherlands boasts a lively swinging scene.
Swinging is entirely legal here (since it’s non-commercial, it doesn’t fall under prostitution laws at all). In fact, some research suggests the Dutch are particularly partial to The Lifestyle.
One estimate claims about 7% of married couples in the Netherlands have tried swinging at least once, which is a significant portion and higher than in many countries (this figure comes from surveys and could include everything from one-off wife swaps to regular swinger adventures).
Whether that number is exact or not, there’s no doubt that the concept of “gezelligheid” can extend to the bedroom community – many Dutch see swinging as an acceptable recreational activity for couples who communicate well.
Several well-known swingers ‘ clubs are driving the Dutch swinging scene.
These clubs, called “couples clubs” (parenclubs in Dutch), are some of the most famous on the continent. Fun4Two is one such example, located in a renovated farmhouse near Rotterdam (Moordrecht).
Fun4Two has been operating for decades and is often touted as one of the largest and best swingers clubs in Europe. It’s certainly one of the most recognisable: featuring multiple themed rooms, a pool, jacuzzi, and regularly hosting hundreds of guests on a busy night.
Another staple of the Dutch scene is Fata Morgana, just outside Amsterdam. These clubs usually allow single women easily and single men only on specific days or with a very pricey ticket to keep the gender balance intact.
Aside from clubs, private swinging gatherings and online communities thrive.
Websites like SDC (Swingers Date Club) have a large Dutch membership, and listings are filterable down to individual suburbs across the country. We suggest you start here if you want to dip your toes in the local scene.
Hookup Dating and Classifieds
If you’re looking to hook up the good old-fashioned way (and by that we mean… without paying), the Netherlands has all the usual modern apps and casual dating platforms.
Success can vary by city, expectations, and your familiarity with the tools:
Tinder – Still the undisputed king for one-night stands and casual flings. Hugely popular nationwide.
Bumble – Popular with Dutch women who prefer initiating conversations. Not ideal for our purposes… but worth a shot if you’ve got the looks for it!
Badoo – Good user numbers in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and smaller towns. Not as directly hookup-oriented as Tinder but still reliable.
Feeld – Gaining popularity among open-minded Dutch singles and couples exploring threesomes, polyamory, or casual kink encounters.
OkCupid – This dating site has been around forever and is still kicking, but it’s looking a little dated compared to some of the modern swiping apps.
Grindr – Ubiquitous and dominant for gay hookups in the Netherlands, especially Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Easy, direct, and very active.
Romeo – Also very popular with the Dutch LGBTQ+ community, particularly among older users. Strong local user base for casual encounters and dating.
SCRUFF and Tinder (Gay mode) – Used regularly, though Grindr and Romeo remain the leaders for casual MSM hookups in Dutch cities.
Seeking (SeekingArrangement) – Sugar dating is popular in the Netherlands. Seeking.com sees steady use, particularly among university students and wealthier older patrons in Amsterdam and The Hague. It’s transactional, but casual hookups can occur if “arrangements” are made.
SecondLove.nl – Specifically targeted at married individuals seeking discreet affairs. Heavily advertised and popular throughout the Netherlands. You need paid membership for full features.
C-Date.nl – Another major European ‘casual’ dating brand, C-Date markets itself aggressively in the Netherlands as a platform specifically for casual encounters. Mixed results.
Joyclub – A German-origin site that is also popular with the Dutch swinging and casual dating scene.
