6 Best Places to Shop in Red Light District, Amsterdam

If you're looking for new, vintage, antique or custom-made jewelry by a trusted name in the local jewelry scene, a visit to this family-owned store, situated on a tiny street near the University of Amsterdam, is a must. From authentic Art Deco earrings and chunky 80s gold vintage chain bracelets to classy, contemporary engagement rings, you'll find it here. By appointment only.

This antiquarian's heaven, housed in a former department store, offers five floors of treasures on Amsterdam history. Specialties of this family-run business include books on pre-18th-century art, classical archaeology, architecture, biology, and the Olympic Games, as well as topographical maps and prints. It also offers a fair share of other literature nicely shelved by subject.

Redolent of a bygone era in a rural New England town, this browse-worthy shop sells used English-language books on all subjects and many a secondhand paperback.

Filled with teak-wood canisters and jars bearing Latin inscriptions, fragrant with the perfume of seeds, flowers, and medicinal potions, this health-and-wellness store has been in operation on Nieuwmarkt since 1743. Gold-lettered wooden drawers, barrels, and bins contain not only spices and herbs, but also teas and a daunting array of dropjes (licorice).

Established in 1994, the city's first "smart shop" promotes mind-body awareness. Besides the usual "natural drug" suspects, you'll find a selection of "harm reduction kits," said to speed recovery following a hyperconscious weekend. In the back of the shop you can experiment under the safe guidance of the knowledgeable staff, accompanied by loungy beats.

This tiny, venerable book market is snuggled in the heart of the University of Amsterdam's meandering edifices. Booksellers in this 17th-century alleyway have been hawking used and antiquarian books, prints, and sheet music daily since 1879.