The Amsterdam Dungeon

The Amsterdam Dungeon is a tourist attraction which is part of the ‘Dungeon’ chain operating in several European cities.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and is famous for – amongst many things – the Red Light district. I mention this because I imagine that many of its clients will emerge feeling disappointed, disturbed and diddled – and worried about STDs. A similar experience (apart from the STDs) awaits anyone suckered into paying the €18.95 admission charge to the Amsterdam Dungeon.

It promises much, but sadly fails to deliver. I felt bored, disappointed, and annoyed that I had been taken in by the glossy marketing hype.

If you want to stand around a lot with nothing to do or see, to be herded like sheep from one room to the next in almost pitch darkness, to be subjected to three lame sketches where lone actors do a bit of shouting and picking on people, to see a brief historical slide show and then sit on the shortest, slowest most un-scary ghost train before being ushered into the gift shop – then this is the show for you! There are also some gruesome descriptions of torture which are likely to be disturbing to most adults, and completely unsuitable for children in my opinion.

My advice? Don’t bother with this fakery. Go to a park, museum, art gallery or the zoo. Hire a bike or take a canal trip instead. Or wait till it’s dark, wander the lurid fascinating Red Light district – and see a few real life horrors!