Yab Yum

The Yab Yum was one of Amsterdam's best-known and most exclusive brothels, housed in a historic 17th-century canal house on the Singel. The name comes from Tibetan and means "father-mother," alluding to a Buddhist and Hindu symbol of the sexual union of deities. The establishment catered mainly to businessmen and foreign visitors. From its beginnings in the 1980s until the legalization of brothels in 2000, the house operated as a licensed club with the tolerance of the police, as long as no drugs or violence were involved. In its later years, however, the Yab Yum repeatedly came under scrutiny over allegations of corruption and was linked to organized crime. According to reports, actual control lay for a long time in the hands of Mafia figures and later the Hells Angels, which led to serious violent incidents and murders in the club's orbit.

In 2007, the City of Amsterdam tried to revoke the brothel's license because it was allegedly being used for criminal activity. This was part of a broader campaign by the then mayor to reduce the number of sex businesses in the city center. Despite a legal battle in which the owner claimed to be merely a front man, a court upheld the closure in January 2008. The house then remained permanently closed as a brothel. The building and the brand were later acquired by an entrepreneur who initially tried to apply for a license to reopen.

In September 2013, the building finally reopened to the public as a museum. On a guided tour of the historic rooms, visitors could see the reception area, the hallways, the bar, the original rooms with beds and spas, the Caviar Club, the champagne chambers, and the changing and medical areas. This museum use ended in early 2016, however, when the project was shut down due to financial difficulties.