So what? The girls here like me, I treat them better than their own men and we have fun. A lot of guys who visit Krakow are at the same thing. People need to get over themselves. Shamelessly candid Mike, a year- old plumber from Liverpool, is a self- proclaimed sex tourist. His eyes light up with expert acumen as he describes his favourite brothel on ul.
Flashing neon come-ons are a common feature on streets just minutes from the Market Square. Signs spell out lewd services for passers by, some I have seen pause momentarily before deciding on a whimsical indulgence. And there is a wide selection. You might be forgiven for mistaking this openness as a sign of legality. It is not. Polish law allows streetwalkers and escorts to trade independently, but prohibits the establishment of brothels and the practice of pimping.
Krakow is full of brothels that barely bother to put up the window dressing to make their premises appear legal. Escort agencies are allowed to put clients in touch with prostitutes, and charge a fee for this service, on the condition that the escorts are not working together on the premises.
This provides plenty of entertainment for sex tourists, but also brings darker problems ranging from protection rackets to human trafficking. According to a recent report on prostitution in Poland, local and foreign sex workers claim they have to pay protection money to organised criminals and corrupt police officers.
La Strada, an international anti- trafficking organisation, says that it is much harder to reach sex workers operating in brothels than those on the street. These may be women who have been trafficked into Poland against their will, or underage girls.
