If you look to the north east, you can see an impressive white building in the water: Het Scheepvaartmuseum, The National Maritime Museum. Architect Daniel Stalpaert built ‘‘s Lands Zeemagazijn’ in 1656 as the Arsenal for the Admiralty. The trade ships of the prosperous Republic of the Netherlands needed to be protected against their rivals and pirates. The Admiralty was responsible for that and supplied the naval fleet from the arsenal, where there were weapons, ammunition, rope, sails and compasses. The façade on the waterfront was originally the front side of the building. The fronton, the triangle above the gable, shows Neptune, god of the sea, arm in arm with a woman. She represents the Republic of the Netherlands ruling the seas. Around them stand water gods who are offering goods from across the sea to the patroness of Amsterdam. Discover how the sea is in the Dutch genes at The National Maritime Museum. You will pass through 500 years of maritime history in fascinating, interactive exhibitions. There are special exhibitions for children and can you see the beautiful replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam in front of the museum? You’re even allowed on it! Daily 9am-5pm | +31 (0)20 5232222 | HETSCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM.NL

The National Maritime Museum

Continue walking straight ahead along Schippersgracht. Cross over the busy Prins Hendrikkade and you will come to ARCAM. 

Navigation

An architecture gallery deserves an unusual building. And that is certainly true of the ARCAM Spot on Architecture. It was designed by the architect René van Zuuk. The building is clad in silver-coloured Kalzip, which is a type of aluminium that is folded over the roof all the way down to the ground. There are work spaces at the top and the exhibition space and information point are located at street level on Prins Hendrikkade. The vast presentation of architecture is installed on the lower level, next to the water. This ‘ARCAM Panorama’ tells the story of Amsterdam architecture from the year 800 up to now. There could be no better place for a panorama like this, you only have to turn around to get a magnificent view of the IJ, where non-stop architectonic palaces rise up against a background of objects that are centuries old. A unique panorama on both sides. Start getting to know the most talked-about buildings and areas of Amsterdam at Amsterdam Centre for Architecture. Tue-Sun 1-5pm | gallery, information and shop +31 (0) 20 6204878 | tours and crash courses ARCAM.NL

Amsterdam Centre for Architecture

Walk further along the Oosterdok, with the bend on your left hand side starting to wind down to the right. Follow the road along the water’s edge.

Shipping has always played an important role in Amsterdam. The overseas trade made Amsterdam into one of the richest and fastest-growing cities in Europe. If this were the middle of the seventeenth century you would now be standing in the largest port in the world. Hundreds of large ships such as the replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam that is moored next to The National Maritime Museum would be found here next to a long wooden quay in front of the city. A forest of masts, ropes, sails and fluttering flags. 	Water is still important to the city. The twenty restored canal boats weren’t used in the Golden Age, but they give a good idea of what was travelling along the Dutch waterways around a hundred years ago. The owners mostly live on their boats, they carried out the restoration works themselves and still take them out frequently. There is antique wharf equipment along the quay. If you are lucky one of the owners may also be here repairing their mast, boom or iron plates.

Oosterdok

Walk straight ahead along the Oosterdok, around Nemo.

Every day thousands of cars drive in and out of the IJ tunnel under the green copper Science Centre NEMO. The building reminds us of a ship, but the architect Renzo Piano meant for it to be a mirrored, over-ground, counter movement to the tunnel. Its five floors make NEMO the biggest science centre in the Netherlands. Science and technology are all around us each and every day. NEMO takes you into the world of these everyday yet quite remarkable things. At NEMO, every visitor – young or old – can experience science for themselves. By getting to grips with their interactive exhibits, you can discover all kinds of things: for example, how bridges work, how lightning occurs and why you sometimes see things that aren’t there. There are also workshops, films and demonstrations to make your day at NEMO complete. A crackling sweater or a rainbow: after visiting NEMO will you look at the world through new eyes. Tue-Sun 10.00am-5.30pm | on Mondays during school holidays 10.00am-5.30pm | +31 (0)20 5313233 | nemosciencemuseum.nl

NEMO Science Museum

Walk further along the Oosterdok and go up the stairs at the end onto Prins Hendrikkade. Turn right and go along the water’s edge. 

The Amsterdam of the middle ages, long before the Plantage was built, was much smaller than the Amsterdam of today. The ground on which this tower stands first lay outside the city walls, in the marshy industrial area of Lastagne. After an attack by the Geldersen in 1512 this area was made part of the city in 1517 and used for defences in which the Montelbaanstoren was a vital link. The defences were funded by raising the tax on beer. 	When the city was further extended to the east of the tower the Montelbaanstoren lost its function. It was lowered so that it didn’t rise above the new buildings and was used as a guardhouse or warehouse. In 1606 the tower was raised again because the local residents complained that they couldn’t hear the bells chiming. 	The renowned painter Rembrandt van Rijn lived slightly further along from here and drew the tower in 1644. His house can still be visited in The Rembrandt House Museum. Keep walking, and you’ll get there!

Montelbaanstoren

Continue on your way, turning right on Oude Schans. Cross over the bridge on the left and then go immediately right onto Nieuwe Batavierenstraat. Turn right at the crossroads onto Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat. 

Samuel Gassan was 14 years old when he started to work as a diamond cutter in 1924 at this old steam powered diamond cutting factory built in 1879. In 1945 he started his own business: Gassan Diamonds. He traded in rough and cut diamonds at the diamond bourse on the Weesperplein. When he noticed that tourists liked to see the diamond cutters at work and that afterwards they were more likely to buy something, in 1955 he began to welcome tourists on a larger scale and with great success. Moreover he always stayed at the best hotels, flew first class and had two Rolls Royces. Not only because he now enjoyed the finer things in life, but also because by doing so he would meet the best clients. 	In 1990 Gassan Diamonds went back to its roots and took up residence in this building. You can still see the diamond cutters at work every day whilst a guide explains all about cutting diamonds, carats, colours, clarity and the history of this Amsterdam craft. There are free tours every day in 27 different languages between 9.00 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Daily 9am-5.30pm |+31 (0)20 6225333 | GASSAN.COM

Gassan Diamonds

Continue to walk straight ahead on Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat and turn right at the end onto Jodenbreestraat. The Rembrandt House Museum is on the left.

This former merchant’s house, built in 1607 is where Rembrant van Rijn worked and lived for almost twenty years from 1639 to 1658. He bought the house on credit for thirteen thousand guilders, which was a considerable amount of money at that time. 	In these years Rembrandt reached the height of his fame. He created world-renowned paintings such as The Nightwatch, Jan Six, A Woman Bathing and etchings such as The Omval and The Hundred Guilder Print. Furthermore, Rembrandt was also an art dealer, teacher and a passionate collector. He therefore assembled a breath-taking collection of paintings, prints, curiosities and other objets d’art. As a result of his extravagant lifestyle and a decrease in projects, in 1658 Rembrandt was forced to sell the house and to move to a simple dwelling in de Jordaan. Luckily the building was preserved and became a museum with an historically accurate reconstruction of Rembrandt’s house. Continual demonstrations of his etching technique and of how he prepared his paints are given here every day. The former sluice-keeper’s house across from the museum is home to a delightful café: De Sluyswacht. It is the perfect place to enjoy a small break. Daily 10am-6pm |+31 (0)20 5200400 | REMBRANDTHUIS.NL

The Rembrandt House Museum

Go left around the corner onto Zwanenburgwal. Walk alongside the water and take a quick peek at the flea market on the Waterlooplein.  

Take some time to browse the famous Waterlooplein market where you can go for second hand clothing, bikes and household goods. Once upon a time you could get anything and everything here; fruit, vegetables, eggs and fish but above all a lot of old clothes and bric-a-brac that would have been sold out of hand carts. 	The present Waterlooplein was once the centre of the old Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. In the seventeenth century, both Portuguese and Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants settled here. Since then, the neighbourhood enjoyed a lively street trade, as Jews were not allowed to own shops at the time. In 1882, two canals were filled in on the spot where the market is now located, creating Waterlooplein. All the local market workers were obliged to move their business to the square and the market quickly became enormously popular. 	A major part of this Jewish market disappeared as a result of the Second World War. Many of the traders were deported and the neighbourhood was plundered during the ‘Hongerwinter’.

Waterlooplein market

Enter the Waterloo Square market on your left if you hadn’t already. Turn right at the end of the square. On your right hand side you’ll see the strikingly beautiful building of the Dutch National Opera and Ballet.

The Dutch National Opera & Ballet building was opened in 1986 and was specially designed for the performance of operas, ballets and music recitals. The National Ballet and The National Opera share their space with the Amsterdam City Council. Which is why the building is also known as the Stopera, a blend of ‘stadhuis’ (which is the Dutch word for City Hall) and ‘Opera’. 	According to Hans van Maanen, the world famous, full-time choreographer for the National Ballet,‘this building really gave dance in the Netherlands a great boost forwards because of the huge dimensions of the stage. Instead of eleven meters, here we have twenty meters to work with, which means you can create choreographies with a much greater sense of space and can dance with a completely different energy. In addition, it’s a great location in the middle of the city, surrounded by so many other centres of art and culture.’ 	Amazing performances, are put on here almost every day, and there’s no language barrier, so even tourists can go! Furthermore, on Saturdays there is a guided tour at 12.00 p.m. Reservations +31 (0)20 6255455 | tour +31 (0)20 5518117| OPERABALLET.NL

Dutch National Opera & Ballet

Go straight ahead and cross over the street, walk up Amstel.

We won’t walk past it on this walk, but if you go further along this street, you will get to the world famous Royal Theatre Carré. Circus director and entrepreneur Oscar Carré opened the door of his majestic theatre on the Amstel in 1887. He was successful throughout Europe with his travelling circus and was mainly known for his famous horse acts. When he settled in Amsterdam, he and his family lived in lodgings in the theatre, in what is now the Loge Foyer. 126 years later, Carré has a lot more to offer besides the famous World Christmas Circus. From cabaret to concerts and from theatre to musicals, Carré has something for everyone. National and international stars have triumphed with Carré. Come to the Royal Theatre Carré for a complete evening out: dine in one of the three restaurants and have an after-show drink in the great atmosphere of one of the foyers. Reservations theatre +31 0900 2525255 (€ 1,30 each call) | CARRE.NL

Royal Theatre Carré

Enter the Hermitage on your left. If you are walking after 5.00 p.m. go straight on, then left onto Keizersgracht and then left onto Weesperstraat. 

You are now in the inner garden of the Hermitage. For more than three centuries this was the Diaconie a house for older women. When it was built in 1638, at 102 metres long, the building had the longest façade in the city. Later the Diaconie was converted into a modern convalescent home and in 1953 was given the name Amstelhof. However by the nineties this home no longer seemed so modern and had to be closed. The building has been open as a museum since 2009. Hans van Heeswijk Architects therefore preserved the exterior as much as possible, whereas the interior was altered considerably. 	The museum is a branch of the renowned Hermitage in St. Petersburg in Russia. The museum collection includes over 3 million objects and was first founded by the Tsars. The collection is encyclopaedic in character, as a result of which every period and style is widely represented. Every six months, a part of this collection of treasures is exhibited in the Hermitage. Daily 10am-5pm | +31 (0)20 530 87 55 | HERMITAGE.NL

Hermitage Amsterdam

In one half of the Hermitage you can see beautiful art from St. Petersburg and in the other half there are impressive portraits of civic guards from the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum, which can be seen in the Portrait Gallery of the Golden Age exhibition. These enormous group portraits from the 17th century are the ‘classmates’ of Rembrandt’s Nightwatch and are unique anywhere in the world. They tell the story of the citizenship that is so typical of the Netherlands. 	Whilst throughout the rest of Europe the power lay in the hands of the Monarchy and religious leaders, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was governed by the common man. They were the ones running and defending the city, they were trading and they were promoting scientific developments. The exhibition both literally and figuratively gives a face to these influential men and women who are mainly from the city of Amsterdam, and it demonstrates how the 17th century mentality gave rise to conventions and standards that can still be recognised in our society today. Daily 10am-5pm | 020 530 87 55 | HOLLANDERSVANDEGOUDENEEUW.NL

Portrait Gallery of the Golden Age.

Walk from the inner garden into the Hermitage and  straight ahead through the entrance area to the outside. Walk straight through the Hoftuin. Then turn left onto Weesperstraat. Keep going straight ahead on that street until it becomes Jonas Daniël Meijerplein then turn left onto Nieuwe Amstelstraat. The Jewish Historical Museum is on the left hand side. 

The Amsterdam dialect has a number of Jiddish words. This demonstrates how big an impression the Jewish community has made over the last few centuries. The Jewish Historical Museum uncovers this part of our history. Why did the first Jews come to Amsterdam? What are the basic principles of the Jewish faith? What exactly is a bar mitsva? The overarching belief of Judaism and in the exhibition is tikkun olam, to make the world fuller and life holier or simply to repair the world. The museum has been established within a cluster of as many as four old synagogues. These have been built on top of and next to each other over centuries. The first, the Grote Shoel dates as far back as 1671 and the last the Neie, dates back to 1752. The Jewish Historical Museum also has its own children’s museum where you can get to know the Hollander family and their culture. The museum also has a nice a café where you can relax with a drink or have a kosher lunch. Daily 11am-5pm | +31 (0)20 5310310 | JHM.NL

Jewish Historical Museum

Cross over the busy Weesperstraat, to Mr. Visserplein. You are now back at the place the walk started. This is the end of the walk; but if you haven’t finished looking at the Plantage why not visit one of the venues or immerse yourself in the exhibition here at Mr. Visserplein?

Plantage Amsterdam – The Cultural Garden of Amsterdam. The Plantage Amsterdam is a unique location in the eastern part of the city’s centre where culture, history, nature and science come together. This walk lasts approximately two hours and takes you on a journey past canals, museums, parks, impressive architecture, unknown streets and the best places to enjoy a drink.

Amsterdam

Plantage Amsterdam (part 2) Plantage on the waterside

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