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Doesn’t this street strike you as being rather broad? That is because this Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal was once a canal and until 1884, water flowed down the middle of this street and ships, not trams, would pass by. The picture shows the street as it was in bygone days. The people of Amsterdam had good reason to build their city along the waterways: the canals of yesteryear were the motorways of today. Merchants transported their goods by ship and people preferred to travel long distances by boat, which was much more comfortable than a bumpy coach ride or taking a horse and cart along bad roads. Nonetheless, as the years went by, transport by road increased - at the expense of many of the waterways, even in Amsterdam. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal was not the only canal in the city to be filled in; unfortunately, about seventy canals in Amsterdam have had to make way for cars, bikes, trams and buses.

The canal that once was

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Now you are back on Dam Square, the beginning and the end of your trail. As we explained at the beginning of the walk, this square is the symbolic heart of the city and of the Netherlands. And the Dutch royal family have an important aspect of this: Dam Square is the place where all the national celebrations, like royal marriages and investitures, past and present, are held. The celebrations are not just held on the square, but in the buildings that line the square too, such as the Royal Palace and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which you can see on your right. In 2013, the enthronement of King Willem-Alexander took place here on Dam Square, making him Monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and spoke to the people on the square from the balcony of the palace. Afterwards, in the Nieuwe Kerk, he was formally installed as king. It was one huge, day-long party for everyone here on Dam Square. If you would like to see some impressions of that day, you can watch the video. Finish the trail by returning to the Monument on Dam Square, and reflect a little on your I-Tour of the ‘Venice of the Low Countries’, which showed you all the highlights of Amsterdam’s canal ring. If you would like to see more of Amsterdam and its environs, please take a look at the App, which contains various I-Tours of Amsterdam and the neighbouring towns.

The Royal Palace on Dam Square

Amsterdam is often regarded as the ‘Venice of the Low Countries’ and no wonder: this metropolis has hundreds of canals, moats and other urban waterways. The most famous of them all is Amsterdam’s canal ring, a system of town canals surrounding the old city centre - so unique the whole area has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. During the Dutch Golden Age, when Dutch culture and economy peaked after the year 1600, the canals were the life lines of this trading centre. Large quantities of merchandise were imported or exported by ship, or stored in one of the city’s many warehouses. The city’s canal ring also reflects Amsterdam’s affluence in the era, and in this district you will discover elaborately decorated merchant houses, internationally acclaimed museums and bustling markets squares. This I-Tour will reveal much more about all its historic architecture and culture. We will show you some of the most charming spots in and around Amsterdam’s canal ring while providing information about this very special area by means of audio and video recordings and photographs. The I-Tour starts here at the National Monument on Dam Square. This majestic statue symbolises the very heart of Amsterdam – and the whole of the Netherlands. This is where, every year, the Dutch commemorate the victims of the Second World War. Begin your I-Tour with your back to the monument and cross the street towards the Royal Palace.

Intro (De Dam)

You are now on Dam Square, the very spot where Amsterdam began. On this spot, around the year 1250, the people of Amsterdam built a dam across the River Amstel. Ships could sail as far as the square and then unload and trade their goods. As you can imagine, it must have been a very busy place in those days, with market stalls selling all sorts of wares: fish from the Zuiderzee, figs from Italy, spices from as far away as Africa. This square was truly the centre of Amsterdam’s trade and accordingly, it has a major part in the city’s expanding trade and growing prosperity – prosperity that led to the construction of the canal ring. Dam Square has always been a real trading centre. And even today, the Stock Exchange is just around the corner. In former days, the central trading point was here too: the ‘waag’ or weighing-house, where all merchandise was weighed. This trading point was demolished about two hundred years ago, although many people in Amsterdam regret its disappearance. So why was the building torn down? Do the quiz via the button in the top right of the menu screen to find out. The Royal Palace is also situated on Dam Square, but we will come to that later on this I-Tour.

Dam Square

De Dam

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If you were to have an aerial view of Amsterdam, you would immediately recognise its characteristic street pattern: a city centre surrounded by a ‘singel’, a certain type of town canal and three town canals that run parallel to each other. The canal ring around the city is clearly recognisable on the photographs. This is Amsterdam’s canal ring, a unique historic area laid out according to a structured street plan. You have now come to Herengracht, the most inwardly of the three city canals. The canal ring was built in the Golden Age – the era in which the Netherlands and Amsterdam flourished, when the rising economic affluence around the year 1600 forced the city to expand. But the expansion had to be both good for the economy and good to look at: buildings could not be constructed any old how, but according to a well-considered street plan. Using its many waterways as transport lines for shipping and allowing plenty of room for fine houses, this expansion eventually produced the ‘Grachtengordel’, this canal ring.

The canal ring

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The history of Amsterdam’s canal ring has some sad chapters too and one of them is the famous story of Anne Frank. During the Second World War, she went into hiding in the house on your left. At first sight, it looks like a normal ‘grachtenpand’ or canal house. But did you know that an entire second house was built behind this one? That is why it was such a good hiding place for the Frank family. However, this annexed house also had offices on the ground floor, which meant that the people hiding there could not use one side of the house during office hours. The people who worked in the offices thought that the house only contained storage space in the rooms above, so no footsteps must be heard, whatever the cost. In fact, the people in the offices had no idea that there was an entire house next door to them because they never went into the garden and could not see the other side of the building. Nonetheless, the people hiding in the house were discovered on 4 August 1944 and arrested. To this day, nobody knows who betrayed them.

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On this square, we come to the Westerkerk, the most famous church in the canal ring. Its fame stems from the fact that its distinctive tower can be seen from many spots in Amsterdam. You can climb its tower, the Westertoren, if you like. There is a wonderful view of the canal ring from up there, and you can see all the way from harbours in the North to the Rijksmuseum in the South. Perhaps you had already noticed the Westertoren when you were still quite a distance from it? The tower is easy to recognise because of its characteristic dome with the crown on top. You don’t see many church towers like this one in Northern Europe. In fact, the Westerkerk is the only church in the Netherlands with a cross like that one on top of it. If you want to know why, do the quiz. You can also view the inside of the Westerkerk, but if the church is closed, you will have all the more reason to visit it again. Despite its relatively plain interior compared to Catholic churches, this Protestant house of worship is certainly worth a look. The way the light strikes the interior of this freestanding church is remarkable and creates an unusual ambience. Moreover, the artist Rembrandt van Rijn, who painted the ‘Night Watch’, was buried in this church.

The Westerkerk and its tower

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The water of Prinsengracht is always full of boats on sunny days, but once or twice a year it is really busy. That’s when the canals of Amsterdam are the scene of popular festivals. For instance, an annual concert is held on Prinsengracht, where you are standing now. An orchestra on a floating stage plays classical songs from the previous century and of course, the canal is packed with boats full of people who come to listen. Once a year, there is a really, really big party on the canals: ‘Koningsdag’ or King’s Day, a national holiday. Until recently, the same day was called ‘Koninginnedag’ or Queen’s Day, but King Willem-Alexander succeeded his mother, Princess Beatrix, in 2013, and so the name was changed from Queen’s day to King’s Day. Many Dutch people come to Amsterdam specifically to celebrate this national day of celebration and the canals are chock-a-block with party-goers dressed in orange. If you want to see what King’s Day is like in the canal ring, watch the video.

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You will discover an entirely different side to Amsterdam on the other side of the canal. There, just beyond the canal ring, is the ‘Jordaan’ district, a working-class area that is, in some ways, the complete opposite of the canal ring. The ‘grachtengordel’ or canal ring was built as a luxury district for traders in the Golden Age, while the ‘Jordaan’ is a true blue-collar district. The first popular uprisings began in the ‘Jordaan’ and it is where true Amsterdam balladeers are born. In the ‘Jordaan’, the houses are generally smaller and the streets narrower. As you can see, the magnificence of the stately canals makes way for the homely, intimate ambiance of the ‘Jordaan’, partly because this district’s street plan differs from that of the canal ring: the ‘Jordaan’ has plenty of tiny alleys, enhancing its snug and friendly atmosphere.

The 'Jordaan' district

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The part of the canal ring you are walking through now is called the ‘negen straatjes’ or nine streets, named after the nine different side-streets connecting the three main canals of the canal ring. Wolvenstraat, which you are on now, is the most central of these nine side-streets. This part of the canal ring, the ‘negen straatjes’, has its own special ambiance, and it is popular among tourists who love to spend entire mornings or afternoons wandering around the area. This trendy district, which boasts all sorts of stylish boutiques, cafés and galleries, is much quieter compared to Leidsestraat and the area around Leidseplein, which we will come to in a minute. The tiny shops that are so abundant in the ‘negen straatjes’ soon make way for large chain stores when you reach Leidsestraat. Walking through the ‘negen straatjes’, you can clearly see how the different blocks of houses are distributed along the canals: the largest and grandest houses, where the wealthy merchants resided, line the canals while the middle classes lived in the side-streets. That explains why the houses on the side-streets are smaller and are less decorative.

'Negen straatjes'

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If you look around you, up and down the canal, you will be able to see several Amsterdam warehouses. You will have already spotted some of these characteristic buildings on your walk around the canal ring. In bygone days, all sorts of goods would have been stored in these warehouses, such as food, wood or spices brought to Amsterdam by ship. The name of the warehouse often reveals the sort of goods stored in it or the origin of the wares: the ‘Afrika’ (Africa), the ‘Korendrager’ (granary) and the ‘Spaanse Huis’ (Spanish House). Can you see the beams that protrude at the top of the warehouses’ gables? The merchants used them to hoist their wares up to the upper storeys. You can also recognise warehouses by their large doors, although nowadays many of the doors have been replaced by windows. You may have noticed that many of the warehouses and other canal houses lean out over the street. Why do they lean like that? Do the quiz to find out more.

Warehouses

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Traditional Dutch houses are famous for their characteristic façades, which come in all sorts and sizes: crow-stepped gables, bell-shaped gables, pointed gables and cornice fronts. You will have already seen many fine examples of them on this I-Tour through the canal ring – after all, this area is full of merchant houses with their ornate façades. The inhabitants of Amsterdam built these wonderful gables to make their houses look prettier and many of these individual gables are actually no more than a little wall that hides a slightly lower, pointed roof.

Gables

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You have now come to Leidseplein, where once stood a city gate. This gate once marked the beginning of the road to Leiden and this square was the first thing travellers saw of the canal ring and of Amsterdam when they entered the city. Even then, there was plenty of hustle and bustle, with travellers, street vendors and market traders coming to the city from all over. As you can see, Leidseplein is still a very busy, energetic spot, but for other reasons: at present, it is the heart of entertainment on Amsterdam’s canal ring. Many cafés, shops, restaurants and theatres are located around the square, such as the New De La Mar Theatre, pop venues Paradiso and Melkweg and the city theatre, the red-brick building on the opposite side of the square.

Leidseplein

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On your right, on the opposite side of the road, you will see one of the strangest buildings of the canal ring: Paradiso, one of the most famous pop music venues in the Netherlands. You can tell by the building’s exterior that it was not built as a concert hall. In fact, Paradiso was a church until 1967, which is obvious from the high, church-like windows with their rounded tops, which are typical of churches. Nowadays, Paradiso is hallowed ground for music and culture lovers, because pick of the international music scene has given spectacular performances here in this intimate temple of pop, including Pink Floyd, Prince, Adele and Lady Gaga. All these famous performers love to visit cosy Paradiso because this pop venue has its every own intimate ambiance. This special atmosphere is created by the high, church’s ceiling and balustrades but more particularly because ‘only’ 1,500 people can fit into the building. That may seem a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the larger venues like the Heineken Music Hall or Ahoy in Rotterdam.

Paradiso

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The Golden Age marked both an economic climax in Dutch history and a cultural one. Many of the works of art that date from around the same time as the canal ring are to be found in the imposing edifice on the opposite side of the road and the water. This is the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ largest museum. Its collection contains many famous works and you can see many paintings by the Dutch masters of the Golden Age, including Rembrandt van Rijn’s Night Watch, Johannes Vermeer’s Milkmaid and many others. Beyond the Rijksmuseum, there is the large expanse of park, the Museumplein, which features the Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. The Rijksmuseum was closed to the public for ten years while this magnificent building underwent a drastic renovation. Work has been done on the entire exterior, the entrance and the walkway under the building, and the interior has a completely new look. The ‘new’ Rijksmuseum was opened by Queen Beatrix in early 2013, an occasion celebrated with fireworks and a big party. If you want to see an impression of this festive occasion, watch the video. If you are wondering what the renovated building and Museumplein beyond look like now, just cross the road and follow the walkway under the building.

Rijksmuseum

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This is Spiegelgracht, one of side-streets in the canal ring and the heart of Amsterdam’s art and antiques scene. Dozens of antique shops and galleries can be found in these streets. The antique dealers sell all kinds of curiosities, ranging from historic tiles of Delft Blue to nineteenth-century writing desks – if you like antiques, this is the place for you. Spiegelstraat would never have become the centre of art and antiques without the Rijksmuseum close at hand, because in the early years, the museum bought many objects for its collection from the shops on this street: earthenware, furniture, jewellery, glasses and textiles, and it is no coincidence that the majority of the antique dealers in this district are specialised in these items.

Spiegelstraat and Spiegelgracht

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As you may have noticed on this I-Tour, luxury and status were important for the merchants who lived along the canals of Amsterdam, and their houses were expected reflect their standing by their spic-and-span exteriors. A whole army of servants was needed to run a household in a canal house but these cooks, cleaners and nursemaids were not allowed to use the front door. Their entrance was the back door in the alleys between the canals, like Kerkstraat where you are now. In contrast to the front of the houses, it was a huge mess in these streets, with goods being delivered or dispatched, horse manure littering the streets and rubbish put out to be collected. It must have been very smelly – although the same could be said of the front of the house, as the canals were used as open sewers in those days.

The hidden reverse of wealth

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The part of Herengracht you are now on is the most dazzling impressive part of the canal ring and the most expensive and most beautiful houses were built here. In fact, the wealth of this part of town gives it its name: ‘Gouden Bocht’ or Golden Bend. Take good look at the houses along this part of the canal: these are the typically large canal houses where the richest Amsterdam merchants once lived. In Amsterdam’s heyday, these buildings all had almost the same layouts and the same characteristic, luxurious interiors. The photographs show how the wealthy residents furnished their canal houses: marble columns, silk curtains and paintings by Dutch masters hanging on the wall. Nowadays, the merchant houses on the Golden Bend often provide office accommodation for businesses such as law firms, banks and stock exchange dealers. The Mayor of Amsterdam lives here too, at number 502, a little further back along Herengracht, on this side of the water.

'Gouden Bocht'

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A characteristic feature of the canal ring and the centre of Amsterdam are the many ‘hofjes’, courtyards off the busy street and lined with tiny houses. You are now in the most well-known courtyard of Amsterdam: the ‘Begijnhof’, called after the Béguines, the nuns who lived here for centuries. This courtyard also contains one of the few remaining wooden houses in Amsterdam, although, in the Middle Ages, nearly all the houses in the city were built of wood. Over the years, the other wooden houses have either been replaced or burned down, because living in a wooden house was always risky. Most households cooked their daily meals over an open fire inside the house, so it not very surprising that many large fires broke out in the city during the Middle Ages. Consequently, around the year 1450, the city administrators prohibited the building of houses with wooden side walls; later wooden façades were prohibited too. Maybe you have noticed something else about the ‘Begijnhof’ besides the wooden house? Perhaps you have seen that the courtyard is slightly lower than the area that surrounds it? Why do you suppose it is lower? Do the quiz to find out.

Begijnhof

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Beautiful canal houses, world famous museums and bustling market squares. All these historic architecture and culture comes into this tour. We walk along the most beautiful places in and around the Amsterdam canals.

Amsterdam

The Amsterdam Canal District

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