OLD AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam Walking Tour – Description

A stroll through the historic core of Amsterdam is a fascinating lesson in how dynamically the city transformed. We will begin our journey at the turning point of a 19th-century urban revolution: the construction of the Central Station, which forever closed off what was once an open, vibrant waterfront. Moving along the former bed of the Amstel River (today’s Damrak), we will explore the city’s transformation while admiring century-old office buildings, grand hotels, and the groundbreaking Berlage Stock Exchange.

At the famous Dam Square, we will step back to the days when a literal dam stood here, and merchant pride raised the former Town Hall (now the Royal Palace), celebrated in the 17th century as the Eighth Wonder of the World. From there, we will walk into the Oude Zijde (the Old Side), the oldest part of Amsterdam. Within the network of canals in the Red Light District, we will track down the traces of medieval city gates and long-gone monasteries. This chapter culminates inside the magnificent interior of the Oude Kerk—Amsterdam’s oldest standing structure.

We will continue our story in the lively Nieuwmarkt area, right beneath the old city gate of De Waag in the heart of Amsterdam’s Chinatown. Nearby, we will look at the dramatic history of post-war demolitions before finally returning to the historic harbor waterfront, surrounded by iconic landmarks of the city’s golden age of seafaring.

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Questions We Will Answer Along the Way:?

• Why did Amsterdam’s City Hall suddenly transform into a Royal Palace?
• How many trees does it take to build a brick town house?
• Where did the old monasteries go, and how did their walls blend into the city fabric?
• How did a controversial metro line almost flatten an entire neighborhood?

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