The most popular walk in Amsterdam

It is impossible to start your acquaintance with Amsterdam not from the central station. Much has been written and said about this building, its architect presented the city with the famous museum, but few people know that the station was built on the site of the lake and relies on more than eight thousand piles. By the way, from the B2 platform you can look at the beautifully designed waiting room, built for the queen. Today it is closed, and only five such waiting rooms were built in the Netherlands. And if you are hungry, you can go to the famous Grand Cafe-Restaurant 1e klas, which has retained its unique interior. We will delve into the city along one of its most important streets - Damrak Street. This street was formed in the first half of the nineteenth century, when the central channel from the station building to Dam Square was bombarded. The most important building on the street is the first stock exchange in Europe - Berlage. Therefore, Amsterdamians often uttering the name of Damrak Street, use it in the meaning of trade and money transactions, as New Yorkers use Wall Street. On the way, pay attention to the famous Amsterdam houses. Do not forget, like the station building, they are also built on stilts. Due to the old age of wooden piles, sometimes houses are tilted, which makes them even more unique and colorful.

Photo: Author: Vasyatka1 - own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52300088 Translated with Google Translate

https://oldamsterdamcheesestore.com/ (reservation required!) In this store, you can not only buy different cheeses in a special vacuum gift box but try different Dutch cheeses in a tasting room. The idea of packing cheeses for long-term storage brought popularity to this place, and tastings and an excursion into the history of the most famous Dutch cheese, Gouda, became famous. It is named after the Dutch town, where it was produced and sold in the nineteenth century. Then the head of cheese was a massive weight of 12 kilograms. However, the name Gouda is not a trademark. There are known cheeses with this name, produced in other cities of the world. But the real Dutch Gouda has three different degrees of aging and, accordingly, hardness and must have a smooth and clean yellow crust. On the contrary, by the way, the famous Berlage Stock Exchange, named after the outstanding Dutch architect Hendrik Berlage.

Photo: By Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵 國 單) - Wikimedia Commons. (Want to use this image?) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index .php? curid = 71944548

Dam squware is the heart of Amsterdam. It all started from here when in 1270, local fishers erected a dam (Dam) along the Amstel River and created Amsteldam - the future Amsterdam. They traded fish and everything that promised profit until the massive building development began. The fruits of which are the modern building of the Royal Palace - the former City Hall, Never Kerk - New Church, De Bijenkorf department store, Madame Tuso Museum, and Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. All buildings of the early eras and styles organize the most famous square of the city. The church began to be built back in 1380; according to the sundial, all the clocks in the town were set on its tower. For a hundred years, the Amsterdam people donated tin to the porch for the construction of the bell tower, but the money was spent on the structure of the city hall. This luxurious Italian-style building accompanied the life of citizens in crucial moments in a bankruptcy room under the image of a falling Icarus and rats in the middle of paperwork, and civil disputes resolved in the Confidence room. Only in 1806, the city hall was occupied by Napoleon's brother Louis, who became the first crowned developer of the Netherlands. His reign lasted four years and was accompanied by the transformation of the city hall into a royal palace. Today Queen Beatrix stops at the royal palace when she comes to the city from The Hague once a year, and she was crowned in 1980 from the neighboring church that we already know. On the opposite side of the square is a tall white monument. It is dedicated to the Dutch, who died in World War II. On the corner of Dam Square and Kalverstraat Street on May 7, 1945, drunken Nazis shot 19 people from the windows of the house who had fun in honor of the victory over Nazi Germany. Let's walk along Kalverstraat, the city's most famous shopping street. In the Middle Ages there was a livestock market - which gave the name to the road, and today there are the most recognized brands. You can visit the Nieuwe Kerk church daily from 10.00 to 18.00, and on Thursday 10.00 to 22.00, entrance is paid during exhibitions. Excursions in the Royal Palace daily from 12.30 to 17.00; it is better to check the opening hours of summer exhibitions by phone or on the website, admission is paid.

https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl

Photo: Author: Photo: Andreas Praefcke - own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4270632

Since 1581, these buildings housed a city shelter for children. The museum occupied these premises only in 1975. Initially, the city history museum was housed in a medieval fortress tower, and it was opened at the beginning of the twentieth century. Today it is one of the most exciting museums in the city, which has a stunning collection of objects that tells the life of Amsterdam from the Middle Ages to the present day. Here you can see Rembrandt-era furniture, clothes, books, ceramics, glass, and wood, as well as paintings by famous artists. To visit the museum, you need to take from one and a half to two hours. You can buy tickets on the spot or the website. https://www.amsterdammuseum.nl/

Photo: By Amsterdam Museum - [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15431885

After strolling through the courtyard of the museum and passing through the gallery, which once shared between the boyish and girlish parts of the shelter, you can look at the group portraits of city guards. Who knows, maybe these are the motives that prompted Rembrandt to his famous painting "Night Watch." A narrow stone passage leads us to Begenhof - a Benigock nursing home, founded in the fourteenth century. Begins were called unmarried girls from wealthy families who led a modest, chaste life, almost like nuns, but did not accept tonsure. They could return to social life at any time and even get married.

Photo: By Massimo Catarinella - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4987822

This church was called English during the Reformation when the former Catholic Church of the Begins was urgently made reformatory. Opposite it, a small chapel has survived, in which the runners continued to celebrate the Catholic service secretly. The whole atmosphere of these places is saturated with peace, and the English lawn gives an emerald-colored restrained majesty and calm.

Photo: By Ernest McGray, Jr. - Amsterdam - Begijnhof - English Reformed Church, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63530477 Translated with Google Translate

A massive door leads from Beigenhof to Spui Street. She is known for the sculpture of a boy - the excellent spirit of Amsterdam streets, nicknamed t Lieverdje - Darling. Here you can take a picture and not forget that in the sixties of the last century, it was this square that became the scene of numerous student unrest against what was then called consumerism - consumers, and today simply globalism. In the eastern part of the square, there is a sizeable strict building “Maid House” (Maagdenhuis) - a Catholic shelter for girls.

Photo: By Marcel Antonisse / Anefo - http://proxy.handle.net/10648/ad196d96-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 65642655

We went to one of the most famous streets in the city. It connects Dam Square and the former Coin Square. But this area became a street not so long ago. In 1608, the main channel of the Amstel River passed here, which is displayed in the name of the road. In the old Dutch, Rak in denotes the mainstream. In the photo is a picture of Hendrick Breitner, when Rokin was still a channel.

Photo: By George Hendrik Breitner - www.rijksmuseum.nl: Home: Info: Pic, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11587994

This equestrian statue is perhaps the most beloved by the inhabitants of the city. It is dedicated to Queen Wilhelmina and appeared in the seventies of the last century. The Netherlands loves this queen because she did not obey the Germans and left the country after the Nazi occupation, creating a government in exile from where she broadcasted, supporting the Dutch spirit and the fighting spirit of the Dutch resistance. The fate of Wilhelmina Elena Paulina Maria was not easy. He was born to his father Wilhelm II when he was 63 years old from his second marriage. All three sons from their first marriage died. Having become the queen in ten years, she ruled fifty years. The First and Second World Wars and the loss by Holland of its most prosperous colony - Indonesia fell on her rule. Four years after returning to her homeland in 1952, she abdicated in favor of her only daughter Juliana, the other four children of Wilhelmina were born dead.

Photo: Posted by Jvhertum - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4104193

"The house on three canals," (Huis op de Drie Grachten) Amsterdam We went to a beautiful historical part of the city, which was built up during the golden age of Amsterdam - the seventeenth century. The house on three channels is called so because it goes out with its three sides to three different channels. The channel along which we came is called Gimburgwal. Its name comes from the "Gutter" - such it was until the zloty century. We crossed the Sleutelbrug bridge, from where we had a beautiful view of Binnengasthuis - the former city hospital, and now the university building. You can go in and take a walk inside. The pleasant atmosphere will remind us that this place was an old bookyard. Mostly Jewish sellers sold books here, and next to them, Italian craftsmen sharpened scissors.

Historical photo circa 1940: By Unknown author - http://beeldbank.amsterdam.nl/afbeelding/012000005763, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63947502

Be sure to check out lunch in Amsterdam's smallest house, Het Kleinste Huis (reservation is needed!) This house was built in 1738 and is only two meters wide and five meters deep. Not casual in it is a tea boutique. Nearby was the building of one of the wealthiest trading companies in the world - the Dutch East Indian trading company, which brought tea to Europe. Spouses Kristen and Niels have been running this tasty and exciting place for a long time. There are four floors, and on each floor, there is only one table. Those guests will be alone in the whole story. They serve six types of pies, tea, coffee, and other sweets. In essence, this is hi-ti.

It was the first Protestant church in Amsterdam. It was built in 1611. Three Rembrandt’s children are laid to rest in the church, and the renowned painter painted his famous painting “Night Watch” in the church itself because his studio was too small for this amazingly large painting. By the way, among the 14 pictures painted in 1874 by Claude Monet in Amsterdam, this church was captured.

Photo: Door Eriksw - Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79996748

Until the end of the sixteenth century, this part of the city was a fortress wall. There were weaving workshops. The fabric was soaked dyed and pulled on a frame to dry. Frames - Raamen in Dutch from here comes the name. This quarter later became known as the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. The Nazis deported the entire Jewish population to the death camps during World War II. On the opposite bank of Zvanenburgval is the house of Rembrandt. The historical postcard shows the place where you and I are standing, captured from the opposite side of the canal.

Photo: By Aufnahme und Druck Dr. Trenkler († 1926) & Co. Leipzig - https://www.postcardsfrom.nl/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43521637

The name of this bridge mentions the craftsmen who made the framework for the weavers. This is a drawbridge, and it is from here that Monet painted his famous painting depicting Seederkerk. Monet's painting gave romanticism to the bridge, and today lovers do not forget to leave their famous locks on it. In the photo, a picture of Monet.

Photo: By Claude Monet - https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/104453.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81348782

This is one of the ancient bridges over the Amstel River. Its name is romantic, but not transparent. It is said that the ledge of the river bank resembled a crescent moon, while others claim that the windows of a liquor store standing at the bridge at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were decorated with a crescent moon. Be that as it may, we move on to Rembrandt Square, where our walk ends. Pictured is the 1930 Crescent Bridge.

Photo: By Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23382852

In the Middle Ages, there was a wound in this place. Outside the ramparts, they traded milk and butter. At the end of the nineteenth century, they decided to place a monument to Rembrandt on the square and name the square after him. In front of the statue is a dramatic sculptural composition of the Night Watch, the work of Russian sculptors Alexander Dronov and Mikhail Tartynov. Here at the kiosk, buy the most delicious and popular Dutch herring, and we will be happy!

photo: Author: Vasyatka1 - own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88901712