Rembrandtplein. From the Jewish quarter in Amsterdam it’s a short walk or a tram stop to a square with the name Rembrandtplein. It was named after the famous Dutch 17th century painter Rembrandt van Rijn. For 15 years this square … Read More

Royal Palace The Royal Palace in Amsterdam has not always been a Palace. During Amsterdam’s Golden Age Jacob van Campen constructed it as a City Hall. Amsterdam became rich from trading with the far east and transporting slaves to America. … Read More

Amsterdam. In the center of Amsterdam you will find a square with two national monuments. It’s called ‘Dam Square’ and usually it’s crowded with people. You can walk there from Central Station in about 5 minutes. The first monument is … Read More

Central Station Amsterdam. For many tourist this is the gateway to Amsterdam. However, the building itself is not just Amsterdam’s main train station, but it is also a landmark. It has been designed in the 1880s by Pierre Cuypers, the … Read More

The Rijksmuseum. This National Museum was designed by P.J.H Cuypers. Cuypers also designed Central Station in Amsterdam, but mostly Catholic Churches. You can see this Catholic influence, because the building looks just like a Catholic Church. Rumor has that none of the members … Read More

Begijnhof. The origin of the Begijnhof was a bit similar to that of a monastery. A woman could live here as a non, but was still able to marry if she wanted to leave. After the Iconoclasm this was the only Church in Amsterdam that could stay Catholic. … Read More