Dam Square and the National Monument

Dam Square is at the very heart of Amsterdam. The National Monument is right in the middle of this vast square that buzzes with activity all year round. In spring, the fun fair and its Ferris wheel attracts locals and tourists alike. In summer, street entertainers and buskers mix with horse-drawn carriages. In winter, Amsterdammers and visitors feed the hungry pigeons. Join the crowd, sit at the foot of the National Monument and listen to the carillon of the Royal Palace that peals out folk songs and pop music. Dam Square is without doubt the most famous square in Amsterdam.

Dam Square Highlights

1. Royal Palace, venue for official royal function
2. National Monument, cenotaph in remembrance of War victims
3. Nieuwe Kerk, home to rotating exhibitions
4. Bijenkorf, upmarket department store
5. Madame Tussauds, exhibition of wax figures
6. Magna Plaza, shopping centre
7. Kalverstraat, shopping street

Dam Central Square in Amsterdam

The Dam is the central square of Amsterdam and close to the Central Station. Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s main shopping street starts at Dam Square. The two historic buildings on Dam Square are the Royal Palace, originally the city hall of Amsterdam and the Gothic Nieuwe Kerk, which is not new at all as was built in the fourteenth century. It is no longer a place of worship but is used for rotating exhibitions. Behind the Nieuwe Kerk is Magna Plaza, now a shopping centre but originally the main post office.

National Monument

Right in the middle of Dam Square the National Monument stands 21-metre high. This tall white stone obelisk commemorates the victims of World War II both in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies. Suffering figures adorn the bottom of the monument. Along the back are the crests of the Dutch provinces, bordered by the dates 1940-1945. Each year the King, veterans and many others lay wreaths in commemoration of those who died in service of their country.

Hippy Days

The monument was created in 1956. In the 1960s, it was a popular place for hippies who bundled up in sleeping bags and spent the night and most of the day at Dam Square. In 1970, the Marines chased them away forever and tourists adopted the place as their meeting point.

Shopping on Dam Square

Upmarket shopping at the Bijenkorf. At the end of the nineteenth century, this department store started as a haberdashery with an assortment of only yarns and ribbons. Today, it is a chain store with seven branches and a web shop. Opposite de Bijenkorf is Gassan is the largest jewelry store in the Netherlands, specializing in diamonds, jewelry and top brand watches.

Entertainment on Dam Square

The number one attraction on the Dam is Madame Tussauds Amsterdam. Take a selfie with Willem Alexander or step into the world of the movies and meet James Bond or Angela Jolie. Next door is the fascinating world of Ripley’s: you travel through time, starting with ancient civilizations until you finally end up with modern art. Modern art with a smile, portraits of celebrities made of crayons, chewing gum and rose petals. Around the corner at Rokin is the Amsterdam Dungeon, which guarantees an afternoon of horror.

Meeting Place

Dam Square and the National Monument is the ideal place to wait for your friends, see other tourists and locals. Gerard Berkheyde (1638 – 1698) painted Dam Square and the Royal Place, the square then looked very much as it does today. If you would like to see what Dam Square looked like at the end of 19th century, go to the Rijksmuseum and check out Hendrik Breitner’s painting of Dam Square. He painted it between 1895 and 1898. You will see that Dam square has not changed that much and you are sure to recognize the square itself and the surrounding buildings.

Near Dam Square
Kalverstraat for shopping
Magna Plaza Shopping centre
Bijenkorf department store
Madame Tussauds wax figures of celebrities
Amsterdam Dungeon walk through 500 years of creepy histpry

photo’s Albert van den Boomen,  Marianne Crone en Wiki Commons