Remnants of Medieval Amsterdam Amsterdam was founded in 1306, or to be more precise, this is the year in which (probably) city rights were granted (sources on the exact date vary). City rights gave privileges to a city. A city wall could be built, markets held, tolls...
Narrow Houses and Skinny Facades Judging by the number of extremely narrow houses along Amsterdam’s canals, you could conclude that in the seventeenth century when these houses were built, the locals were very slim. Some of these houses are as narrow as the...
Rembrandt as Portrait Painter In the seventeenth century, in Rembrandt’s time, photography had not yet been invented and when people wanted their likeness taken, they went to a portrait painter, Rembrandt for example. That is exactly what Marten and Oopjen...
Best Bridges, Canals and Singel of Amsterdam Say Amsterdam and the first thing that comes to mind are canals and bridges. No wonder because Amsterdam canals are true eye-catchers. There are about two hundred canals in the city. Originally, the canals were a practical...
Tulip Mania in Seventeenth-century Amsterdam Tulip mania was a result of greed. In the seventeenth century tulips had become trendy in Amsterdam. Clever speculators stepped in and the commodity markets soared, but their profits were short-lived. One tulip bulb would...
National Monument Cenotaph on Dam Square The National Monument on Dam Square is a cenotaph in remembrance of those who fell in the Second World War. The steps of the National Monument are a popular place in Amsterdam to rest, eat a snack or do some people watching....