Famous streets and squares of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Streets and Squares in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s squares are where much of the city's cultural and social life takes place. If you're interested in fine arts collections, go to Museumplein (Museum Square), home to many cultural sites including the three best museums in town: the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijkmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. To see impressive Medieval structures, go to Nieuwmarkt (New Market Square) in the very centre of Amsterdam, featuring the famous De Waag which served as a gate and a weighing house in the 17th Century. And finally, in the evening, you’ll find rich nightlife at Leidseplein, where most pubs and bars as well as nightclubs are located. If you're in Amsterdam for shopping, walk along P.C. Hooftstraat, the most luxurious and exclusive shopping street in Amsterdam, and you won't leave empty-handed.

Dam Square, by Celine Zheng

Dam Square
Address: Dam Square

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Dam Square is one of the main squares in Amsterdam, located in the historical centre of the city and some minutes away from the Central Station. Lively and busy, this place is attractive due to its notable buildings, sites and events. Swarms of locals and tourists are a normal sight on the square, both during the day and at night – all of them flooding the cafés, restaurants or just walking down the streets.
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Leidseplein
Address: Leidseplein

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The Leidseplein is a large square in the centre of Amsterdam. It is located in the south-western side of the central district and north-east of the Singelgracht channel, being a cross-point of the Weteringschans, Leidsestraat and Marnixstraat. The original name of the square derives from the road to Leiden. Afterwards, there were other streets named after the city of Leiden, such as the Korte Leidsedwarsstraat and Leidsedwarsstraat (Leiden Side Street). In the 60s, the Leidseplein was a meeting point of Provos (hippies) and Nozems (greasers) with reputation of a very cool spot. Nowadays, the square is one of the busiest centres and liveliest places in the Dutch capital with lots of travel agencies and money exchanges. The area is also popular for culture – some of the best theatres in Amsterdam are situated here. Among them are the City movie theatre, the Stadsschouwburg performing musicals, plays and cabarets, the Leidsepleintheater with performances of the comedy group Boom Chicago and the rock music venues Melkweg and Paradiso. The square is flanked by a large terrace in the middle and bars on the three sides. Having a stroll you will be able to see some street performers as a local attraction: jugglers, fire-eaters, percussionists, clowns and mime-players. There are many outdoor cafés and restaurants, where you can have a meal and enjoy the lively ambience. In vicinity you may visit the largest municipal park in the city - Vondelpark, as well as the Holland Casino. Nightlife is vibrant at Leidseplein, people gathering at the dance clubs and disco bars nearby.

Markenplein
Address: Markenplein

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Markenplein is a typical Amsterdam square situated in the central part of the city, where you can take a walk and see the interesting architecture of the buildings. Modernity blends with tradition here as in many other places in the city – numerous bicycles parked in front of the glamourous building is a common view. Until the 70s of the last century, the square had another name – het oude Markenpleintje – and before the time of World War II, it used to be a part of the Jewish district of the Holland's capital. Actually, the name of Markenplein is a symbol of the bond between the old Jewish neighbourhood and the new district. One of the most prominent and typical sites in the area is the Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTA), situated close by the Waterlooplein. The academy was founded in 1958 and represents the onlyinstitute in the Netherlands that is officially recognised and provides training in various crew disciplines, such as television, film and new media production on a high professional level. There are courses in documentary directing, fiction directing, editing, screenwriting, production design, cinematography, interactive multimedia, etc. In the same area of Markenplein are the Markenhoven car park and the Grand Café Allure, where its visitors chat in a cosy atmosphere.

Museum Square
Address: Museum Square

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The Museumplein (Museum Square) makes a beautiful contrast between the old historical buildings and the neighbouring modern districts. The square is a masterpiece of the Danish landscape architect Sven Ingvar Andersson and represents one of the places that are worth visiting because of its cultural sites and interesting events. One can find underground garages, supermarkets, pavilions and kiosks in the area. Walking through a vast lawn you can enter the large underground garage with places for 600 cars and a huge hypermarket where the selection of products is so varied that everyone can find something to suit their needs. The architecture of the building was different in the past but thanks to the renovation in 1999, the facades and whole appearance have changed to give the square a new modern outlook. Mass events are held at Museumplein, such as festivals, demonstrations, and celebrations.
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New Market Square
Address: New Market Square


Nieuwmarkt or New Market Square is located right in the centre of Amsterdam and its surrounding area is known as the Nieuwmarktbuurt (Nieuwmarkt district). You can reach the square from the Amsterdam’s Chinatown, which is next to the famous De Wallen (Red Light District). An impressive building will attract your attention immediately; it is De Waag which served as a gate in the Medieval city walls, as well as a weighing house after the walls were destroyed in the 17th Century. The New Market Square dates back to 1614, when the canals around the Waag were filled. At first, it was used as a marketplace. Some sad facts are linked to the Newmarkt’s history, when during World War II, the Nazis kept Jews there before sending them to the concentration camps. More than three decades later, the square was renovated and the new buildings were removed to make room for the highway and metro, which runs today still through the Nieuwmarkt district. The visitors can choose among over 20 cafes and coffee shops at the square and enjoy a typical ambience of the city over a cup of coffee. Every day there is a market on the square, including also organic food market on Saturdays and a market with antiques on certain days. A new and interesting event is the Amsterdam Culinair, where gourmets will find different kinds of food with specialities offered by 22 restaurants. Crossing the centre of Amsterdam, do not miss this square.

Northern Market Square
Address: Northern Market Square


The Noordermarkt or Northern Market Square can be found in the Jordaan neighbourhood of Amsterdam. Just like Nieuwmarkt, it welcomes visitors with its various cafes and restaurants with cuisine for everyone’s taste and excellent service. It is popular for the markets that are held there every Monday, tempting with various kinds of food and other products. Specially for the fans of organic food, the organic farmer market is organised on Saturdays. Mondays are for the textiles market that is held in the Westerstraat, a nearby street. Noordermarkt was created in the beginning of the 17th Century and was originally called Prinsenmarkt, after the Prinsengracht canal which is adjacent to the square. The square was renamed later, when the Noorderkerk (Northern Church) was designed by architect Hendrick de Keyser and its construction was completed. At that time the place came to be known as Noordermarkt. From then on the church has dominated the square and it has been until 1655 that a great part of the Noordermarkt served as a graveyard for the Noorderkerk. There is still a plaque on the walls of the church that reminds of the deportations of the Jews by the Nazis during World War II and the protest demonstrations that were held on the square at that time. The square is lively and enjoys a great popularity mostly because of the market with impressive variety of fresh food products such as cheese, meat and baked goods. The stall sellers also add charm to this place with their courtesy and high spirit. Try out the cuisine of the restaurants around the square and you will stay delighted.

Rembrandt Square
Address: Rembrandt Square

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Rembrandtplein is one of the most popular sites in Amsterdam, situated in a close vicinity to the city centre. This is a popular tourist destination, located in the middle of Amsterdam, and known as one of the hottest points of the night club scene. It was named after the genius Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, whose statue on the square represents the recognition of his great art. Rembrandtplein is visited all around the clock, both during the day when tourists and locals love to relax on the green lawn next to it (especially in summer), and during at when the area comes alive as people of all ages flock there. When the sun goes down, you can see visitors ready to see for themselves what Amsterdam nightlife really is like.
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Spui
Address: Spui

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The Spui is an attractive square that can be found in the centre of Amsterdam. According to historical facts, until 1420, the place was a body of water and formed the southern border of the city. Later, the Spui was filled in and received the appearance that it has preserved until today. There was a little renovation in 1996, when it was decided that the square would be a car-free zone and only the tram was allowed to stop at and nearby the Spui stop. The place is mostly renowned for its high quality book market, held every Friday. Book-lovers of all genres come to visit the wide variety of bookstores in the area of the Spui to find something of interest. There are two shops that specialise in English-language literature. If you come by on Sunday, stalls with souvenirs and pieces of art collections will be spread all over the square – not only for connoisseurs but also for ordinary clients. A typical landmark of the Spui is the small statue of –Het Lieverdje (The Little Darling). It represents the youth of Amsterdam city, playing with a heart of gold. There is a direct entry to the Medieval courtyard of Begijnhof, an excellent opportunity to visit the tourist venue. In the same area 4- and 5-star hotels offer splendour and first-class accommodation, among which are the Jolly Hotel Carlton, Hotel Amsterdam De Roode Leeuw and NH Grand Hotel Krasnopolsky.