DK Travel : Amsterdam : Central Canal Ring : History & Culture

American Hotel

Leidseplein’s most famous landmark is this one-off Dutch interpretation of Art Nouveau by Willem Kromhout (1902), which foretold the Amsterdam School of architecture. Only the exterior is of interest: the interior is as bland as any other chain hotel (in this case, Crowne Plaza). The exception is the hotel’s famous Café Americain, with its stainedglass windows and glass parasol lampshades. The literati who once inhabited it may have disappeared, but it’s a welcome haven from the rigours of Leidseplein.
Bijbels Museum

Far lovelier than the Golden Bend is the stretch of Herengracht between Huidenstraat and Leidsestraat, particularly Nos 364–70, four houses built by Philips Vingboons in 1662. Two of them house the Bible Museum, where apart from biblical artifacts you can admire the early-18th-century interior.
Felix Meritis Building

The splendid Neo-Classical façade of this building comes as a surprise on gabled Keizersgracht. Designed in 1787 by Jacob Otten Husly as a science and arts centre (the name Felix Meritis means “happiness through merit”), it flourished until the late 19th century. Later, it became headquarters of the Dutch Communist Party (CPN), and in the 1970s was home to the avant-garde Shaffy Theatre Company. Today, it houses the European Centre for Arts and Sciences – its arts complex and Summer University courses mean it is always humming.
Gemeentearchief

The Gemeentearchief, which houses the city’s municipal archives, has moved from its old location in Amsteldijk and now occupies a monumental building designed by the Amsterdamse School Architect De Bazel. It was completed in 1926 and is full of original features. One of the largest buildings in the city centre, it was originally the headquarters of the Netherlands Trading Corporation (now ABN Amro).
Golden Bend

So named because of the concentration of wealth amongst its first residents, this stretch of the Herengracht between Vijzelstraat and Leidsestraat feels grand but bland, unless you pick out eye-catching details as you stroll. Look out for Louis XIVstyle No. 475, said to be Amsterdam’s most beautiful house; and No. 476, elegantly restyled in the 1730s and topped with an eagle. No. 497 is open to the public, but you have to like cats: it’s the Kattenkabinet, a unique museum devoted to cats in art. Be careful not to trip over one of the many feline attendants.
Leidsegracht

For dream canal houses in pristine condition, look no further than sophisticated Leidsegracht, one of the city’s most sought-after addresses. At Herengracht 394, on the corner with Leidsegracht, notice the fine wall plaque depicting characters from a medieval legend – the fourHeemskinderen on their horse Beyaart. Another plaque, at No. 39, shows Cornelis Lely, who drew up the original plans for draining the Zuiderzee.
Leidseplein

The city’s tourist hub. Sophisticated it is not, tacky and fun (and, at night, often raucous) it is, especially in summer, when buskers and street performers, from family pop groups to lone fire-eaters, keep the milling throngs amused. Despite its rambling, dog-leg shape, Leidseplein is a natural gathering place, packed with fast food stalls, cafés and smoking coffee shops. Nightspots De Melkweg, Paradiso, and Holland Casino are close at hand, while for a more reflective diversion you can play chess on a giant outdoor chessboard in adjacent Max Euweplein, or stroll in the tiny Leidsebos park.
Looier Kunst en Antiekcentrum

If the smart shops of the Spiegelkwartierare too expensive and rarified, try searching for more affordable antiques in this warren of stalls occupying a vast network of ground-floor rooms in a block of houses near the Looiersgracht (tanners’ canal). Taken together, this is the largest collection of art and antiques in the Netherlands. The stall-holders have a lively community spirit, hosting bridge sessions which are open to all.
Metz & Co

The great attraction of this ponderous late-19th-century building (apart, of course, from the five floors of luxury goods on sale) is its sixth-floor cupola and café, with superb views of the canal ring below. Originally built for an insurance company in 1891, it was taken over by Metz & Co in 1908. Gerrit Rietveld added his splendid glass cupola in 1933. In 1973, Liberty of London bought the business, renovated the building and commissioned Cees Dam to design the sixth-floor café.
Negen Straatjes

Nestling in the centre of the canal ring are these three parallel rows of cross-streets bordered by Singel and Prinsengracht to east and west, and Raadhuisstraat and Leidsegracht to north and south. Known collectively as the Nine Streets, these charming, largely car-free roads were once a centre for the leather trade. Today they are packed with amusing, imaginative and sometimes eccentric shops like De Witte Tandenwinkel, devoted to toothbrushes. In Gasthuismolensteeg, don’t miss the Brilmuseum at No. 7, an enchanting museum and shop devoted to spectacles old and new (open noon–5pm Wed–Sat).