The heart of Amsterdam is Dam Square. The name comes from the dam on the Amstel River, which marked the beginning of the development of the city and the center of the capital of the Netherlands.
The construction of the dam dates back to about 1270. She connected two small fishing villages. From that moment, the city begins its growth and development, it becomes the center of craft and trade.
The dam was constantly strengthening and expanding. It has grown to such an extent that it gradually turned into two fairly wide areas of Middeldam and Platse. Since the squares adjoined the place of mooring of fishing vessels, a few meters from the peculiar marina one of the largest fish markets was formed, where it was possible to purchase river and sea gifts in any quantity.
In addition, the squares are gradually turning into the center of the political and economic life of the city. The town hall was also erected there. In addition to the administrative building, the following were also built on the square:
- Weight, which had to be demolished in 1808 by the will of the first ruler of Amsterdam, Louis Bonoparte (the building prevented him from admiring his possessions from the royal balcony).
- Zocher Stock Exchange (1837), built on the territory that was reclaimed from the water and allowed to significantly expand the area. But it didn’t stand a century - with the development of the Stock Market, stock trading firmly entrenched on the Berlag Exchange, and the building itself was demolished.
- In 1914, this place was already towering. one of the largest department stores of the time, De Bijenkorf.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, an area of \u200b\u200babout 11500 square meters. m. becomes not only the center of the city, but actually turns into the heart of the Netherlands, where the most significant events and events are held - fairs, festivals, ceremonies, as well as demonstrations and protests.
sights
Dam Square is a tourist mecca. Anyone who has visited the capital of the Netherlands at least once will definitely bring some wonderful photos, capturing themselves and their friends against the backdrop of attractions.
The modern Dam Square is:
- Royal Palace, towering in the western part of the square. The building is the personification of neoclassicism, from the 17th to the beginning of the 19th centuries the city hall was located there, then it became the residence of the ruling dynasty. Today, the palace is ruled by King Willem - Alexander. In 2009, the building was reconstructed, and today, when members of the royal family are absent, then anyone can see most of the apartments.
- New church, built in the 15th century, in exchange for the Old, which by this time did not accommodate all parishioners. The building was built in the Gothic style and is one of the oldest architectural monuments. Since 1979, it has lost its basic theological function. It hosts traveling exhibitions of artists and plays the organ. If you want to visit one of the organ concerts so beloved by the Dutch, then tickets should be taken care of in advance.
- , one of the brightest and most famous museums in the world. The building itself organically fits into the architectural ensemble of the square and is its decoration.
- National MonumentLocated in the center of the square, it was erected in 1956 in honor of the Dutch soldiers of World War II. The author of the project is the architect Jacobus Oud. Every spring on Memorial Day, members of the royal family and leaders of the state, as well as guests and residents of the country, lay flowers and wreaths on it. The square itself is a symbol of cruelty: on May 8, 1945, on the day of the overthrow of the fascist regime, a jubilant crowd filled the square. But the fun was interrupted by a machine gun burst. The Nazis put a machine gun on the roof of one of the houses and opened fire on residents celebrating the victory. Sources claim that 22 people died that night and 120 were seriously injured.
- Attractions also working at night: Ferris wheel, shooting gallery for children, carousel.
Webcam
A webcam is installed on Dam Square, which broadcasts online 24 hours a day.
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The heart of Amsterdam is Dam Square. You probably already imagined the ladies walking slowly through the cobblestones? It’s not worth it, they have nothing to do with it - the name of the square appeared due to the dam on which it is located. The dam was built on the Amstel River in the XIII century, it connected its banks and was an important social and economic object of the Netherlands.
The square is adjoined by the busiest and largest streets of the city - Demrak, Rokin, Nyivendijk, Damstreet and others, and the main transport hub of the capital is only 700 meters from here. The square itself is a rectangle of 20,000 m², and this space, of course, is not empty - annually there are exhibitions, fairs, festivals and various performances. Centuries ago fishing boats were unloaded here, and one of the largest seafood markets in Europe was located, however, Napoleon did not like the specific local spirit, and he ordered the liquidation of all shopping arcades, the river mouth was filled up, so the area became a separate place cut off from the waters Amstel. Since the beginning of the XIX century, the stock exchange functioned here, which existed here for exactly one hundred years. Later, in its place, the fashionable Bencorf store opened, offering affluent customers expensive outfits, gourmet food and luxury furniture. But in the last century, Dam Square began to hold rallies, processions, parades and other events that have a national status.
So, what is located on Dam Square from the sights? First of all, attention should be paid to the neoclassical building of the Royal Palace, which inspires respect and admiration - gray walls, mottled with lace bas-reliefs, long windows, a characteristic dome in the center - who, no matter how royal couple live here? Despite all this luxury, once the city hall was located in this house, but in the XIX century it was decided to give the building to the king. Now, every curious tourist can visit the palace on one condition - the royal family should be away at this time.
Next to neoclassicism is adjacent Gothic - New Church. It is new not because it was built recently, but because in the Middle Ages there was an Old Church in Amsterdam, but the number of parishioners grew and for all those eager for faith they built a new building. Now services are not held here, and the construction is purely cultural in nature - organ concerts and exhibitions are organized here.
Not a single square is complete without monuments, and Dam is a National Monument, created by Jacobus Oud in 1956 in memory of the fallen in World War II. It is a snow-white column, on one side surrounded by a wall, in which sculptures of martyrs are mounted.
In addition to these epic buildings and structures on Dam Square, there is Madame Tussauds wax museum with “heroes of our time”: artists, politicians, movie stars - all of them are collected under one roof. Every avid tourist will certainly come here to replenish his collection of photographs with celebrities. Well, after a walk it’s nice to sit in a restaurant or cafe, which is abundant here, drink wine and watch the perfect European life outside the windows.
Dam Square is the rectangular heart of Amsterdam, 200 meters from east to west and a hundred meters to the south. This place is famous for events that went down in history; the most famous buildings in the capital are located on the square.
Dam Square is 750 meters south of the central station. If you cross the square and go southeast, you find yourself in the red light district, on the street de Wallen. If you go west, you will find yourself in the Royal Palace, there is immediately the Gothic New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), built in the 15th century and the famous Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
Stella to the heroes on the opposite side of the square, it was installed in 1956. This is a national monument designed to perpetuate the memory of fallen heroes in World War II. Here is the most famous city hotel in Amsterdam, Krasnopolsky Hotel and Benkorf Department Store. In addition, Dam Square is reminiscent of St. Mark's Square in Venice - its permanent inhabitants are handmade pigeons. Here you can find birds of various breeds.
The history of the square is the history of the dam. In the 13th century, a dam was built on the Amstel River so that there was a connection between the settlements on different banks. Gradually, it was strengthened, expanded, and the dam turned into a city square, and the city began to develop around it. The two Platse and Middeldam squares merged together.
Life in this place was in full swing. A large fish market turned around, ships began to moor for loading and unloading on the dam. The government chose Dam Square as the center of political life and the place where the town hall was built. The market square itself and the houses that are sheltered on it can be seen in many old paintings.
The market ceased to exist at the beginning of the XIX century by order of Bonaparte. Then in the XIX century, the former mouth of Amstel was covered with earth, and Dam Square was cut off from the water. A new place, which was conquered from the water element, was built up.
In 1837, the stock exchange appeared, which at the beginning of the last century was demolished and in 1914 the world-famous Benkorf department store grew on the square. For a long time it was the center of the tram movement in Amsterdam, here you could see horse trams.
Dam Square went down in history as a place of great tragedy. Newsreels left a sad day in their memory. This happened on May 7, 1945, two days passed after the surrender of Germany. Jubilant Amsterdamians gathered in the city center, who were preparing to meet the liberators.
The square was full, people danced, sang and congratulated each other. Joy was interrupted by machine gun bursts. The Germans installed a machine gun on the balcony of one of the buildings and began to shoot joyful civilians. On the brink of peace, 120 people were seriously injured and 22 were killed.
Mass events, demonstrations, including National Memorial Day, are constantly held on the square. Several times a year, large fairs are held in the central square of Amsterdam, especially colorful and large-scale ones on Christmas Eve. In addition, it is a favorite meeting place for residents of the city. To the question “Where will we meet?” - The most common answer is “Dam Square”.
Dam Square, located in the very center of the city, got its name from the well-known dam. This dam in the XIII century served as the basis for the construction of Amsterdam. With each decade, it grew and became stronger, eventually becoming the largest and most crowded area of \u200b\u200bthe Dutch capital. At the very beginning there were two small platforms, which eventually merged into one. Today it is almost the main tourist and political center of the city.
What is Dam Square
The area has impressive dimensions - 200 meters in length, 100 in width. Two main streets are located here, located along the river bank - Rokin and Damrak. And from here begins the world famous Red Light District. The main square before and now is considered the main venue for various celebrations and concerts. But on ordinary days there are full of tourists from all over the world. No wonder - there is something to look at here.
In the western part you can see the magnificent Royal Palace, owned by the current queen of the state. Initially, this building was the city hall, but then passed to the family of monarchs. Access to the palace is open for guests, anyone can see the real royal chambers. Not far from the palace stands the New Church, which, despite the name, was built in the 15th century. It was erected due to the fact that the previous church could no longer accommodate all the parishioners. Today, the New Church is not functioning, because there is no finance to put it in order. But it sometimes hosts art exhibitions and music concerts.
Attractions Dam Square
The world-famous wax museum, founded by Madame Tussauds, is also located here. This is not the main museum, but its branch, but the very first of all existing. Here you can admire the figures of famous scientists, politicians, athletes, singers. The museum is very popular among tourists. You can not only look at the figures, but also take pictures with them.
In the middle of the square stands the majestic National Monument, rightly considered the most important monument in the Netherlands. It was erected in memory of those killed in World War II. Every year, in the beginning of May, Memorial Day is held here with a touching ceremony.
On Dam Square, there is the legendary 5-star Dutch hotel, world famous - Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. Its rich history dates back to 1866. The hotel has almost five hundred prestigious rooms for elite or just wealthy guests, and there is also plenty of entertainment.
How to get there
We must try hard not to find Dam Square, because, as already mentioned, the main city roads lead to it. From the central station, you just need to walk along Damrak Boulevard, full of souvenir shops and other small shops, and now you are already on the famous square. Most travelers get there this way.
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Dam Square is one of the most important and famous places in Amsterdam, where numerous cultural events are held. It has a fuzzy rectangular shape with a length of about 100 meters from north to south and about 200 meters from west to east. The square connects Rokin and Damrak streets, which run along the Amstel river bed - from the railway station to Monet Square. Northeast of Dam Square is the Red Light District. In its western part is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which from 1655 to 1808 acted as the city hall building, and after that it was transformed into a royal residence.
One of the main attractions of the square is the National Monument - a memorial in memory of people who died during the Second World War. Every year on May 4, a national commemoration ceremony for victims of conflicts is held at this monument. The author of this unique monument is Jacobus Oud, a great Dutch architect. The central element of the structure is a conical concrete column with a height of 22 meters. On its front side is a bas-relief of De Vrede, consisting of four chained male figures that symbolize the suffering of prisoners of war.
Coordinates: 52.37300900,4.89299200
Spey Square
Spey is a square in the center of Amsterdam.
Initially, it was the name of the river that washed Amsterdam from the south and formed the southern border of the city until 1425.
In 1882, Spey fell asleep and turned into the square that we now know. The area underwent reconstruction in 1996 and is now practically free of vehicles.
Spey is a true paradise for book lovers, there is a book market weekly here on Fridays, there are also a lot of bookstores, among them the academic Atheneum Bookstore, a children's bookstore and two English-language literature stores.
An art market is organized here every Sunday.
There is a statue of Liverier on Spey.
Coordinates: 52.36878700,4.89010600
Museum Square
Museum Square is one of the largest and most famous squares in Amsterdam, which got its name due to the fact that four famous museums are located here: Rijksmusem (State Art Museum of the Netherlands), Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam City Museum) and Diamond Museum.
Museum Square was founded at the end of the 19th century on the site of the first International Colonial Exhibition in 1883. Those who like to walk among museum exhibits, listen to fascinating stories of guides, immerse themselves in the history of the city, its life and culture, feel great here. Various mass events are also held on the square: festivals, holidays, demonstrations, etc.
In 1999, a large-scale reconstruction of the area was carried out. The author of the new project was the Swedish landscape architect Sven-Ingvar Anderson. As a result of transformations, an underground parking and a supermarket appeared on the square, and the reservoir located here turns into an artificial ice rink in winter.
Coordinates: 52.35795700,4.88237600
Rembrandt Square
One of the central squares of Amsterdam is called Rembrandtplein and is dedicated to the work and Rembrandt van Rijn himself. In the center of the square, on a large lawn, there is a monument to the artist, and at its feet, on fine days, local residents and visitors arrange whole picnics and take sunbaths.
Rembrandt Square became famous as one of the sights when, in 2008, by the 400th anniversary of the artist, a sculptural composition of 22 bronze figures depicting the characters of the painting “Night Watch” was installed. Such a gift was made to the city by two Russian sculptures and artists Mikhail Dronov and Alexander Taratynov. A year later, the composition was sent to New York, and a year later it was already in the courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin will continue to exhibit in several other cities of the world.
Rembrandtplein is located in the liveliest part of Amsterdam, where there are many cozy cafes and shops in the neighborhood. At night, there are many clubs, discos and bars open, so that life does not subside until the morning.
Coordinates: 52.36611100,4.89666700
Leidseplein Square
Leidseplein Square, located on the southern border of the Grand Canals, is the center of the touristic zolotoy district, where visitors roam in crowds and nightlife boils. In the afternoon, Leidseplein is also quite lively: street artists and musicians organize performances here. There are many bars, restaurants, street cafes, theaters, dance clubs on the square itself and the streets adjacent to it.
In general, Leidseplein is a noisy and dusty place, although it is called the most picturesque square of the city. Amsterdamians themselves try to avoid him. Therefore, the number of tourists here always exceeds the number of local residents. And most of the signs and signs here are made in English - so that it is easier for foreigners to navigate in a variety of bars and restaurants.
Coordinates: 52.36441700,4.88274100
Dam Square
Amsterdam's central square, which houses famous buildings and hosts numerous events. One of the most famous and important places in the city.
The square has the shape of a rectangle extending approximately 200 meters from west to east and 100 meters from north to south. It connects Damrak and Rokin Streets, running along the direction of the Amstel River from Central Station to Muntplein Square and Munttoren Tower.
Here are such well-known city sights as the Royal Palace, the Nivier Kerk church, Madame Tussauds, the national monument (white stone pillar), erected in 1956 in memory of the victims of World War II. Also located on the square are the Grand Hotel Krasnapolski and the prestigious De Beyenkorf department store.
Dam Square has several stops of tram lines passing through it. At the end of the 19th century (when the ridge still existed) Dam Square was the main center of tram services in Amsterdam. After 1900, this function was transferred to Statsplein.
In the XIX and XX centuries, the main square of Amsterdam became a "national" square, known to almost all residents of the Netherlands. Demonstrations and various public events were often held here, including many rallies.
Coordinates: 52.37275300,4.89230600
Sing Square
Spey Square is one of the central squares of the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Its shape is rather asymmetric, since, until the end of the 19th century, there was a pond that borders the city in the south.
Spey Square was established in 1882. With the construction of a new canal, now located in the outer moat around Amsterdam, the need for a spillway in the south of the city disappeared, and the reservoir was filled up, forming an area in its place. In 1996, the Spey Square was made a pedestrian zone, and since then every Friday a book fair and a meeting of book lovers from all over Amsterdam have been organized here. At this fair you can often find antique dealers. And on Sundays, urban artists put up their paintings here for sale.
On the square there are many monuments of architecture of the city. It is worth noting the ancient Lutheran church of the XVII century, the House of Maidens is a former shelter for girls, and now the University of Amsterdam was built in 1780, the Helios house in the art nouveau style of the late XIX century. In the center of the square there is a statue of a teenage boy nicknamed "Cutie" - this is the spirit of the square, symbolizing the cheerful Cheers of Amsterdam. A beer restaurant is located on the square where you can taste delicious local beer, as well as imported varieties from other countries.
Coordinates: 52.36861100,4.88944400
Amsterdam landmarks
