Amsterdam/Binnenstad

The Binnenstad is the medieval heart of Amsterdam. It is where most foreign visitors arrive and leave, and has a lot of the city's prime attractions.

Understand
Most visitors arrive in Amsterdam at the Centraal Station, and then walk south over the Damrak and Rokin. In medieval times, both roads actually were the final stretch of the Amstel River that used to cut Amsterdam in half. East of the Damrak-Rokin-axis was the Oudezijde ("Old Side") of Amsterdam, the oldest part of the city dating from the 13th century. West of the Damrak-Rokin-axis was the Nieuwezijde ("New Side"), which was constructed later, but still dates from the late Middle Ages. Damrak used to be a busy harbour where loads of ships docked, bringing valuable spices with them from the Dutch East Indies. Nowadays, together with Rokin, it's the glue that holds both sides of the city together, and the endless line of tacky souvenir shops won't give a hint about the street's history as a trading quarter.

The division between the Oudezijde and the Nieuwezijde never completely faded, and both have a lot to offer for visitors. The Oudezijde is led by the Warmoesstraat, the oldest street of Amsterdam. It started out as a residential street for the wealthy, but they moved to the Canal District in the 17th century and commerce has been its driving force since. The Red Light District is in the same area, at the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, and dates back to the 14th century. Lustful sailors have been replaced by hordes of curious tourists. The city authorities are not pleased with this and proposed new bye-laws are intended to encourage visitors to take a more cultured interest in the area’s other attractions.

Adjacent to it is the Nieuwmarkt, a large square with plenty of cafes which is also the hub of a Chinese neighborhood (though it's smaller than Chinatowns in other cities). The Zeedijk particularly offers some great Asian restaurants and snack joints. The Nieuwezijde is known for Dam Square, with the Nieuwe Kerk ("New Church") and the pompous Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis), that was once the city hall but turned into a palace by Napoleon's brother (and still a touchy subject among the city's residents). Around it are the city's prime shopping areas with the Kalverstraat, Nieuwendijk and the bars at the Spui.

The area east of the Nieuwmarkt, now known as the Nieuwmarktbuurt, was built outside of the city's medieval walls. Part of it is known as the Jodenbuurt ("Jewish neighborhood"). As the Netherlands had a relatively high level of religious freedom from the 16th century onwards, many Jewish communities had migrated to this area. In the 1920s this was one of the busiest areas of town with large open-air markets and smoky factories. This changed in World War II, when Nazi Germany occupied the Netherlands and those of Jewish heritage were deported to concentration camps. The area went into decay and even today isn't quite as interesting as one might hope. It turned into a big traffic junction, but the Jewish Historical Museum (Joods Historisch Museum) keeps the history of the neighborhood alive.

Next to the more official cultural venues, the Binnenstad offers a lot of forgettable (and overpriced) tourist traps. Damrak has the Sex Museum and one of two torture museums, and in the Red Light District you can find the Hash, Marihuana and Hemp Museum.

By tram
The tram is the best way to get around the area. Amsterdam Centraal railway station at the north of the Binnenstad is the centre of Amsterdam's public transport network and most tram lines start, finish or pass through it. These are the tram lines serving the Binnenstad district as of January 2020:
 * Tram line runs from Nieuw Sloten in West district via Leidseplein and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from Station RAI in Zuid district via Rembrandtplein and Dam Square (Nieuwezijde) to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from Amstelstation in Oost district via Museum Quarter (Museumplein), Leidseplein and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from Geuzenveld in the West district via Westermarkt and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from Flevopark in Oost district via Rembrandtplein, Waterlooplein (Jodenbuurt), and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal. Get out at the stop Waterlooplein for the flea market or at Mr Visserplein for the Jodenbuurt, the Esnoga and the Rembrandt House.
 * Tram line runs from Osdorp Dijkgraafplein in the West district via Westermarkt and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from VUMC in the Zuid district passing the Olympic Stadium, De Pijp (Albert Cuyp Market, Marie Heinekenplein), the southern Canal District, Muntplein and Dam Square to Amsterdam Centraal.
 * Tram line runs from IJburg in the Eastern Docklands (Oostelijk Havengebied), Oost district via Rietlandpark to Amsterdam Centraal.

By metro
The metro serves the central axis and the eastern end of the Binnenstad and connect it with the outer boroughs of Amsterdam. The metro lines serve only few notable tourist attractions, but can be used as a fast way to get to or from the outer railway stations. All lines serve Amsterdam Centraal Station, three of them also stop at railway station Amsterdam Amstel. Lines M51 and M52 cover the Zuid district and stop at railway station Amsterdam Zuid, while line M54 covers Zuidoost and stops at railway station Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA.

Four metro stops are located in the district: Centraal Station, Nieuwmarkt, Waterlooplein and Rokin. If you don't feel like walking, you can get on any train from the lines M51, M53 or M54 at Centraal Station and get out at the first stop for the Nieuwmarkt and the Oudezijde, including Chinatown and the Red Light District. Line M52 connects Centraal Station and Rokin with the Canal District, De Pijp and the Zuidas.



See
Amsterdam is a living museum with an architectural landscape that has changed little since the 17th century. Many vistas in Rembrandt's paintings, such as at the Geldersekade, are still largely similar as of this day. As such, Amsterdam is best experienced by getting lost in the city's old tiny corridors. Those rushing through busy shopping streets like Damrak and Kalverstraat don't do the city justice and miss the city's historic air.



Landmarks




Churches and synagogues




Museums




Do


As most attractions are clearly aimed at tourists, one of the best things to do is to wander. Get lost in the little side-streets, have a chat with the locals and just appreciate the beautiful architecture all around you. The Oudezijde lends itself especially well for exploring on foot. Of course, you can also rent a bicycle and get around the Dutch way.

Many visitors take a canal tour through the city centre. On these tours, a narrator will overload you with fun-facts as you're cruising along the city's beautiful buildings. A canal cruise costs around €15 for one hour, and many operators can be found along Damrak. However, there's no reason to actually do this—walking is free, more fun and more authentic.



Eat
The Binnenstad has a wide variety of restaurants, most of them in the cheaper or mid-range category. Asian restaurants are congregated in the Zeedijk, where many cheaper-end Chinese, Indonesian and Thai restaurants line up. Middle Eastern fast-food can be found in the Damstraat, just like a plethora of Argentinian, Chinese and Italian joints. If you have a higher budget, or want quality, it's better to go next-door to the Canal District.



Ice cream and bakeries
In the Nieuwendijk you can find the best ice cream of Amsterdam, and a couple of bakeries.





Mid-range




Beer shops and tasting rooms
The Binnenstad has a lot of beer shops and tasting rooms, and even a brewery and a distillery.



Bars and pubs
Avoid all bars in and around the Dam Square area, they're among the most expensive in the country. A beer will easily set you back €5, and the atmosphere is usually not that good. Better pubbing areas are the Nieuwmarkt and the small streets (such as Handboogstraat) that border the Spui. Also, there are some excellent specialty bars and tasting rooms for beer fans out there.



Coffeeshops
The Binnenstad is the area with the highest concentration of, along with most other attractions in Amsterdam, marijuana coffeeshops.



Splurge




Go next
The Binnenstad has an awful lot of museums, but quite frankly, most of them are not that good. The Anne Frank House in the Canal District is interesting, as are the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum in Zuid. An excellent addition to Amsterdam's already rich museum landscape is the Hermitage in Plantage, an annex of the famous museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

You can also take the ferry over the IJ from Amsterdam Centraal to Buiksloterweg in Noord. These are free of charge and provide nice views of the harbour and skyline. Then make a short walk to the EYE Film Institute for its architecture and visit the free exhibition in the basement (or see a film).