Old centre route

This route takes in ten of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, from the oldest church and the oldest warehouse to the narrowest house in Europe.

Through the oldest part of the city

The area around the Wallen has a reputation that entirely overshadows its historical importance.

Where the city began: this is the medieval core of Amsterdam, laid out around the dam in the Amstel. The buildings here already looked old to the Golden Age.
What you see: winding cobbled alleys, overhanging gables, sixteenth-century wooden houses and the Gothic Oude Kerk of 1306, the oldest building in the city.
A different neighbourhood by day: without the red neon this is simply a handsome old quarter, with rows of trees along the canals, restored façades and a growing number of characterful shops.
Pausing along the way: the area is full of classic brown cafés and good restaurants, with the Nieuwmarkt the pleasantest place for a terrace halfway round.

The ten stops (1275 to 1600)

Every stop is a record or a first: the oldest, the widest or the narrowest in Amsterdam.

Oudezijds Kolk 11 (1617)
One of the oldest locks in the city, with one of the oldest warehouses beside it. This was once the link between the IJ and the city canals.
Zeedijk 1 (around 1550)
One of the last two original wooden houses in Amsterdam. After the city fires of the sixteenth century timber construction was banned, so almost none survive.
Oudekerksplein 23 (1306)
The Oude Kerk is the oldest building in Amsterdam and today doubles as a space for contemporary art.
Nieuwmarkt 4 (1488)
The Waag is the oldest non-religious building in the city, built as a gate in the walls. It has since served as a weigh house, guild hall, anatomical theatre and museum. Rembrandt painted his Anatomy Lesson here.
Krom Boomssloot 18-20 (1595)
Schottenburch is the oldest warehouse in Amsterdam. The gable stone reads 1636, but the building already appears on the city map of 1595.
Kloveniersburgwal 29 (1662)
The Trippenhuis is, at 22 metres, the widest private house in Amsterdam, built for the immensely wealthy Trip brothers, arms dealers. Its chimneys are shaped like cannon barrels.
Kloveniersburgwal 26
The Klein Trippenhuis is, at 2.4 metres, one of the narrowest houses in the city. Tradition has it that it was built for a Trip family coachman, who said he would be content with a house as wide as his masters' front door.
Oude Hoogstraat 22
With a façade 2.02 metres wide and six metres deep, this counts as the narrowest house in Europe.
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 249 (1610)
The Huis aan de Drie Grachten has three stepped gables, one facing each canal. It stands on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal of 1385, the oldest canal in the city.
Begijnhof 34 (around 1425)
The Houten Huys in the Begijnhof is the oldest house in Amsterdam. The courtyard is free to enter, but people live there, so keep quiet.

The route at a glance

A compact route you can comfortably cover in a morning or an afternoon.

Distance and duration: around three kilometres, walkable in two hours including stops. By bike it takes a little under an hour.
Start and finish: you begin at the Oudezijds Kolk, five minutes' walk from Amsterdam Central Station, and end at the Begijnhof near the Spui.
When to go: early in the morning it is quiet and the light falls beautifully on the water. In the evening the area is at its busiest.
What you need: sturdy shoes, as the cobbles are uneven. Otherwise the route is entirely flat and free.
Photography: in the Red Light District you may not photograph the sex workers behind the windows. The buildings themselves are of course fine.

Other routes

This route links up with the Western canal ring route and the Southern canal ring route. See also our pages on walking and cycling.