GuideAmsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands7 min read
Walking Amsterdam's Canal Ring
Three canals, nine little streets and a view of seven bridges
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5.03 reviews
A half-day walk along the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, with the stops we always recommend.
A seventeenth-century plan you can still walk
Amsterdam's canal ring, the grachtengordel, was laid out in the seventeenth century as the city grew rich on trade. Three main canals, the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, curve in concentric arcs around the old centre, crossed by smaller radial canals and lined with merchants' houses. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2010, and it is still a lived-in neighbourhood rather than a museum.
The best way to see it is on foot, starting in the morning when the light comes low across the water. Look up as you walk: the gables tell you when a house was built and how rich its owner was, and the hooks under the eaves are still used to hoist furniture through the windows, because the stairs inside are far too steep.
Our route runs south from the Brouwersgracht to the Reguliersgracht, zigzagging between the three canals. It is about five and a half kilometres and takes a relaxed half-day with a stop for coffee and apple cake in the Nine Streets.
Along the canals
Stops on the way
- Brouwersgracht, the prettiest canal in the city for many locals
- The Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht (book weeks ahead)
- The Nine Streets for independent shops and cafés
- The Golden Bend of the Herengracht, where the grandest houses stand
- The corner of Reguliersgracht and Keizersgracht, where you can see seven bridges in a row
Watch the bike lanes
About this story
Emma EditorAuthor
Demo Travel AgencyPublisher
Reviews
Write a reviewAverage rating 5.0 out of 5
3 reviews- NWNoah Williams5 out of 5 stars21 Aug
Beautifully written and genuinely useful. The walking route between neighbourhoods worked perfectly with a pushchair, too.
- ICIsabela Costa5 out of 5 stars5 Jun
Read this on the train down and changed half our plans. The market stalls and the little wine bar you mention were the best meals of the trip.
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