Famous French lady located in New Amsterdam. Ladies Square and the Royal Palace. What is Dam Square?
Beautiful name square is associated with the fair sex, but this is not an entirely correct assumption. The word "Dam" means "dam" in Dutch. This name was chosen for a reason: eight centuries ago, a dam was erected on the Amstel River, which served as a connection between the settlements formed along the banks of the river, and over time it began to fulfill a different role - the central city square, where you could get a lot of entertainment.
David Saddler
Dam Square and Heineken Beer Cart
Dam Square is the main venue for cultural events in the city. Demonstrations and colorful fairs are held here, especially in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.
It is located on the Amstel River dam, which was built in the 13th century. The proximity to the river and merchant ships turned the square into a place of trade. At first, a large fish market was located here, then, after filling up the mouth of the Amstel River, a stock exchange was opened on the square, and after its closure, the Benkorf department store was opened. In the 20th century, the square became a place for various meetings, including those of national importance.
Dam Square is a rectangle of 20 thousand m2. It can be reached on foot from the central railway station and in 10 minutes. There are many attractions here that attract tourists from all over the world. These include the Royal Palace, located in the western part of the square. This building housed the city hall for two centuries, and later, in 1808, it became the residence of the ruling dynasty and remains so to this day. It was opened for tourists only in the 21st century; the royal family does not officially use it, but from time to time official receptions are organized here, and even weddings of members of the royal family are held.
There is a building not far from the palace New Church. Built in the 15th century, it ceased operation in 1979 and now hosts art exhibitions and organ music concerts. In the immediate vicinity of the church there is a famous Museum wax figures M. Tussauds. A National Monument was erected nearby. The stone stella was erected in 1956 in memory of the victims of World War II. Every year, ceremonies are held here - Days of Remembrance of the Dead.
On the square there is one of the most famous hotels in the city - Krasnopolsky, on its territory there is winter Garden and a miniature distillery. There you can sample local drinks and relax in the garden. Near the hotel there is a department store called De Bijenkorf, prestigious and expensive.
The decision to settle in this place will be an excellent choice for people who love noisy pastimes and are not strapped for cash.
Dam Square is one of the most important and famous places Amsterdam, which hosts numerous cultural events. It has a vague rectangular shape, extending 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 Monetnaya Square. Northeast of Dam Square is the Red Light District. In its western part is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 to 1808, and then was converted into a royal residence.
One of the main attractions of the square is the National Monument - a memorial in memory of the people who died during the Second World War. Every year on May 4, a national ceremony is held at this monument to commemorate the victims of conflicts. 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 there 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
The Spey is a square in the center of Amsterdam.
Initially, this was the name of the river that washed Amsterdam from the south and formed the southern border of the city until 1425.
In 1882 the Spey was filled in and turned into the square we now know. The square underwent reconstruction in 1996 and is now practically free of vehicles.
Spey – real paradise for book lovers, there is a weekly book market here on Fridays, there are also many bookstores, including the academic Athenaeum Bookstore, a children's book store and two English-language literature stores.
Every Sunday an art market is organized here.
There is a statue of Liverdier on the Spey.
Coordinates: 52.36878700,4.89010600
Museum Square
Museum Square is one of the largest and most famous squares in Amsterdam, getting its name due to the fact that it is here that four famous museums are located: Rijksmusem (Netherlands State Art Museum), Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam City Museum) and the Diamond Museum.
Museum Square was founded at the end of the 19th century on the site where the first International Colonial Exhibition took place in 1883. Those who like to walk among museum exhibits, listen to the fascinating stories of the guides, immerse yourself in the history of the development of the city, its life and culture, you feel great here. The square also hosts various public events: festivals, holidays, demonstrations, etc.
In 1999, a large-scale reconstruction of the square was carried out. The author of the new project is Swedish landscape architect Sven-Ingvar Anderson. As a result of the transformations, underground parking and a supermarket appeared on the square, and the pond located here turns into an artificial skating 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 of Rembrandt van Rijn himself. In the center of the square, on a large lawn, there is a monument to the artist, and at its foot, on fine days, local residents and guests of the city arrange entire picnics and sunbathe.
Rembrandt Square became famous as one of the attractions when, in 2008, for the 400th anniversary of the artist, a sculptural composition of 22 bronze figures depicting characters from the painting “Night Watch” was installed. This gift was given 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 fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin will continue to be exhibited in several more cities around the world.
Rembrandtplein is located in the liveliest part of Amsterdam, with many cozy cafes and shops nearby. At night, many clubs, discos and bars are open here, so life does not subside until the morning.
Coordinates: 52.36611100,4.89666700
Leidseplein area
Leidseplein, located at southern border The Grand Canals is the center of the tourist hotspot, where tourists roam in crowds and the night life. Leidseplein is also quite lively during the day, with street performers and musicians performing there. On the square itself and the streets adjacent to it there are many bars, restaurants, street cafes, theaters, and dance clubs.
In general, Leidseplein is a noisy and dusty place, although it is called the most picturesque square cities. Amsterdam residents themselves try to avoid it. Therefore, the number of tourists here always exceeds the number local residents. And most of the signs and signs here are made in English language- to make it easier for foreigners to navigate the variety of bars and restaurants.
Coordinates: 52.36441700,4.88274100
Dam Square
The central square of Amsterdam, where famous buildings are located and numerous events are held. One of the most famous and important places in the city.
The area has the shape of a rectangle, extending approximately 200 meters from west to east and 100 meters from north to south. It connects the Damrak and Rokin streets, running along the direction of the Amstel River from the Central station to the Müntplein square and the Münttoren tower.
Here are such famous city attractions as the Royal Palace, the Nivier Kirk, 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 department store De Bijenkorf.
Dam Square has several stops for the tram lines that pass through it. At the end of the 19th century (when the horse tram still existed), Dam Square was the main center of Amsterdam's tram service. After 1900 this function was taken over by Stationsplein.
In the 19th and 20th centuries main square Amsterdam has become a “national” square, known to almost all residents of the Netherlands. Demonstrations and various public events, including many rallies, were often held here.
Coordinates: 52.37275300,4.89230600
Spey Square
Spey Square is one of the central squares of the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Its shape is quite asymmetrical, since, up to late XIX century there was a reservoir here, bordering the city in the south.
Spey Square was formed in 1882. With the construction of the new canal, now located in the outer ditch around Amsterdam, the need for a spillway in the south of the city disappeared, and the reservoir was filled in, forming a square in its place. In 1996, Speuy Square was turned into a pedestrian area, and since then, every Friday a book fair and meeting of book lovers from all over Amsterdam have been organized here. At this fair you can often meet antiques dealers. And on Sundays, city artists put up their paintings for sale here.
The square contains many architectural monuments of the city. It is worth noting the ancient Lutheran Church of the 17th century, the House of the Maidens - a former orphanage for girls, and now the University of Amsterdam built in 1780, the Helios house in the art nouveau style of the late 19th 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 resilient people of Amsterdam. There is a beer restaurant on the square where you can taste delicious local beer, as well as imported varieties from other countries.
Coordinates: 52.36861100,4.88944400
Sights of Amsterdam
If you follow the crowd of people who don't speak Dutch, you'll end up on Damrak, a wide boulevard lined with souvenir shops, at the end of which is central square Dam (“Dam”). This route can be called traditional for the many tourists who come to the city and is an ideal introductory walk to the sights of the city.
By the way, Dam Square is not named after lovely women, everything is much more prosaic... “dam”, translated from Dutch, means “dam”. So, what is remarkable about this place? In addition to the fact that the square is the heart of the Dutch capital, it houses five attractions of the Dutch capital.
The obelisk, rising on the eastern half of Dam Square, is the main monument built as a tribute to the victims of the Second World War. The monumental sculptures and bas-reliefs on the obelisk symbolically depict the suffering and pain of wartime. The national monument serves as the site of an annual ceremony dedicated to the people who died as victims of the war, which takes place on May 4th.
Royal Palace.
One of the three palaces in, at the disposal of the ruling. The building, built in the 17th century, served as the city hall, and in 1813 it became the property of the King of the Netherlands. The palace is located on the western side of Dam Square and is currently used both for state visits and official receptions, as well as for royal weddings and the transfer of the throne. In June 2009, after significant reconstruction, the palace opened its doors to the general public and anyone can view it if given time the palace is not used by the royal family.
New church.
Near, located beautiful church XV century, made in Gothic style. A new church (Nieuwe Kerk) was built as an alternative to the overcrowded old church(Oude Kerk), which could no longer accommodate everyone. Since 1979, the church has not been used for services, since the next reconstruction was beyond the means of the Dutch Reformed Church. Today, the New Church is popular place for art exhibitions and organ concerts.
Madame Tussauds museum".
They have their own, which is located opposite, and from the windows of the top floor of the museum there is a magnificent view of Amsterdam Square. Museum visitors have an incredibly easy and fun way to experience Dutch culture: the museum displays figures famous people countries such as Prime Minister Jan Balkenende, and, of course, world celebrities.
Madame Tussauds museum" Store “De Bijenkorf”
“De Bijenkorf”, translated from Dutch as “the beehive”, is a luxury store in . Founded in 1870, it has grown from a modest shop on a narrow street to its current monumental home at the intersection of Damrak Street and Dam Square, as well as a dozen stores throughout the country. “De Bijenkorf” - perfect place for avid shopaholics.
Store "De Bijenkorf" Here it is, Dam Square - the very heart of Amsterdam
Actually, Dam Square can be considered the main historical attraction of the city - after all, it became the center around which the capital of Holland was formed as administrative unit. Even the name of the city consists of two words: “Amstel” - the name of the river on which there were fishing settlements, and “dam” - a dam. It is on it, powerfully fortified and protecting Amsterdam from flooding, that Dam is located.
From the 13th century in this small area - only 100 by 200 m - holidays were organized, the most important issues were resolved, trade and political discussions were conducted, representatives to parliament from the parties and movements of the city were elected.
For a significant part of its history, the Dam was a place of lively trade and a financial center, in which the fish market played a significant role: the location of the dam was very convenient for mooring and unloading boats from all over the region. The city's Chamber of Weights (supervisory body) and the stock exchange, in the building of which there is a store today, were also located.
The Dam has become more than an iconic landmark: it is the real heart of Amsterdam, whose authorities carefully preserve its rich historical and social heritage.
Of course, we didn’t forget about tourists. The square has become a well-organized cultural area where you can get acquainted with its main attractions - the Royal Palace, the New Church and the National Monument to the Victims of the Second World War.
Architectural features
Dam Square is an almost classic rectangle of 100 by 200 m adjacent to the Coin Tower, bringing together the central streets of the city Damrak and Rokin. Despite its very modest size (the Netherlands is generally a small country), there are several interesting attractions located here.
The ensemble of the square combines both classical Gothic (the building of the old stock exchange, now a store) and the neoclassical style, to which it belongs Royal Palace.
But, of course, the main feature of the square is the fact that it is located directly on the dam. However, you won’t notice this - the fact is that back in the 19th century. The water-filled lagoons were finally covered with soil.
Must see
It fell to us to preserve the history of Amsterdam from the very days of its foundation architectural ensemble located along the perimeter of the square. There are many attractions here, each of which is worth spending at least a little time on.
Koninklijk Paleis, as the Amsterdammers themselves call it, is a typical example of Roman classicism: majestic and beautiful, it was built from the 17th to the 19th centuries. was the place of work of the city mayor's office. Today it is one of the three residences of the Dutch monarch owned by him.
The specifics of building construction in Amsterdam are similar to those in Venice: they are placed on piles driven into the bottom. More than 13 thousand were needed for the royal palace.
The standard of the new Gothic with its spiers soaring up is also located here. This is the New Church (or Nieuwekerk): built in the 15th century, it was repeatedly rebuilt and reconstructed after fires. The last renovation took place in the 80s of the last century - especially for the coronation ceremony of Queen Beatrix.
Today the church is open to everyone: exhibitions and organ music concerts are regularly held here.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
The main museum is located in London, and its branch is located on Dam Square. However, this did not affect the content of the exhibitions. Of course, all exhibits accurately recreate celebrities, and visitors not only have the opportunity to take pictures with stars and world politicians, but also make a cast of their own hand.
National Monument to the Fallen of World War II
A huge white stele with a fragment of the wall in the background of the monument (Nationaal Monument op de Dam) is located under open air, directly on the square itself. Here, every year, tribute is paid to all the Dutch who died during the greatest war in human history.
The majestic obelisk made of white travertine is complemented by bas-reliefs and a sculptural group: flying doves symbolize liberation and the beginning of a new life.
The “heart” of the capital of the Netherlands, the main square of the city is Dam. It was Dam Square that essentially laid the foundation centuries-old history Amsterdam.
A little history
This story is quite interesting and far from the most banal. Dam Square is a dam on the Amstel River. By the way, the name “Amsterdam” comes from just these two derivatives: “Dam” and “Amstel”. Until the 13th century, several fishing villages were located on the territory of the city. This place was located in a lowland, in a swamp, and was constantly subject to floods. In this regard, a decision was made to build a protective dam. This happened around 1270-1275. Subsequently, the dam was constantly strengthened and expanded. So gradually a square was formed in its place, which united all the nearby settlements and marked the beginning of the development of the city.
Today, Dam Square is the center of political, commercial and cultural life not only Amsterdam, but the Netherlands as a whole.
The square stretches approximately 200 meters in length and has an almost rectangular shape. Such scope and space is very atypical for Amsterdam. When you get to the square after narrow canals and cramped sidewalks, houses matching each other, your eyes immediately start to run wild. But soon your attention will definitely focus on the majestic Royal Palace - the main architectural dominant of Dam Square.
A huge palace rises right in the center of the square. Its height is 90 meters. The Royal Palace was built in 1648, during the so-called “Golden Age” of Holland - the economic prosperity of the state.
All buildings in historical center Amsterdam stands on powerful multi-meter piles, buried in swampy soil. The Royal Palace is no exception; its foundation required a record 13,659 piles 12 meters long! The architecture of the palace belongs to the style of Dutch classicism.
The name of this attraction fully justifies itself - the palace is at the disposal of the Dutch monarch. But not for permanent residence. Various special events take place here: the reception of foreign guests, the ceremony of transferring the throne, weddings of the family of monarchs, etc. This does not happen very often, of course. Therefore, it was decided to make the Royal Palace accessible to tourists.
Inside you will find a huge hall measuring 36 by 18 meters and a height of 27 m, as well as several smaller rooms decorated with paintings by the famous Rembrandt, Bohl and other outstanding Dutch artists.
You can visit the Royal Palace every day from 10 am to 5 pm.
Entrance fee is 10 euros.
As mentioned above, sometimes royal ceremonies are held in the palace and on these days it is closed. Information about the work of the palace can be obtained on the official website, where you can also purchase tickets online.
Other attractions of Dam Square
The Royal Palace is far from the only attraction of Dam Square.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
On the left side (if you stand in the square facing the Royal Palace) is the building of a branch of the famous London Wax Museum Madame Tussauds. There are about 20 such branches around the world, the Amsterdam one is one of the most famous. There are about 50 figures in the museum. Here you can take a photo with Lenin, Einstein, Barack Obama.
A unique opportunity: to look under the skirt of Marilyn Monroe:) The famous Dutch artist Van Gogh is also here, and many, many others.
Purchasing a ticket at the door will cost 23.5 euros, and on the website 19.5 euros- good savings.
New Church (Nieuwe Kerk)
On the right side is the New Church. It is noteworthy that it is quite difficult to call it “new”, because it was built in the 15th century - only a few decades later than the Old Church :) Since then, the Nieuwe Kerk has been repeatedly destroyed, rebuilt and reconstructed, and only in the 17th century it acquired its Gothic appearance , and at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century it was supplemented with neo-Gothic elements.
In fact, the building of this church is incredibly unique, since even after severe fires and destruction there was some surviving part of it that has survived to this day. The modern appearance of the church contains a small piece of each era - a real find for architecture lovers.
At the moment, the church does not fulfill its original functions, but is used as an exhibition hall. The cost of visiting depends on the exhibition, on average 8-10 euros. You can find out the theme of the exhibition and the ticket price for it on the official website of the New Church.
National Monument
On Dam Square there was also a place for a memorial in memory of the victims of the Second World War. It is located immediately at the entrance to the square, on the opposite side from the Royal Palace. The Netherlands, like most European countries, did not resist Hitler for long - only 5 days, after which a pro-German government was installed here with all the ensuing consequences. The 22-meter column was installed in 1956. Every year on May 4, Remembrance Day, a ceremony is held here in memory of those killed in this terrible war.
