Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Flower Market
The canalside
Bloemenmarkt
(Singel, btwn Muntplein & Koningsplein; admission free;
9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5.30pm Sun; 1/2/5 Koningsplein)
has been here since the 1860s,
when gardeners used to sail up the Amstel and sell from their boats. Exotic bulbs are
the main stock, though cut flowers brighten the stalls, too. Buy a bouquet: there's no
better way to feel like a local than walking around with flowers in the crook of your
arm.
Golden Bend Riches
During the Golden Age, the
Golden Bend
(Gouden Bocht; Herengracht, btwn Leidsestraat &
Vijzelstraat)
was the 'it' spot, where the wealthiest Amsterdammers lived, loved and
ruled their affairs. Look up at the mansions as you walk along the Herengracht. Many
date from the 1660s, and thanks to some lobbying at city hall, the gables here were
allowed to be twice as wide as the standard Amsterdam model.
Odd Art at the Kattenkabinet
The only Golden Bend abode that's open to the public is the
Katten- kabinet
(Cats
Cabinet; 626 53 78;
www.kattenkabinet.nl;
Herengracht 497; adult/child €6/3; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri,
noon-5pm Sat & Sun; 4/16/24/25 Keizersgracht)
, an offbeat museum devoted to cat-related
art. A Picasso drawing, kitschy kitty lithographs and odd pieces of ephemera like a
cat pinball machine cram the creaky old house. A few happy live felines lounge
around on the window seats.
Spiegel Quarter Antiques
When it's time to decorate that mansion, folks head to the long line of shops along
Nieuwe Spiegelstraat and Spiegelgracht, aka the
Spiegel Quarter
. The perfect Delft
vase or 16th-century wall map will most assuredly be hiding among the antique
stores, bric-a-brac shops and commercial art galleries.
