Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Singel
Often overlooked by tourists,
Singel is an excellent canal for a
stroll, measuring just over 1.6 km
(1 mile). Once a fortified moat, it
marks the boundary between the
densely packed medieval city
and its more spacious 17th-
century extension. Its central
section is graced by the elegant
Neo-Gothic Krijtberg church with
its ornate interior (see p43) . Take
a look, too, at Singel 288, with
gorgeous Rococo façade, and at
Torensluis, a bridge wide enough
for café tables and a domineer-
ing statue of the writer Multatuli
(see p47) . d Map N1
Model of Temple Mount, Jerusalem,
Bijbels Museum
Golden Bend
So named because of the
concentration of wealth amongst
its first residents, this stretch of
the Herengracht between
Vijzelstraat and Leidsestraat feels
grand but bland, unless you pick
out eye-catching details as you
stroll. Look out for Louis XIV-
style No. 475, said to be
Amsterdam's most beautiful
house; and No. 476, elegantly
restyled in the 1730s and topped
with an eagle. No. 497 is open to
the public, but you have to like
cats: it's the Kattenkabinet, a
unique museum devoted to cats
in art. Be careful not to trip over
one of the many feline attend-
ants. d Kattenkabinet: Herengracht
497 Map M6 020 626 5378
www.kattenkabinet nl Open
10am-2pm Mon-Fri, 1-5pm Sat & Sun
Admission charge
Metz & Co
The great attraction of this
ponderous late-19th-century
building (apart, of course, from
the five floors of luxury goods on
sale) is its sixth-floor cupola and
café, with superb views of the
canal ring below. Originally built
for an insurance company in
1891, it was taken over by Metz
& Co in 1908. Gerrit Rietveld
added his splendid glass cupola
in 1933. In 1973, Liberty of
London bought the business,
renovated the building and
commissioned Cees Dam to
design the sixth-floor café. d
Leidsestraat 34-36 Map L6 020 520
7020 Open 11am-6pm Mon,
9:30am-6pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun
Bijbels Museum
Far lovelier than the Golden
Bend is the stretch of Heren-
gracht between Huidenstraat and
Leidsestraat, particularly Nos
364-70, four houses built by
Philips Vingboons in 1662. Two of
them house the Bible Museum,
where apart from biblical arti-
facts you can admire the early-
18th-century interior. d Heren-
gracht 366-368 Map L5 020 624
2436 www.bijbelsmuseum.nl
Open 10am-5pm Mon-Sat,
11am-5pm Sun Admission charge
Torensluis bridge, Singel
99
 
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