Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Noordermarkt
By the entrance to the
Noorderkerk
(see p42)
, a still-
flourishing Protestant church, a
sculpture commemorates the
Jordaanoproer
(Jordaan riot) of
1934, in which seven people died
during demonstrations against
cuts in unemployment benefits.
Today the tranquil surrounding
square, a market site since 1627,
comes to life during the Monday
flea market and the Saturday bird
market and
boerenmarkt
, selling
organic produce.
d
Map D2
•
Flea
market: 9am-1pm Mon
•
Boerenmarkt:
9am-4pm Sat
Hazenstraat, Jordaan
Jordaan
Quirky and characterful, with
an intimate, easy-going atmos-
phere all its own, the Jordaan is
a dense patch of small-scale
streets and canals peppered
with interesting shops and
galleries, charming
hofjes
and
inviting brown cafés. Bounded
by Prinsengracht and Lijnbaans-
gracht to east and west, and
Brouwersgracht and Looiers-
gracht to north and south, it was
built for workers at the same
time as the Grachtengordel
(see
p11)
.
d
Map K3
Brouwersgracht
If you stand at the breezy
junction of Brouwersgracht and
Prinsengracht you will get terrific
views in all directions, and a
sense of the sea not far away.
Today, Brouwersgracht, with its
pretty bridges and picturesque
houseboats, is a romantic
delight, but a 17th-century
brewery (
brouwer
) worker would
be astonished to find that the
spout-gabled warehouses of this
once reeking industrial canal had
now been converted into the
smartest of private housing -
particularly fine examples of
which you can see at Nos
188-194.
d
Map D1
Zon's and De Star Hofjes
These two delightful
hofjes
are close to one another on
Prinsengracht. At Zon's Hofje, a
stone plaque depicting Noah's
Ark is a clue that it was built on
the site of a clandestine church
known by that name. The De
Star - officially Van Brienen -
Hofje is named after a brewery
that stood on this site. Merchant
Jan Van Brienen is said to have
built it in gratitude for his release
from a vault in which he had
accidently been locked.
d
Zon's
Hofje: Prinsengracht 159-171. Map D2.
Open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri
•
De Star
Hofje: Prinsengracht 89-133. Open
6am-6pm Mon-Fri, 6am-2pm Sat
Hofjes
Secretive and intimate,
Amsterdam's
hofjes
-
almshouses for the needy built by
wealthy merchants in the 17th
and 18th centuries - are part of
the city's charm. Unobtrusive
street entrances lead to pretty
houses (sometimes still used for
their original purpose) around a
flower-filled garden or courtyard.
Visitors are usually admitted, but
they are asked to respect
residents' privacy.
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