One of the best activities of sightseeing in Amsterdam is to lace up those sneakers and indulge in one of the many walking tours offered around town.
A three-hour walking tour of the Jordaan district of Amsterdam is an excellent way to spend the afternoon discovering this old working class neighborhood. At €5 the Mee in Mokum Tours give a very personalized account of the history of Amsterdam on their sightseeing tours. The guides are usually retired locals with a passion for history and sharing their knowledge with tourists.
Jordaan History
The man-made canal system of Amsterdam is the result of careful city planning. Quickly becoming one of the largest port cities, a comprehensive plan was created based on a concentric half-circles of canals with four main canals forming the half circles: Singelgracht, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. These canals formed the residential district for the wealthy. The plots of land between these canals are rectangular in nature and have gardens in the middle. However, with the population increase in the 17th century, expansion of housing was necessary. Building out from the four main canals after the Prinsengracht Canal in diagonal directions was the Jordaan District. Known more as the workers district, the housing was much more concentrated and overcrowded. It was common for families and children to be stuffed into tiny rooms where there was no electricity or running water. It was an unpleasant and dirty place to live and became a ghetto.
Jordaan Courtyards
Because all the blocks were filled in with living space, huge gardens that were common in the Centrum didn’t exist in the Jordaan. However, many small inner courtyards (horjies) in the middle of the block existed and have since been restored. Some of the courtyards are open to the public but finding them can be tricky. The walking tour will reveal a few of these hidden courtyards where peace and solace reside along with luscious greenery. Other courtyards are private only belonging to the residents of the buildings but will sometimes open on special days known as “open monument days.”
Jordaan Architecture
Strolling down the quiet labyrinth cobblestone streets the architecture of many buildings still dates back to the 17th century. Some structures have been restored in the same manner to retain this special character. Look out for stone tablets - images carved in stone and hung above the entryway- that demonstrated what profession or family lived in the building before numbered addresses existed. A tablet might have thread and needle to represent a Tailor’s house, or a mound of sugar representing someone who worked at the sugar refinery. Looking up further at the front apex of the roof reveals different types of Dutch gables. Some look like steps of stairs and are known as step gables. Others are neck gables, which resembles the curvature of the human neck and are sometimes adorned with sculptures, or spout gables, which look like liquid could pour out of them if turned upside down.
Jordaan Today
With a successful revitalization of the area, sightseeing in Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without a wander throughout the Jordaan where eclectic shops, brown cafés and artist galleries line the quiet streets. Every Monday at the Noordermarkt vendors set up a flea market with vintage clothing and excellent fabrics and every Saturday is Amsterdam’s largest organic food market with produce from local farmers.
As 80,000 people lived in the Jordaan in the 17th century, the district now only has 20,000 inhabitants. The Jordaan is now a very desirable place to live and to visit filled with local art and culture.
Lauren Becker - As a film producer turned travel writer I have been lucky enough to travel the world for work and fun. I want to share my experiences ...
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