Old City Centre Walking Tour – Amsterdam, Netherlands [4K/60fps]

Old City Centre Walking Tour – Amsterdam, Netherlands [4K/60fps]

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. The city is in North Holland and is often called the “Venice of the North.” Amsterdam’s population is over 933,000 in the city, 1.45 million in the urban area, and nearly 2.5 million in the metropolitan region. Its many canals are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amsterdam began as a small fishing village at the mouth of the Amstel River. The river was dammed to control flooding, giving the city its name. In the 12th century, Amsterdam was just a modest settlement. The city became a world port during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. Amsterdam led Europe in finance, trade, and secular art. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded with new neighborhoods and suburbs. Amsterdam has a tradition of openness, liberalism, and tolerance. Cycling is a key part of life, with many biking paths and lanes. The city’s main attractions include its canals, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. Dam Square hosts the Royal Palace and former city hall. Visitors flock to the Amsterdam Museum, Stedelijk Museum, the Concertgebouw, and the Anne Frank House. Other highlights include the maritime museum, botanical gardens, NEMO science center, red-light district, and coffee shops. The city is famous for its nightlife, festivals, and world-renowned nightclubs. Amsterdam’s canal houses and gabled façades are legacies of the Golden Age. Millions of tourists visit Amsterdam every year. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, founded in 1602, is the world’s oldest modern stock exchange. Amsterdam is a commercial and cultural capital, home to many Dutch institutions and major international companies like Uber, Netflix, and Tesla. Although the official capital, Amsterdam is not where the government sits; that’s in The Hague. Amsterdam is often ranked among the world’s best cities to live in. It is a top tech hub, with one of Europe’s biggest ports and Schiphol, the nation’s busiest airport. The city is home to about 180 nationalities, making it one of the world’s most multicultural cities. Immigration and ethnic segregation are current social issues. Famous residents include Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Spinoza, Locke, Descartes, and Anne Frank. Amsterdam was founded later than many Low Country cities because of its wet peatland location. Farmers lived along the IJ and Amstel rivers as early as 3,000 years ago. The prehistoric IJ was a shallow stream behind beach ridges. This area grew into a local settlement center in the Bronze, Iron, and Roman Ages. Neolithic and Roman artifacts have been found under Amsterdam’s streets. Early settlements were seasonal or semi-permanent due to flooding. Permanent habitation became possible only after water control improved. The name Amestelle means “watery area,” and land reclamation began in the late 10th century. Farmers started reclaiming land upstream, around Ouderkerk and Amstelveen. The Van Amstel family, known since 1019, held stewardship for the bishop of Utrecht. The All Saints’ Flood of 1170 turned the IJ into a wide estuary, connecting the Amstel to the sea. The dam at the river’s mouth, built between 1264 and 1275, gave the city its name. In 1275, a document first mentioned the settlement, granting toll-free travel in Holland. Power struggles between the count and the Amstel family shaped early Amsterdam. By 1327, the name Aemsterdam appeared in records. The bishop of Utrecht granted city rights in 1300 or 1306. In 1345, the Miracle of Amsterdam made the city a place of pilgrimage. Up to 90,000 pilgrims visited during the Stille Omgang procession. Amsterdam flourished from the 14th century, trading with the Hanseatic League. In the 15th century, the city established direct trade with the Baltic, specializing in grain and timber. Innovations in herring fishing brought great wealth to Amsterdam. By 1415, Dutch fishermen could follow herring shoals far from the coast. The herring industry required skilled labor and international cooperation, laying the groundwork for global trade. “Amsterdam is built on Herringbones” became a saying. The Low Countries came under Spanish rule in the early 16th century. The Dutch rebelled against Spanish taxes and religious persecution. The Eighty Years’ War led to Dutch independence. William the Silent helped make the Dutch Republic known for religious tolerance. Jews, Huguenots, printers, and refugees found safety and opportunity in Amsterdam. The city became a European center for the free press. In the 17th century, Amsterdam entered its Golden Age, becoming the wealthiest city in the Western world. Ships sailed to and from the Baltic, Caribbean, North America, Africa, and Asia. Amsterdam merchants led the Dutch East India Company and Dutch West India Company. These companies built a network of overseas colonies. Amsterdam became Europe’s shipping hub and leading financial center. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange began trading VOC shares in 1602. The Bank of Amsterdam started in 1609, serving as a reserve bank for merchants. Amsterdam also participated in the Atlantic slave trade and managed Suriname, a slave colony. The Dutch ended their slave trade in 1814 at Britain’s request. In 2021, the mayor of Amsterdam apologized for the city’s role in slavery. Amsterdam’s prosperity faded during the 18th and early 19th centuries due to wars and Napoleonic rule. The founding of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 marked a revival. The late 19th century is known as Amsterdam’s “second Golden Age.” New museums, the railway station, and the Concertgebouw were built. The Industrial Revolution reached Amsterdam, bringing industry and growth. The Amsterdam–Rhine and North Sea canals improved trade with Europe and the world. In 1906, Joseph Conrad described Amsterdam from the sea in his writing. Before World War I, Amsterdam expanded with new suburbs. The city remained neutral in WWI but suffered food shortages and riots, known as the Potato Rebellion. After a 1916 flood, northern villages joined Amsterdam in 1921. The city kept expanding, especially west of the Jordaan. Nazi Germany invaded in 1940, and many Amsterdam citizens hid Jews at great personal risk. Over 100,000 Dutch Jews from Amsterdam were deported and murdered during the Holocaust. Anne Frank and her family hid in Amsterdam but were betrayed and perished in concentration camps. The February 1941 strike saw 300,000 people protest the arrests of Jews. The Nazis responded with brutal repression and mass deportations. By war’s end, Amsterdam was in crisis, with food and fuel shortages. Citizens survived by eating beets and tulip bulbs; many trees were cut for firewood. Canadian forces liberated Amsterdam in May 1945. After WWII, new suburbs were built with parks and better living spaces. The city center had fallen into disrepair and plans were made for its renewal. The metro opened in 1977, connecting new suburbs to the city center. Plans for new highways led to widespread demolition, especially in the old Jewish neighborhood. The Nieuwmarkt riots protested the destruction, halting further demolitions. Restoration efforts began, and many historic buildings were saved. The city center regained its former glory and became a protected monument area. In 2010, the canal belt was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the 21st century, tourism soared, with millions of visitors each year. Real estate prices rose and local shops gave way to tourist businesses. Some compared Amsterdam’s situation to Venice, overwhelmed by tourists. A new north-south metro line, started in 2003, was completed in 2018 after delays and controversy. Since 2014, urban renewal has focused on neighborhoods near the center and new artificial islands like IJburg. The Structural Vision Amsterdam 2040 guides the city’s future growth and regeneration.

We start the walk tour in the Dam Square, right in front of Royal Palace of Amsterdam. On our walk tour in the old city centre we stroll on the streets looking at a lot of beautiful buildings like Beurs van Berlage, Magna Plaza, Central Station, walking by several canals and enjoying the pedestrian streets that are full of locals and tourists.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam

Intro music: Rebecca Mardal / Nothing Ever Changes / courtesy of Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/E1qPwZN9yZ/)