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Damrak is the main street that leads from the main station to Dam Square – the centre of Amsterdam. It is also referred to as the “red carpet” of Amsterdam.
The name of the street refers to the dam on the Amstel River (hence Amsterdam) where Dam Square now stands.
Rak is the old Dutch word for canal or river. Until 1672, when most of it was filled in, the Damrak was Amsterdam’s busiest canal. Ships docked along its quayside as far as Dam Square, unloading and receiving goods from all over the world. The northern end of the Damrak then ended in the open harbour front of the city, which was the gateway to the Zuiderzee (South Sea) and from there to the North Sea.
You could hardly look for a more typical place for Amsterdam. These are exactly the gingerbread houses you remember from postcards and travelogues. In Dutch, canal houses are called grachtenpanden. The houses by the Damrak canal, which are several centuries old and look like they are dancing because of their leaning shape. The buildings date back to the 17th century and are one of the oldest parts of the city.
It looks even more magical when the houses are reflected on the water surface. If you want to see this spectacle too and possibly take a photo, get up and visit this place early in the morning. I would also recommend it because it’s a really touristy place and can get really busy.
Nearby, you will also find other heritage sites such as De Oude Kerk and Beurs van Belage (the old stock exchange). In case you’re wondering why the houses in Amsterdam are so narrow and tall, it’s because they were once upon a time taxed according to their width. Whereas height played no role. The narrowest house in Amsterdam is only 2.2 metres wide!
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Amsterdam
Fluwel
Amsterdam
Damrak (Netherlands) je jedním z míst a tipů na výlety, které Retkee nabízí. V detailu místa jako je toto se dozvíte základní informace, jako otevírací doba, náročnost terénu či naše hodnocení místa. Kromě míst Retkee nabízí i blog , podrobné průvodce destinacemi , například Island , Norsko či Madeira .
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