The western canal ring: a walk from the Dam to the Noorderkerk
5 stops, about 1.5 km, around 35 minutes with the stories
A short self-guided walk from Dam Square out through the 17th-century canal ring to the edge of the Jordaan. It passes the Royal Palace, the Westerkerk and its tower, the Homomonument, the Anne Frank House and the Noorderkerk.
What this walk shows you
In ten minutes you walk from the medieval town into the planned city that was built around it. You leave the Dam behind the palace, cross the three great canals in order, and arrive at the church that was put up for the merchants of the new district.
From there the route follows the Prinsengracht north. The house where Anne Frank hid is a few doors from the Westerkerk, close enough that she could hear its bells. The walk ends at the Noorderkerk, the church built for the working people of the Jordaan, on a square that has held a market for four hundred years.
Before you set out
This is the easiest of the walks and a good one for a first morning. The pavements along the canals are narrow and shared with bicycles, so look before you step back to take in a view.
The route
- 1 Royal Palace The Royal Palace on Dam Square was built between 1648 and 1665 as Amsterdam’s town hall, designed by Jacob van Campen.
690 m to the next stop
- 2 Westerkerk The Westerkerk is a Protestant church on the Prinsengracht, built from 1620 to 1631 to a design by Hendrick de Keyser.
70 m to the next stop
- 3 Homomonument The Homomonument is a memorial of three pink granite triangles beside the Westerkerk, designed by Karin Daan and unveiled in 1987.
120 m to the next stop
- 4 Anne Frank House The Anne Frank House is the canal house at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne Frank, her family and four others hid from 1942 to 1944 in rooms at the back of her father’s business.
670 m to the next stop
- 5 Noorderkerk The Noorderkerk is a Protestant church on the Noordermarkt, built from 1620 to 1623 for the working people of the new Jordaan district.
Take Lookstory with you. At each stop it tells the story aloud, and points you to the next one.
Open Lookstory