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Historically Yours The Monuments In The City On Water
ne can always think that or two, maybe even a full-blown
Amsterdam is one big jazz or rock combo, and maybe a
historic monument. Still, street organ or if one is
some buildings are more historic fortunate it’ll be a century-old
and monumental than others and Perlee hand-ground barrel-organ,
therefore more worth going out of made of richly carved and
one’s way for. One won’t have to decorated wood.
go far out of your way to see
Centraal Station. Designed by Not far away, across Prins
architect Petrus Josephus Hendrikkade at the corner of
Hubertus Cuypers, and built Geldersekade, is the
between 1884 and 1889 on three Schreierstoren or the Tower of
artificial islands in the IJ Tears, from 1480, once a strong
channel, which themselves were point in the city wall bristling
supported on 30,000 pilings? with cannon. Its name comes from
the tears allegedly shed by wives
The extravagance of Centraal as their men folk sailed away on
Station is in its Dutch voyages from which they might
neo-Renaissance facade, partly never return. A stone tablet on
for the liveliness that the wall shows a woman with her
permanently surrounds it. The hand to her face. The tower’s
left one of the two central ground floor now houses a cozy
towers has a gilded weathervane; traditional bar, the V.O.C. Café.
on the right one there’s a clock.
One can leisurely soak up the No indistinctness surrounds the
buzz that swirls around the Munttoren or Mint Tower on
station in a blur of people, Muntplein, a busy traffic
backpacks, bikes, trams, buses, intersection at Rokin and the
vendors, pickpockets, and Singel canal. The base of the
junkies. There should be a busker tower, from 1490, used to be part
of the Reguliers Gate in the city painting The Anatomy Lesson,
wall. In 1620 Hendrick de Keyser which depicts a dissection being
topped it with an ornate, conducted in the upper-floor
lead-covered tower, whose Theatrum Anatomicum.
carillon bells sing out gaily
every hour and play a one-hour Most of Golden Age Amsterdam’s
concert on Friday at noon. wealth was generated by trade,
and most of that trade was
The tilting Montelbaanstoren, the organized by the Vereenigde
“leaning tower of Amsterdam,” a Oostindische Compagnie, based at
fortification at the juncture of Oost Indisch Huis or East India
the Oude Schans and House on Oude Hoogstraat, off
Waalseilandsgracht canals, dates Kloveniersburgwal. The West
from 1512. It is one of few Indisch Huis or West India House
existing elements of the city’s is located at Herenmarkt. On the
once powerful defensive works. In north side of this little square
1606, Hendrick de Keyser added an is a red-brick building, built as
octagonal tower and spire. The a meat-trading hall in 1615, that
building now houses local offices in 1623 became headquarters of
of a Water Authority. the Dutch West India Company,
which controlled trade with the
Built in the 14th century, De Americas.
Waag or the Weigh House
Nieuwmarkt is the city’s only The monuments are scattered all
surviving medieval fortified over Amsterdam and are a sight
gate. It later became a guild for sore eyes. One does not has
house and among the guilds lodged to far to see these historical
here was the Surgeon’s Guild, museums. They are a delight for
immortalized in Rembrandt’s all the visitors of Amsterdam.
About the Author:
Rahul viz recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.nl/city/nl/amsterdam.html?aid=305255 for more information on Historically yours – The Monuments in the City on water.
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