NDSM-werf

Top choice in Amsterdam Noord


This derelict shipyard turned edgy arts community, 15 minutes upriver from the city centre, wafts a post-apocalyptic vibe. An old submarine slumps in the harbour, abandoned trams rust by the water's edge, and street art is splashed on most surfaces. Young creatives hang out at the smattering of cool cafes, and hip businesses such as MTV and Red Bull have their European headquarters here. The area is also a centre for underground culture and events, including the Over het IJ Festival.

A new street-art museum, billed as the world's largest, is due to open here in late 2019; check www.streetart.today for updates.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Amsterdam Noord attractions

1. Sexyland

0.02 MILES

See the neon sign and you'll be forgiven for thinking this is an outpost of the Red Light District. But Sexyland is a members' club that has 365 co-owners…

2. Submarine B-80

0.05 MILES

Soviet Project 611 submarine B-80, dating from 1952, was built in Severodvinsk, Russia, and previously moored in the Dutch Navy port of Den Helder in…

3. Kraanspoor

0.08 MILES

'Craneway' is an extraordinary piece of architecture, built above a repurposed (you've guessed it) craneway, by OTH Architecten in 2007. The glass box…

4. Kunststad

0.19 MILES

This former shipbuilding warehouse is filled with over 80 artists studios, with some 250 artists working in the NDSM broedplaats (breeding ground). It's a…

5. Zandhoek

0.79 MILES

On Realeneiland's eastern shore, the Zandhoek is a photogenic stretch of waterfront. It's now a modern yacht harbour, but back in the 17th century it was…

6. Ravestijn Gallery

0.81 MILES

Boundary-pushing photography is the focus of this gallery in the Western Islands, which hosts rotating exhibitions by emerging and established…

7. Drieharingenbrug

0.88 MILES

This narrow bridge links the Western Islands of Prinseneiland and Realeneiland. It's a quaint replacement for the pontoon that used to be pulled aside to…

8. Museum Het Schip

1 MILES

Just north of Westerpark over the train tracks, this remarkable 1921-completed housing project is a flagship of the Amsterdam School of architecture…