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 a 'sand market', where ships would purchase bagfuls for ballast. Many East India Company skippers lived hereabouts, carousing in local bars and enjoying the view over the IJ between voyages. The street south of the Zandhoek is the Galgenstraat (Gallows St), which on a clear day afforded a look at the executions in Amsterdam Noord.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Ravestijn Gallery

0.1 MILES

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

2. Drieharingenbrug

0.13 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…

3. Haarlemmerpoort

0.35 MILES

Once a defensive gateway to the city, the Haarlemmerpoort marked the start of the journey to Haarlem, which was a major trading route. The neoclassical…

4. Brouwersgracht

0.44 MILES

Pretty as a Golden Age painting, the Brewers Canal took its name from the many breweries located here in the 16th and 17th centuries. Goods such as…

5. EYE Film Institute

0.49 MILES

At this modernist architectural triumph that seems to balance on its edge on the banks of the IJ (also pronounced 'eye') River, the institute screens…

6. Westerpark

0.51 MILES

Eco-urban Westerpark – with grassy expanses of lawns (packed in summer with picnickers, sun worshippers and families), tree-shaded walkways and cycleways,…

7. West-Indisch Huis

0.54 MILES

Built in 1617 as a meat market and militia barracks, this historical building was rented by the Dutch West India Company (Geoctroyeerde West-Indische…

8. Noorderkerk

0.58 MILES

Near the Prinsengracht's northern end, this imposing Calvinist church was completed in 1623 for the 'common' people in the Jordaan. (The upper classes…