Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam Centrum

square in the old centre dominated by a mediaeval city gate

Sunday market on the Nieuwmarkt with De Waag in the background

Nieuwmarkt is a square which is dominated by De Waag, once the city's eastern gateway. Today it is surrounded by historic buildings, over 20 cafés, restaurants and coffeeshops, a police station, a housing complex for the elderly, a small Dutch and large Chinese supermarket.

Daily market

At the foot of De Waag you will find every day a great fruit and vegetable stand, often a cheesemonger, sometimes a herring vendor, and usually also a flower stall.

On Saturdays there is an organic food market and on Sundays there is often a market for antiques and books a little 'alternative' branch of the Waterloopleinmarkt, which is closed on Sunday.

Bars and restaurants

De Waag was built in the 15th century and is surrounded by 17th and 18th century facades and many nice cafés and restaurants.

In summer the square is transformed into a big outdoor café where you can see all of colourful Amsterdam pass by. Lokaal 't Loosje is the undisputed favourite, at least for local residents.

Location

Nieuwmarkt is located in the Old Centre of Amsterdam and is administratively part of the Centrum borough. The surrounding area is known as the Nieuwmarktbuurt (Nieuwmarkt district).

On the western side of Nieuwmarkt you have the Red Light District, connected by short, narrow streets. Northwest of the square, just behind the Waag, begins the Zeedijk.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

Centraal Station

Chinatown

De Waag

East India House

Jacob Hooy

Oude Kerk

Our Lord in the Attic

Montelbaanstoren

Red Light District

Rembrandt House

Zuiderkerk

⟩ more attractions and sights

How to get there?

51 53 54 Nieuwmarkt
Q-Park de Bijenkorf

Nieuwmarkt is a very historic place. In former days, fish was brought in and traded here, while Amsterdam was still in direct contact with the sea at that time.

History

The square has emerged in 1614 when the canals around Sint Anthoniespoort (St Anthony Gate, now De Waag) were overvaulted. By urban expansion (construction of Lastage) the city boundaries shifted further to Montelbaanstoren and Oude Schans canal.

Sint Anthoniespoort then lost its defensive function and became a weighhouse. The square became a marketplace where fish and oriental products were sold, and corporal punishments were carried out in public.

Nieuwmarkt was in the former Jewish quarter. More than 25,000 Jews used to live between Centraal Station, Kloveniersburgwal, Waterlooplein, Valkenburgerstraat and Prins Hendrikkade. During World War II Nieuwmarkt was used by the Germans as a gathering place for the deportation of Jewish residents.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the square got its present appearance when it lost its function as parking space for cars.

Chinese street signs

The square is also adjacent to Chinatown. Since Nieuwmarktbuurt, especially on Zeedijk, has many Chinese residents and businesses, street signs in the area are in both in Dutch and Chinese characters.