The popular Must-see Shopping route winds through the city centre and takes you along the main (and busiest) shopping streets of Amsterdam.
The popular Must-see Shopping route winds through the city centre and takes you along the main (and busiest) shopping streets of Amsterdam.
You are now in the very heart of Amsterdam, one of the busiest places in the city. If you stand on the steps of the National Monument, with your back towards it, you will see the renowned department store de Bijenkorf (the Beehive) on your right.
To the left of the monument Rokin begins. Diamond Center Gassan is at the corner. In March 2018 the new super deluxe Hotel TwentySeven has opened in the same building. Rokin Street is known for its on-going construction of the North-South line, a new metro line. It has a landing place for canal boats and it is also known for its exclusive cigar shop Hajenius.
In recent years some more new restaurants and stores settled on Rokin. Scheltema, one of the biggest and oldest bookstores in Holland moved from Koningsplein to Rokin.
Rokin has become a street with even more allure after the opening of the new North-South metro line in 2018.
Magna Plaza shopping centre - with 40+ exclusive shops under one roof - is situated just behind the Royal Palace and is housed in what used to be the General Post Office, a stunning building that is on the National Heritage list.
Amsterdam's most commercial street begins left of the Royal Palace building. While walking through this street you will pass numerous boutiques (offering trendy and fashionable clothing), shoe shops, large department stores, perfumes and special gifts & souvenirs.
Almost at the end, near Muntplein, you will find the newer Kalverpassage , a modern mall built out of historical buildings with 3 levels of shopping. Hema, Costes (Dutch fashion house), Saks OFF 5TH, and The North Face (outdoor sports store) all have a branch here.
Kalverstraat is a long, narrow street. Especially during weekends the street itself and the shops are very crowded. It is much more relaxed to shop here during the week.
This large and busy shopping street starts right from the Royal Palace and right opposite Kalverstraat. It connects Dam Square with Haarlemmerstraat, another - though very different - shopping street with all kinds of nice little and quirky shops.
Nieuwendijk (new dike) is a modern shopping street with mainly branches of chain stores, targeted at tourists and same-day visitors. On this dike along the west bank of the Amstel River the oldest known (wooden) houses of Amsterdam rose around 1225.
Heiligeweg (holy street/way) is a short shopping street connecting the 2 popular shopping streets Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat to each other. Halfway along Heiligeweg you can the Rasphuispoortje, a decorative gate from 1603 that led to the Rasphuis, back then a prison for young male criminals. Today this gate is one of the entrances to Kalverpassage shopping centre.
Other stores you'll find here are The English Hatter (classic English men's fashion), brand stores of Diesel, Le Creuset, Van Lier (Dutch shoe brand), Colourful Rebel (Dutch fashion brand), Dungelmann (shoe sellers), Scotch & Soda (Dutch fashion brand), and more.
If you don't turn right into Heiligeweg, but walk all the way to the end of Kalverstraat, you will arrive at the Munttoren (Mint Tower). Walk through the tower gate and turn right. You will immediately see the floating shops of Amsterdam's colourful Flower Market.
Have you ever seen black tulips before? You can buy them here! You can also buy tulip bulbs in just about any colour you like.
Turn left at the end of the Flower Market. The next street on our shopping route is busy Leidsestraat, which is full of shops. Watch out for the trams and cyclists!
Leidsestraat has a variety of shops, more smaller boutiques than the large chain stores in Kalverstraat. You will find here Rituals, Shoebaloo (high-end designer shoes), Abercrombie & Fitch, Ace & Spyer (oldest jeweller of the city), Michael Kors, Aspect (selling high-end Dutch sneaker brands such as Filling Pieces, ETQ Amsterdam and Mason Garments).
After crossing three canals you will arrive at Leidseplein which really comes to life at night. The sleekly designed store of Apple Store is housed in the splendid historic building of Hirsch & Cie opposite the Stadsschouwburg (city theater).
Tip Café Blue is a relaxed spot for a break during shopping.
Take the glass elevator up and admire the amazing view of the city with its towers and unique buildings.
Glass staircase in Apple Store Leidseplein