Dam Square

Dam Square sits in the heart of Amsterdam, where the Amstel River was once dammed in the 13th century. The square stretches about 200 metres east to west and 100 metres north to south, linking streets that once followed the river’s course. On its west side stands the Royal Palace, built as the city hall in the 17th century and later used by the monarchy. The 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk and Madame Tussauds Amsterdam Wax Museum share the western edge with the palace. At the square’s opposite end the National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud, rises to honour Second World War victims.

The square’s origins go back to a dam built around 1270 that first joined settlements on either side of the river. By the late 13th century the dam supported a fish market and a weigh house, making it the commercial and civic heart of the growing town. The area became known as Plaetse, an adjacent open space to the west, and together they formed the core of Amsterdam’s government. In the 19th century the river mouth was filled in, creating solid ground around the square and allowing new buildings such as De Bijenkorf department store to appear.

Visitors find a lively plaza surrounded by grand architecture and constant movement. The Royal Palace’s pale stone façade faces the square, its neoclassical lines contrasting with the pointed arches of the Nieuwe Kerk. The National Monument’s tall pillar stands at the square’s far end, drawing the eye upward. Tram lines cross the square, linking the city’s main transport hub to the surrounding streets. On 4 May each year the square becomes the focus of national remembrance, when the Dutch gather to honour those who died in war.