Dam Square

Dam Square sits at the geographical and historical centre of Amsterdam, the point from which the city's famous canal rings radiate outward. The square takes its name from the dam built across the Amstel river that gave Amsterdam its own name, making this open plaza the literal origin of the city itself. Dominating the western side is the Royal Palace, a seventeenth-century masterpiece of Dutch classicism designed by Jacob van Campen and completed in 1665, originally built as the city hall at the height of the Dutch Golden Age. The National Monument, a tall white obelisk erected in 1956, stands at the square's eastern end as a memorial to the victims of the Second World War.

Today Dam Square functions as Amsterdam's principal public gathering place, surrounded by the Nieuwe Kerk, major department stores, and a constant flow of city life. A self-guided audio tour currently on offer allows visitors to explore the square and its surroundings at their own pace, uncovering the layers of political, commercial, and cultural history embedded in this remarkable open space.