Your cruise through the canals starts in Amsterdam’s Zouthaven, near the Muziekgebouw aan het IJ. Good parking is available at this starting point. Central Station is within walking distance. We follow the route Nieuwe Herengracht – Herengracht – Brouwersgracht – Prinsengracht – Amstel – Oude Schans – Oosterdok – Zouthaven.
We sail under the railroad bridges through the Oosterdok and pass the Maritime Museum. From there, we reach the Nieuwe Herengracht and then pass by Artis Zoo or the Tropenmuseum, and by the Hortus Botanicus. We cross the Amstel River and sail straight on to the Herengracht. There you will see, among other things, the mayor’s residence, Thorbeckeplein square and many beautiful buildings with attractive façades.
At the end of Herengracht, we turn portside into Brouwersgracht. This canal owes its name to the many breweries that have long operated here. We cross the Keizersgracht and sail port side up the Prinsengracht.
At this point, you can extend the cruise by exploring the Western Islands. Via the Westerdok, we take a look at the Bickergracht, the Realengracht and the Zoutkeetsgracht. It is less crowded here and there are many old warehouses and shipyards.
At the beginning of Prinsengracht, we see on the starboard side the Noorderkerk, built for the poor of the Jordaan. Near the Egelantiersgracht stands the “house with the heads. This building takes its name from the six classicist busts at the entrance. Further to starboard you will find the famous Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk. It is certain that Rembrandt van Rijn is buried here, but no one knows exactly where.
On the starboard side, we see Bloemgracht, Lauriergracht, Looiersgracht, Passeerdersgracht and Leidsegracht in succession. By now we are near Leidseplein, the lively entertainment center with the famous Hotel Americain and the Lido. Continuing on Prinsengracht, we come to Restaurant Van de Kaart, with whom Rederij Belle works a lot. The restaurant brings on board perfectly prepared dishes that can be enjoyed while sailing through the canals.
After the Amstelveld, we leave the Prinsengracht and sail back up the Amstel. We pass the Skinny Bridge, Theater Carré, the Hermitage and the Stopera. Here we turn to starboard, up the Zwanenburgwal. We pass St. Anthony’s Lock and the Montelbaan Tower. In the Golden Age, this neighborhood was an important trading center. Cargo ships sailed through Geldersekade to Nieuwmarkt, where goods were weighed and sold at the market. Via the Oosterdok we reach our departure point again.
