Nieuwmarkt Walking Tour (Self Guided), Amsterdam

Journey into Amsterdam's past by visiting Nieuwmarkt, one of the oldest districts in the city and situated at the heart of its old center. Here, your exploration of this fascinating district will take you to many buildings from 16th to the 19th centuries that are now listed as national monuments.

Many of these can be found on Geldersekade. Among the area’s most famous historic structures are Zuiderkerk, a 17th-century Protestant church that was once the subject of a painting by Claude Monet. There is also the 15th-century Schreierstoren (Weeper's Tower), once part of the city's medieval wall. It was from this point that English sea explorer Henry Hudson set off on his voyage to Northern America. During this mission he discovered the island of Manhattan among other locations. Another Nieuwmarkt architectural claim to fame is He Hua Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Europe. Tour this traditional Chinese-style complex and visit the shrines and the main temple hall to appreciate the traditional wood carvings, statues and reliefs. The beautiful old Nieuwmarkt district also attracts many visitors for the Chinese restaurants on Zeedijk Street. They are reputed to be the best in the city.