Amsterdam City Centre Photo Gallery

My tour of the city centre starts at Centraal Station at the heart of the Old Centre. This part of town was once built from wood during medieval times, but many fires later, wood was banned and bricks and stones were used instead.

Centraal Station opened in 1889 with much controversy. Its design prompted Protestants to complain it was unsuitable to the city, and the huge building separated the city centre from the River IJ.

De Nieuwe Kerk, meaning "new church", was built in the early 15th century and is still used for state occasions.

As I walked along the tram line deeper into the Old Centre, I noticed the magnificent Magna Plaza, originally a post office that opened in 1899 and remains adorned with an excessive amount of towers.

I continued along the Raadhuisstraat across a few bridges into Grachtengordel towards the Westerkerk.

The Westerkerk was completed in 1631 as part of the city's growth across a few new canals. However, the Calvinists kept the interiors simple, although there was a section reserved and rented by the wealthy. Its bells were melted during World War II for the war effort.