Dam Square Tours and Activities

Dam Square is the main city square in Amsterdam and is one of the most well-known locations in all of the Netherlands. Located in the historical center of the city and just 750 meters south of Amsterdam Centraal Station, Dam Square is home to an array of notable buildings and frequently hosts events of national importance.

The square sits over the original location of the dam in the Amstel River and has been surrounded by land on all sides since the mouth of the river was filled in the 19th century. On the west end of the square you will see the Royal Palace, which was the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Next to the palace are the Gothic Nieuwe Kirk (New Church) and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. On the east end of the square is the National Monument, a stone pillar erected in 1956 to memorialize the Dutch victims of World War II.

Dam Square is also home to the Amsterdam Diamond center, the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and thupscale department store De Bijenkorf, which has stood on the square since 1914. Behind the De Bijenkorf building is the Beurs van Berlage, the old Stock Exchange building that is now used as a concert hall and exhibition space.