NIEUWMARKT

Nieuwmarkt is a public square located just south of Centraal Station. Centered around De Waag (or The Weigh House), the area was home to commerce, anatomical experiments, witch trials, and during WWII, Jewish deportations

BLOEDSTRAAT

Aptly named “Blood Street” it’s said that the blood from the public executions which took place at Nieuwmarkt often trickled down this adjacent alley.

SPOOKSTEEG

Located in the heart of the Red Light District, this street’s name invokes its ghostly name to reference an alleged 18th century murder, in which a young woman was brutally bludgeoned to death by her jealous sister.

SCHRIERSTOREN

Built in 1487, this tower is one of the few remnants of Amsterdam’s medieval defense wall. Immortalized as the location where Henry Hudson set sail for his historic quest, it was also the lookout point for the wives of departing sailors, many of whom were never seen again.

OUDE KERK

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the oldest remaining brick structure in Amsterdam. Built throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, there are some 25,000 bodies buried underneath its foundation.

DAM SQUARE & THE VIERSCHAAR

Today, Dam Square is considered as the urban center of Amsterdam. In the 17th century, however, this was the main location for all public executions in the city. The Vierschaar, or Court of Justice, is located inside the old City Hall within the square, and served as the sentencing headquarters for those who potentially faced the gallows.

SPINHUIS

Founded in 1597 the Spinhuis served as a correctional facility for the wayward women of Amsterdam. Those sentenced here were made to sew and spin yarn, wool, and netting–an institution which was widespread in early modern Holland.

OUDEMANHUISPOORT

Now owned by the University of Amsterdam, this building served as an elderly person’s home and dates back to 1602. Also admitted here were cholera patients, lending an uneasy atmosphere to the what now houses the university’s Faculty of Humanities.