Visit to the Palace on Dam Square

I had been to Amsterdam before but never to the Palace on Dam Square. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that it could be visited at all. But it certainly is and really worth a visit too!

The Palace on Dam Square

The Palace on Dam Square was first the city hall of Amsterdam. A smaller, less grandeur building used to stand where the palace now stands. Since Amsterdam had gained quite a reputation in the rest of the world because of its seafaring, a world-class building was needed. The new city hall was built between 1648 and 1665.

It only became a royal palace when King Louis Napoleon, the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, moved into the building in 1808. He did not live there for very long, but since then it has remained the official reception palace of King Willem-Alexander. The palace is also popularly called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Different functions

The Palace on Dam Square has had different functions over the centuries. Often at the same time, too. For example, it was a place for citizens: the Citizens’ Hall is still evidence of that. But it was also a court complete with prison, torture chamber and a vierschaar: the place where people were sentenced to death. The execution then took place on Dam Square itself. Orphans were registered in the palace, important and high-ranking people could stay there, and so the palace had even more functions. Even today, the sleeping quarters are still intact.

Visiting the Palace on the Dam

If you have a day in Amsterdam on your schedule, it is definitely worth visiting the Palace on Dam Square. In principle, the palace is open daily, unless the King is receiving people there. Therefore, always check the website before your visit. You can easily reserve a time slot but once you are inside you can stay as long as you want. You get a guided tour using an audio tour: which is nice because then you can do the tour at your own pace. If you have a museum annual pass, admission is free. Otherwise, you pay 12.50 for a ticket.

Beautiful rooms

We noticed that everything is perfectly maintained. This is, of course, because it is still a place used for official visits. The Civic Hall, the first room the audio tour takes you to, is really a beautiful room. The beautiful carvings, such as the statue of Atlas with the blue globe on his back, and the beautiful marble floors with the images of the world on them. The banquet is still held in this hall. But the other rooms such as the sleeping quarters, halls and halls are also beautiful. I do understand that Queen Wilhelmina actually lived here.

Highly recommended

Once again, a visit to the Palace on Dam Square is really a must when you visit Amsterdam. Your visit takes about an hour, so you’ll have plenty of time left over to see the rest of the city. And what’s wrong with a little culture sniffing? 🙂

Photos: OpstapmetLisa (Sonja Koene)