Four Men Planned the Canal Ring. Amsterdam Gave Each of Them a Bridge. The Third Expansion is the piece of work that made Amsterdam look like Amsterdam. It is the phase that dug the western canal ring, laid out the Jordaan behind it, and turned a medieval trading town inside a moat into the city on the postcards. Four men are credited with preparing and executing it: …

Bridge 86, once the Bakkerijbrug, was built by Piet Kramer in 1934 for a new radial road. It survived because it crosses the Lijnbaansgracht.

Bridge 85 is two bridges: an 1883 iron footbridge over the Vijzelgracht, lost in 1934, and a 1969 steel tram viaduct at Mr. Visserplein.

Bridge 84, the Freddy Heinekenbrug, crosses the Singelgracht at the Weteringcircuit. Built 1875, rebuilt 2005, and named for the brewer that year.

Bridge 83 was built in 1882 over the Vijzelgracht and demolished in 1933 when the canal was filled in. The number survives, the bridge does not.

The Museumbrug, Bridge 82, carries the Weteringschans over the Singelgracht to the Rijksmuseum. Built in 1877, eight years before the museum opened.

Bridge 81 is the last of the seven arches on the Reguliersgracht. Rebuilt in 1976, but given an arch so the famous view would survive.

Explore the public art of Hildo Krop, Amsterdam’s legendary “City Sculptor.” A guide to his iconic Amsterdam School sculptures on the Berlagebrug and beyond.

The Customs Bridge: Brug 80, the Bonded Warehouse Dock, and the First Drawbridge in This Series After five fixed crossings in a row, Brug 80 does something none of its recent neighbours can. It opens. The Entrepotdoksluis carries the Hoogte Kadijk over the old Entrepotdok lock, linking the Entrepotdok to the Nieuwe Vaart and so to the Oosterdok and the IJ beyond.

De Papiermolensluis, brug 57, is een welfbrug uit 1781 over de Brouwersgracht. De naam komt van een uithangbord, niet van een molen.

Seven arches line up down the Reguliersgracht seen from the Herengracht. Bridges 31, 39, 40, 74, 73, 72 and 81, and the truth about the fifteen.

For millennia, bridges have served as the vital connective tissue of human progress, acting as much more than simple crossings. They have functioned as the primary catalysts for the birth and expansion of early civilizations by facilitating the fluid exchange of ideas, the growth of both local and continental trade routes, and the creation of the world's first organized transportation networks.

This post explores the era when Amsterdam was less of a "Venice of the North" and more of a high-security fortress. Amsterdam the city as a Fortress Imagine Amsterdam not as an open, welcoming canal city, but as a high-security stronghold. In the 16th and 17th centuries, every major entrance to the city was a strategic bottleneck. The bridges we walk across today were once the literal "keys" to the city.

Welcome to my personal catalogue of the spans that connect Amsterdam. After exploring and photographing hundreds of the city's 1,200+ crossings, I have curated a list of my favourite ten. This collection is not a definitive ranking, but rather a cross-section of the city's diverse engineering and history. From iconic Golden Age draws to innovative new bicycle paths, these bridges represent the very best of "Mokum's" connection.

If you walk through Amsterdam long enough, you will eventually feel a pair of stony eyes watching you. They might belong to a granite faun peering from a canal wall or a stoic worker carved into the pillar of a massive drawbridge. These figures are not random ornaments; they are the lifework of Hildo Krop, the man who spent forty years as the official City Sculptor (Stadsbeeldhouwer) of Amsterdam.

For centuries, the rhythm of Amsterdam was set by the "Brugwachter" (bridge watcher). As boats approached, these guardians of the waterway would spring into action, collecting tolls in a wooden clog dangled from a fishing pole and manually hoisting the massive drawbridges. To shelter these workers, the city commissioned hundreds of tiny, specialized buildings: the Brugwachtershuisjes. These structures are more than just functional sheds; they are miniature masterpieces that reflect the architectural trends of their time.

Welcome to the ultimate architectural glossary for Amsterdam’s iconic waterways. To understand these structures is to understand the soul of the city, where engineering meets art to solve the unique challenges of building on water. Part 1: Core Engineering Terms Abutments (Landhoofden): These are the heavy substructures at each end of a bridge that support its weight and resist the lateral pressure of the earth.

If you stand at the intersection of the Leidsegracht and look toward the Amstel, you will notice a striking anomaly in Amsterdam’s urban fabric. In a city defined by its dense web of over 1,500 bridges, there is a massive, spanning silence on the Herengracht. Between Bridge 22 (Koningsluis) and Bridge 24 (Vijzelstraat), the water remains an unbroken mirror for nearly 350 meters.

The 1721 map by the renowned publishing house of Covens and Mortier marks a significant transition in the cartographic history of Amsterdam. As the 18th century dawned, the focus of mapmaking began to shift from the purely artistic and symbolic "portraits" of the Golden Age toward the more systematic and data-driven approach of the Enlightenment. Johannes Covens and Cornelis Mortier, who operated from their shop on the Vijzelstraat, were the most influential publishers of their time.

The 1688 map by Frederick de Wit is widely celebrated as the aesthetic pinnacle of 17th-century Dutch cartography. By the time De Wit published this work from his shop on the Kalverstraat, Amsterdam had reached its maximum territorial extent before the industrial revolutions of the 19th century. While earlier maps by Stalpaert or Bosch focused on the planning and defense of the city, De Wit’s map was designed as a statement of sheer civic grandeur.

The 1679 map by Jacob Bosch serves as a vital historical bridge, capturing Amsterdam at the precise moment it reached its territorial maturity. Following the ambitious master plans laid out by Daniel Stalpaert in 1662, Bosch’s map documents the reality of that construction nearly two decades later. By 1679, the "Grote Uitleg" (Great Expansion) was no longer just a set of architectural drawings; it was a physical reality of brick, water, and stone.

The 1662 map by Daniel Stalpaert is one of the most significant administrative documents in the history of urban planning. While earlier maps by artists like Van Berckenrode or Blaeu were often created as luxury items for wealthy merchants, Stalpaert’s map served a more practical and transformative purpose. As the first official Stadsbouwmeester (City Architect) of Amsterdam, Stalpaert didn't just record what the city was; he used this map to dictate what the city would become.

The 1657 map by Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode stands as a monumental achievement in 17th-century cartography, representing the most detailed and visually rich "portrait" of Amsterdam ever produced during its Golden Age. While many maps of this era were functional tools for navigation or administrative planning, Van Berckenrode’s work was a high-status art object. Printed from nine separate copperplates, the combined sheets create a massive wall map that allows viewers to zoom in on individual houses, backyard gardens, and the intricate rigging of ships in the IJ harbor.

The 1652 work by Jan Micker is a unique masterpiece in the cartographic history of Amsterdam because it is not a traditional map, but rather an atmospheric oil painting that looks backward in time. While contemporary 17th-century cartographers like Joan Blaeu were focused on documenting the city's rapid Golden Age expansions, Micker chose to recreate Amsterdam as it appeared over a century earlier.

Published in 1649, the map of Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu is one of the most celebrated urban plans in history. It was a centerpiece of his monumental Toonneel der Steden (Theatre of Cities), a collection designed to showcase the power and beauty of the Dutch Republic's urban centers. Coming just one year after the Peace of Westphalia officially recognized Dutch independence, this map was as much a political statement as it was a geographic one.

The 1625 map by Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode is widely considered one of the most significant and visually stunning urban plans of the Dutch Golden Age. While earlier works like the 1599 Pieter Bast map showed a city still largely medieval, Van Berckenrode’s massive nine-sheet wall map captures Amsterdam during its most explosive period of growth. This was the era of the "Grote Uitleg" (Great Expansion), and this map serves as the definitive visual record of the ambitious urban planning that created the world-famous horseshoe-shaped canal belt.

The 1599 map of Amsterdam by Pieter Bast represents a monumental leap in the technical and artistic quality of Dutch cartography. Published at the very end of the 16th century, this four-sheet copperplate engraving arrived at a critical turning point for the city. Amsterdam was no longer just a regional trading port; it was rapidly transforming into a global commercial hub.

While the 1538 painting was a singular treasure, the 1544 woodcut by Cornelis Anthonisz. is the work that truly put Amsterdam on the map—literally. As the first printed map of the city, this twelve-block woodcut allowed for multiple copies to be produced, spreading the image of Amsterdam’s growing importance across Europe. The hand-colored versions of this print are particularly prized, as they bring the 16th-century cityscape to life with vibrant hues that distinguish the red-tiled roofs, the grey stone of the Gothic churches, and the deep blue of the IJ waterfront.

The 1538 map of Amsterdam holds the prestigious title of the oldest surviving map of the city. Painted in oil on wooden panels by Cornelis Anthonisz., this masterwork predates his more famous 1544 woodcut. While the later woodcut allowed for mass production and wider distribution, this 1538 painting was a singular, high-status object likely commissioned for the Amsterdam Town Hall.

The 1737 map by Gerrit de Broen captures Amsterdam at a moment of supreme confidence and architectural maturity. While the earlier 17th-century maps documented a city in the throes of construction, De Broen’s 1737 edition presents the "completed" masterpiece of the Dutch Golden Age. This map is technically a refined version of his 1724 original, representing the peak of the city's wealth before the economic shifts of the late 18th century.

While many historical maps of Amsterdam focus on the grand architecture of the Canal Belt, the 1770 map by Jan Mol (often associated with the engraver Pieter Mol) offers a refreshingly different perspective. Published during a period of relative stability, this map is less of a formal administrative record and more of a "lifestyle" guide for the 18th-century Amsterdammer. It captures the city at a moment when the wealthy elite were looking outward, seeking fresh air and recreation in the surrounding countryside.

The 1782 map by Gerrit de Broen stands as one of the most definitive visual records of Amsterdam at the end of the 18th century. While earlier maps, like the famous 1544 woodcut by Cornelis Anthonisz., captured the city in its medieval infancy, De Broen’s work presents a metropolis that had reached its "completed" pre-industrial state. It is a masterpiece of Enlightenment-era cartography, prioritizing mathematical precision and urban order.

Title The Haarlemmerweg and the Haarlemmervaart near Sloterdijk seen from the top floor of the Sloterdijkschool (Dorpstraat B71, from 1938 Velserweg 2) Description With Bridge 33 in the foreground. On the left the entrance to the Sloterdijkermeerweg. Why was it removed? The "death" of Bridge 33 occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period when Amsterdam was aggressively modernizing its infrastructure.

Map and location of Bridge 34Bridge 34 is located on the Utrechtsestraat where it crosses the Herengracht a few steps away from the famous Rembrandtplein. It is the penultimate bridge before Herengracht under Hendrick Jacobsz. Staetsbrug (bridge 35) flows into the Amstel. The old Amsterdamsche Bank building is the most known landmark closeby. Brug 34

Bridge number 34 Unnamed. Brug nummer vierendertig This rather utilitarian road bridge, over which tram line 4 has been running since 1948, is located in Utrechtsestraat and crosses Herengracht.Unlike most bridges in the centre of the city, this bridge was rebuilt when the tram was already a planned mode of transport around 1884 and it was also widened for road traffic.

This bridge is currently undergoing renovations, so here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what it usually looks like. Bridge number 30 (De Isa van Eeghenbrug), also known as brug nummer Dertig, is another impressive design created by Piet Kramer. Interestingly, this bridge was officially named in 2016 and is dedicated to Isabella Henriette van Eeghen, an esteemed archivist and historian at the nearby Amsterdam City Archives.

Bridge of the Week: Brug 74, the Kerksluis In our series on the Reguliersgracht's famous seven-bridge alignment, we have so far visited the reconstructed brick arches of Bridges 71, 72, and 73 at the Prinsengracht junction. This week we move to the bridge that, more than any other in the alignment, earns the right to its archway: Brug 74, spanning the Reguliersgracht at the Kerkstraat.

Bridge of the Week: Brug 72, Prinsengracht over de Reguliersgracht Last week we introduced De Duifbrug, Brug 71, named for the Catholic church of the dove just steps along the Prinsengracht quay. This week we move to its closest companion: Brug 72, the bridge on the southern (even-numbered) side of the Reguliersgracht where it crosses the Prinsengracht. It is one of a famous pair of twins, is one of the most photographed bridges in a city of more than a thousand bridges, and carries a history that raises one of the most uncomfortable questions in urban heritage: when does restoration become invention?

Joes Kloppenburgbrug was originally nameless but was unofficially called the “Raambrug” after the Raamsteeg, but also called “Appelmarktbrug” or “Appelmarktsluis” after the apple market that used to be kept nearby.

Latjesbrug (Slatted bridge number 50) Brug nummer vijftig is not along the Keizersgracht. It’s not even in the same neighbourhood. Located between the botanical gardens and the maritime museum along…

Bridge 7 for some reason is in Amsterdam Oud-West forming the connection between Bilderdijkstraat and Frederik Hendrikstraat over the Hugo de Grootgracht.

Noordsche Compagniebrug (Northern Company Bridge number 54) AKA Noordschebrug. Spanning Keizersgracht #bridge54 connects Herenstraat with Prinsenstraat. The bridge has been a municipal monument since…

Lekkeresluis (Bridge 59 Tasty Lock) #brug59 The Lekkeresluis is named after bakers who advertised and sold their food on the bridge. Some (though not many) locals refer to it as Papeneilandbrug…

Bridge number 8 (Brug Acht) is a now unnamed bridge although it was previously know as Huiszittenbrug and is a National monument (Rijksmonument)

Kees Fensbrug (The Kees Fens bridge number 49) Brug nummer negenenveertig was officially named in 2009 after literary critic Kees Fens who overlooked the bridge from his home.

Named after the neighbouring Krijtberg or Sint Franciscus Xavieruskerk on the Singel. The church dates from 1883 and took the place of the former secret church in the Crijtberg house, which served the Jesuits.

Unlike elsewhere in the city, there is a former lock just a stone’s throw away , also called the Leliesluis (Lely Sluys). The contours of that lock are still visible in the Leliegracht.

The bridge is named after the Leliegracht, which in turn is named after the Oude Leliestraat , which in turn is named after the house “In de Witte Lelye” on the Singel.

Amsterdam has hundreds of historic bridges but Spijkenisse just outside Rotterdam has a unique set of bridges worth a day trip! De Bruggen van Europa | Bridges of Europe

Pastoorsbrug (The Pastor’s Bridge number 55) Located in the southern quay of the Brouwersgracht spanning the Keizersgracht. It is therefore the northernmost bridge over Keizersgracht since it does…