Pretty as a Golden Age painting, the Brewers Canal took its name from the many breweries located here in the 16th and 17th centuries. Goods such as leather, coffee, whale oil and spices were also stored and processed here in giant warehouses, such as those with the row of spout gables that still stand at Brouwersgracht 188–194.

It's a great place to stroll and to see the waterborne action on King's Day.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Noorderkerk

0.16 MILES

Near the Prinsengracht's northern end, this imposing Calvinist church was completed in 1623 for the 'common' people in the Jordaan. (The upper classes…

2. Van Brienenhofje

0.22 MILES

This charming hofje (courtyard) was named in the late 18th century for Jan van Brienen, who bought the Star Brewery located here, one of 13 breweries in…

3. Haarlemmerpoort

0.23 MILES

Once a defensive gateway to the city, the Haarlemmerpoort marked the start of the journey to Haarlem, which was a major trading route. The neoclassical…

4. Pianola Museum

0.25 MILES

This is a very special place, crammed with pianolas from the early 1900s. The museum has around 50, although only a dozen are on display at any given time…

5. Greenland Warehouses

0.26 MILES

The distinctive red-shuttered Greenland Warehouses were built in 1620. Whale oil was a sought-after ingredient for soap, lamp oil and paint, and wells…

6. West-Indisch Huis

0.29 MILES

Built in 1617 as a meat market and militia barracks, this historical building was rented by the Dutch West India Company (Geoctroyeerde West-Indische…

7. KochxBos

0.3 MILES

A converted apartment living room now houses this art gallery displaying contemporary underground (aka North European low-brow or pop surrealism)…

8. De Rode Hoed

0.33 MILES

Occupying three glorious 17th-century canal houses – which once sheltered the Vrijburg, the largest clandestine church in the Netherlands – this cultural…