Oudemanhuispoort Book Market

Medieval Centre & Red Light District


Secondhand books weigh down the tables in the atmospheric covered alleyway between Oudezijds Achterburgwal and Kloveniersburgwal, where you'll rub tweed-patched elbows with University of Amsterdam professors thumbing through volumes of Marx, Aristotle et al. Old posters, maps and sheet music are for sale too. Most titles are in Dutch, though you'll find a few in English mixed in. Cash only.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Medieval Centre & Red Light District attractions

1. Oudemanhuispoort

On Oudezijds Achterburgwal a distinctive gateway with spectacles over the pedestal rises up and marks the entrance to the Oudemanhuispoort, a 17th-century…

2. Allard Pierson Museum

0.11 MILES

Run by the University of Amsterdam and named for its first professor of archaeology, Allard Pierson (1831–96), this museum contains a rich archaeological…

3. Nes

0.12 MILES

Beyond the glare of the Red Light District runs this dark, narrow lane, home to theatres for more than 150 years. In 1614 Amsterdam's first bank opened in…

4. Oost-Indisch Huis

0.15 MILES

The mighty Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; VOC), founded in 1602, was one of the earliest multinational companies, trading…

5. Fashion for Good

0.15 MILES

The world’s first sustainable fashion museum delves into the history of fashion, the latest industry technology and innovation, and the stories behind day…

6. Oude Hoogstraat 22

0.16 MILES

Property in Amsterdam used to be taxed on frontage. So the narrower your facade, the less you paid. The slender house at Oude Hoogstraat 22 must have…

7. Rokin

0.17 MILES

South of the Dam, this street is part of the route most visitors take from Centraal Station into town, the name being a corruption of rak-in (inward reach…

8. Hash, Marijuana & Hemp Museum

0.17 MILES

Simple exhibits here cover dope botany and the relationship between cannabis and religion. Highlights include an impressive pipe collection, an…