
Top 5 Photography Ideas For Amsterdam
In this blog Historical Amsterdam Tours has curated some of the most iconic spots, as well as several snappy ideas to capture this vibrant old city.
We start at Westermarkt, next to the Anne Frank Monument at the Westerchurch tower.
End is at the National Holocaust Museum (Plantage Middenlaan)
3 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
Anne Frank house
Resistance movements on the canals
Royal Palace and royal family during WWII
Jewish Cultural Quarter
Portuguese Synagogue
National Holocaust Memorial
See Booking page
We start at Westermarkt, next to the Anne Frank Monument at the Westerchurch tower.
We end at the National Holocaust Museum (Plantage Middenlaan)
3 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
Anne Frank house
Resistance movements on the canals
Royal Palace and the royal family during WWII
Jewish Cultural Quarter
Portuguese Synagogue
National Holocaust Memorial
See Booking page
This two hours WWII tour will be all about the five years of Nazi occupation and the holocaust in Amsterdam. How did ordinary Amsterdammers deal with the Germans?
Get a deeper insight into how this tragic world history effected the city and how the scars are still visible today. Random family stories, courageous individuals and the loss of about 10% of the population paint the picture of WWII in Amsterdam.
We start at the monument of Anne Frank at the Westermarkt, right around the corner of the Anne Frank House museum. Who was she and what exactly happened in the annex behind Prinsengracht 263? We shine a light on how – more than anything else – this young girl became the symbol of the holocaust in the Netherlands.
Walking along the Amsterdam canals we will deal with some misconceptions about Amsterdam during World War II: Amsterdam was not bombed by the Germans, there was hardly any resistance, people didn’t know what happened with their rounded up neighbors… Over the years the history of WWII has been used and abused on many levels. We diligently researched the sources and the raw data for our version of the story.
At the Royal Palace on the Dam you learn more about the role of the Royal Family during WWII. How effective was queen Wilhelmina while hiding in London? Get the heroic story of the concierge of the Royal Palace, who single handedly kept the palace out of the hands of the Nazi’s. Which tragic event occurred on Dam Square on May 7th 1945, three days after the Germans surrendered? And how is WWII remembered in the Netherlands today?
Walking towards the former Jewish district the tour zooms in on the Holocaust in Amsterdam. Learn how horribly efficiently the Nazi’s carried out the Holocaust in Amsterdam. How some people tried to control the damage while others saw opportunities to gain from this tragedy. What was the impact of the Jewish community on Amsterdam before WWII and what is left of it after the war?
Learn more about the largest public anti-Nazi protest in occupied Europe, the February Strike in 1941. What was the cause and what were the consequences, and how come the initiators of this protest were not welcome to the annual memorial of this event, in the first years after the war? We share several stories of the Amsterdam underground. The resistance movements that tried to throw sand into the Nazi machine.
The former Theater of Holland, the Hollandsche Schouwburg, served as a deportation center for Jews awaiting transport to the camps. Today the remains of this theater serve as the National Holocaust Memorial. A sad, but essential place for reflection and introspection. This is where our tour ends.
Note: the National Holocaust Memorial and National Holocaust Museum are currently under construction and expect to reopen in 2023.
Gerben Post is an outstanding and knowledgeable tour guide. He provided a moving experience about a topic that is difficult and painful. His ability to provide important and... read more meaningful stories about people made the walk come alive. His sensitivity and ability to describe the impact...More
We’ve lived in Amsterdam for 10 years and finally took the time to learn more about the fascinating history. The financial tour did not disappoint - learning about both the... read more financial innovations of the Dutch, but also the uncomfortable truths in its history. Thank you, Thijs, for the engaging tour!
I was looking for personal tour guides for our trip on Amsterdam. I read about Edmund and Tijs on the web and started an email dialogue to create an itinerary... read more covering our 2 day visit with an emphasis on museums. We have always enjoyed docent...More
Tijs is one of the people that makes us wish the day to have more than 24 hours! :) Not only a guide who makes the fascinating Amsterdam even more... read more fascinating! His vision for the city reveals the past, the present, and create great perspectives for the future. With all the secrets of each street, you learn not only about Nederlands but also its World's Influence. Knowledge, culture, amazing angles for photos and a real lesson of lively history in just one day, I can imagine how wonderful it would be if we had the privilege to spend a week with our new Dutch Friend! Absolutely recommended, I have no doubt he will be an essential part of my tours! …
This was an amazing walking tour of Rembrandt’s steps, where he lived, about his work, the good and bad, etc. It was extremely informative and our guide was Tijs who... read more did an outstanding job. He was funny, and professional, and it was obvious he is passionate about history. Definitely worth doing!
In this blog Historical Amsterdam Tours has curated some of the most iconic spots, as well as several snappy ideas to capture this vibrant old city.