The Damrak is the conduit from Central Station to the Dam, a role that allows it to mold many a visitor's first impression of Amsterdam. It's not necessarily a positive impression these days, either: cluttered with businesses out to make a quick buck on the endless stream of tourists, the street exudes a certain tackiness, and has its fair share of pitfalls for the first-time visitor. Nonetheless, there's much to appreciate about the Damrak, and anyone with the patience to look beneath the surface (and brave the crowds) is duly rewarded: behind its decidedly sketchy veneer, visitors can find essential pieces of Amsterdam city history, architecture and more.

History of the Damrak 

What is now the Damrak was actually once the northernmost reach, or rak, of the Amstel, which flowed northward to meet the IJ River at about the point where Central Station now stands. While most of this reach was filled in, there's still on last stretch of the Damrak that remains unfilled - the span between Prins Hendrikkade and Oudebrugsteeg, dubbed the Natte Damrak (Wet Damrak), which is now a convenient departure point for canal cruises. The cruise operators Rederij Plas (whose standard one-hour tours depart from piers 1, 2 and 3, every 20 minutes from 10am; last tour of the day varies by season) and Gray Line Canal Cruises (whose one-hours tour depart from pier 5, every 15 minutes between 9am and 5pm) depart from this northeastern span of the Damrak.

While the transition from river to land was easily the Damrak's most drastic metamorphosis, the street has continued to transform over the decades - sometimes for better, other times for worse. Ons Amsterdam describes the turn-of-the-century Damrak as a fashionable boulevard in the vein of Paris's Champs Elysée, but which lost its allure to fast-food chains and tourist traps.

Perhaps future decades will even see the Damrak restored to its former self; in the meantime, the street still holds some treasures of its illustrious past.

Damrak culminates in the Dam, or Dam Square, one of the most historic squares of Amsterdam.

Architecture of the Damrak

Visitors who approach Damrak from the Central Station will encounter their first monument, the Victoria Hotel, on its northernmost corner. The hotel opened its doors to much fanfare in 1890, and wooed its rich and famous clientele with modern amenities such as electricity in every room. The hotel owner, Johann Friedrich Henkenhaf, was also its architect (as well as architect of the Hotel Krasnapolsy on the Dam). To realize his vision, Henkenhaf hoped to demolish all the houses that stood on the corner, but two hold-outs resisted; these two slender houses still stand today, dwarfed by the monolithic hotel that surrounds them.

Gabled facades follow one after another on the western side of the street; visitors need only look up past the eye-level storefronts to appreciate the street's classic architecture. Damrak 6 and 8, now a FEBO and McDonalds, respectively, are both national monuments, crowned with ornate neck gables. The aureate hand above the entrance to Damrak 16 is a relic of the historic savonnerie (soap manufacturer) De Vergulde Hand (The Gilded Hand) that operated there from 1544 to 1970; its products are still found on Dutch store shelves today.

At the intersection with Karnemelksteeg, two monuments face each other on opposite corners: collectively, the pair comprise the Utrecht, the joint project of Traditionalist architect Alexander Kropholler and his partner Jan Staal, who would later join the expressionist Amsterdam School. The Utrecht consists of a warehouse at Damrak 26, emblazoned with the name "Utrecht" in a mosaic above the fourth-floor windows; and the less sober unit at Damrak 28, intended as an office complex, and richly ornamented with pilasters and five statues, each a personification of an abstract concept.

At the corner of Oudebrugsteeg, the pale-slate facade at Damrak 37-38 is enlivened with classic Art Nouveau details; take a peek at the main entrance and windows around the corner on Oudebrugsteeg. Farther south, the intricate facade at Damrak 62, a personal favorite of mine, is punctuated with delicately carved sculptures and reliefs; for almost 120 years, from 1880 to 1999, it was the address of international bookseller and publisher Allert de Lange, an Amsterdam institution whose bankruptcy was read as a bad omen for the future of the street. An attractive Art Nouveau typeface identifies the turn-of-the-century facade at Damrak 80 as an erstwhile bank.

No survey of the Damrak's architecture would be complete without mention of the Beurs van Berlage, on the eastern side of the street at Damrak 243; click for a full profile of this milestone of modern Dutch architecture.

Where to Eat On and Near the Damrak

Amid the historic architecture of the Damrak wafts the aromas of its myriad restaurants. Restauranteurs on on the Damrak know that most of their customers are tourists, bound to visit only once, so there's no need for them to waste any effort to turn out above-par food and service. Some spots on and near the Damrak, however, do put in a solid effort, even within the context of fast food and other casual eats.

Maoz(Damrak 40) puts a nutritious spin on the fast-food concept; while its house specialty - falafel - is still deep-fried, it's a cut above the usual fast-food joints, both nutrition- and taste-wise.

Credited with the best fries in the country, Manneken Pis, the popular French-fry vendor at Damrak 41, can indeed be a revelation for visitors who have never tried classic Flemish fries before. That said, I'd be hard-pressed to rate their fries above those of Vleminckx Sausmeesters.

A corridor off the main street leads pedestrians behind the veneer of souvenir shacks to the Indian restaurant Gandhi(Damrak 54-III). Inside, diners ladle food from Balti bowls filled to the brim with classic North Indian curries.

Around the corner, at Kolksteeg 2, the Burger Bar doles out an upscale version of the fast-food standby, which diners can customize from the bun up; there are even portobello steaks as a meat-free option.

Parallel to Damrak, Niewendijk is throttled with international fashion chains; one bastion of indepedent commerce is Banketbakkerij van der Linde(Nieuwendijk 183), which hits the spot with its old-fashioned Dutch slagroomrijs: literally, whipped-cream ice cream, which adds heavy cream to the traditional ice cream recipe.

Just off Damrak at Zoutsteeg 4, Van den Berg's Broodjesbar is a no-frills Dutch sandwich shop, a convenient option for a quick lunch; the spartan lunchroom has a few seats for customers who prefer to eat in.