Flea market at the Waterlooplein
The Waterlooplein Shopping Route takes you from Dam Square to the famous Waterloo Square flea market.
Flea market
Every large city has a flea market. Amsterdam has Waterlooplein Market, traditionally a Jewish market for the sale of everyday goods, but because of the persecution of the Jews in WW II the character of the market changed.The heyday of the present Waterlooplein market was in the sixties and the seventies. Hippies, flower power, American tourists; those were the days!
Because of the new town hall and theatre Waterlooplein market decreased considerably in size. The present market has 300 stalls and is open six days per week.
But the old, characteristic atmosphere is not all gone. The merchandise of many stalls is still displayed on the ground, whether it is second-hand clothing, antique objects or leather coats.
How to get there?
Waterlooplein market is situated behind Amsterdam's town hall. You can reach it by either tram 9 or 14 from Dam Square. Get off at the fourth stop (Stopera = the nickname for the town hall and theatre).
Shopping route from Dam to Waterlooplein
From Dam Square this takes about 15 minutes. Walk along Rokin; turn left at Kooij Canal Cruises.
On Grimburgwal 2 you will pass 3-D Holograms on the right-hand side, which sells holographic articles; diagonally across at number 11 you can buy lovely jewellery in Studio Beaufort. A little further down the street, on the left-hand corner is the famous Amsterdam art gallery Mokum.
Second-hand book market
After Gallery Mokum you cross two bridges. In front of you on the left you see a gate which you walk under. You are now at the book market in the Oudemanhuispoort, where second-hand books displayed on tables are for sale.
After a look around you continue straight on. When you leave the gate turn right and cross the first bridge
on your left. Keep on walking, cross two more bridges and you will come to the town hall which is where the Waterlooplein market starts.
You will pass another interesting little shop on the right-hand side in Staalstraat at number 14, called, Ciné-qua-non, a book shop which specialises in film, and which has a very extensive collection of books, posters, photos, etc., on movie stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider, James Bond and especially Marilyn Monroe.
Shopping Route
Dam Rokin Grimburgwal Oudemanhuispoort Staalstraat Waterlooplein
Second-hand clothes on Waterlooplein
No fixed prices
The Waterlooplein market is one of the few places in Amsterdam, which has no fixed prices. You can haggle over the price of most of the merchandise offered for sale here.
Coffee/Lunch Break Tips
Cafe Puccini,
Staalstraat 21
Grand-cafe Dantzig, on the corner of the Stopera Building. Nice terrace with a view of the river Amstel.
Nearby sights
Rembrandt House
Visit the house in which Rembrandt lived and worked from 1639 till 1658.