The best hikes from bus stations around Coenhaven

The National Monument on the Dam is an unmistakable landmark of the square. This striking monument was erected in 1956 as a memorial to the fallen of World War II. Every year on May 4th – Remembrance Day – two minutes of silence are held on the Dam in honor of these victims. Source: https://explorial.com/de/sights/amsterdam-the-dam-de/

The National Monument is the most important national monument in the Netherlands. It is a memorial to the victims of the German occupation during World War II and a monument to liberation and peace. Located on Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam, it consists of a 22-meter-high obelisk and a curved memorial wall, as well as several sculptures bearing the inscription "Never again!" Source: https://www.stadtrundfahrt.com/amsterdam/sehenswuerdigkeiten/nationaal-monument/

The National Monument stands high in the center of Amsterdam's Dam Square and is the Netherlands' most important World War II memorial. The towering travertine obelisk is 22 meters high and pays tribute to the fallen Dutch soldiers from World War II and subsequent armed conflicts. On May 4, 1956, Queen Juliana (the daughter of Wilhelmina) unveiled a new monument.

Between the Nieuwendijk and Damrak lies an impressive passage worth visiting: the Beurspassage (Stock Exchange Passage). The passage is a 450-square-meter work of art called "Amsterdam Oersoep" (Amsterdam Primordial Soup) by artists Arno Coenen, Iris Roskam, and Hans van Bentem. It is a visual narrative about the emergence of life forms from water, with Amsterdam's canals and history at its center. It is 8 meters high and 4.5 meters wide.

The former alley Baafjessteeg (Baafje's Alley) dates back to 1416 (Baafje was a girl's name, but we don't know who this woman was). It was first recorded on a map from 1625. In 1876, this alley was located at Damrak 74. At the end of the 19th century, the alley was covered over and incorporated into the office building of an insurance company. In 1912, the building was converted into a department store and headquarters of the clothing company C&A. After a fire in 1963, which left only the facade intact, a new building was constructed in 1968. The name Beurspassage (Stock Exchange Passage) originated in 1905, in reference to Berlage's Koopmansbeurs, which was built on the Beursplein in 1903. In 2010, a comprehensive renovation project called "Nowadays" (by American architect Robert A.M. Stern and the Dutch firm Rijnboutt) began to renew the surrounding buildings at Damrak 70 and 80 and Nieuwendijk 196. The finished artwork was completed in 2016. The passage was relocated to the north side of the building.

De Beurspassage in Amsterdam. It connects two shopping streets in the city center, just a stone's throw from the central station. It was inaugurated at the end of 2016. Magnificent glass mosaics and beautiful candelabras decorate the walls and ceiling. The original chandeliers were made from recycled bicycle parts such as handlebars, headlights, and gears and are decorated with gold leaf. Visitors walk across an ornate terrazzo floor. The passage has created a beautiful street space with a pleasant atmosphere in Amsterdam's city center. Such public spaces contribute to the perception of cities as attractive places. The former Baafjessteeg alleyway dates back to 1416.

The Damrak is the original estuary of the Amstel River—a straight stretch of water. The river flowed into the IJ from a lock in the Dam. In the 19th century, the canal was filled in, except for the canal boat moorings on the west side, and now serves as a harbor. The gabled houses bordering the water are among the most picturesque in the city. Damrak is also the name of the adjacent street, which resembles a giant flypaper basket and awaits visitors arriving at the central station with cheap tourist hotels, fast-food restaurants, and souvenir shops.

The Herengracht (German: "Herrengraben") is the innermost of the three canals forming part of the Amsterdam Canal Belt, laid out concentrically around the Old Town of Amsterdam. It lies west and south of the medieval city center; its extension across the Amstel River, the Nieuwe Herengracht (German: "New Herengracht"), extends east of the Old Town. The former medieval city moat, the Singel, runs parallel to the Herengracht canal, while the Keizersgracht canal runs outside. The Herengracht was built in two phases, around 1613 and 1664. Among its most famous monuments are the baroque city palaces built in the Gouden Bocht (German: Golden Arch) by some of Amsterdam's wealthiest families. Construction on the Herengracht canal began in 1612 on the initiative of Mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, city architect Hendrick Jacobsz. Staets, and city surveyor Lucas Jansz. Sinck.