Photos: Job Adriaenszoon Berckheyde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Job Adriaenszoon Berckheyde, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo credits
Photos: Job Adriaenszoon Berckheyde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Job Adriaenszoon Berckheyde, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Golden Age merchants of the Herengracht
Your local guide
Joris Bakker
View profile
Highlights
- The Golden Bend and its double-width houses
- Hoisting beams still fixed above the windows
- Gable stones that once named a trade
- Bartolotti House, built by a beer brewer
- The Magere Brug over the Amstel
About this tour
This session follows the Golden Age merchants of the Herengracht, from the grand double-width houses of the Golden Bend to the ornate Bartolotti House and the Magere Brug over the Amstel. The guide reads the gable stones and hoisting beams that still mark out what each merchant traded, walking the canal in real time. It is a close look at how wealth was displayed, and sometimes hidden, along one street.
The call begins with a sound check, then follows the canal stop by stop from the Golden Bend down to the Magere Brug, with pauses for questions at each house. A short list of what was pointed out is sent once the walk ends.
This suits anyone interested in architecture or Amsterdam's Golden Age, whether planning a visit or simply curious. It also works for anyone who wants a slower, single-street version of the city's history.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 10 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Amsterdam before heading out.
-
The Golden Bend 21 min
The camera moves along the Golden Bend, where the guide explains why the double-width merchant houses built here were once considered a scandal among Amsterdam's more modest trading families.
-
Hoisting beams and gable stones 21 min
Looking up at the gables, the guide points out the hoisting beams still fixed above the top windows and the carved stones that once told neighbours what a merchant traded in.
-
Bartolotti House 21 min
Outside the ornate Bartolotti House, the guide explains how its first owner, a beer brewer, built one of the canal ring's most decorated façades, and points to a garden gate that sometimes opens onto the courtyards behind these houses.
-
Magere Brug 21 min
The walk ends at the Magere Brug, the narrow drawbridge over the Amstel, and the camera holds on the river behind it as the guide sums up what the walk has covered.
-
Your questions 18 min
Time to ask anything about Amsterdam: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 8 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Herring (haring) and Amsterdam-Noord, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Amsterdam, showing you Bloemenmarkt and Begijnhof live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Amsterdam live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Sun 1 Nov · 12 seats left From 19,00 €
Book