podtour
From the Mint Tower to the Golden Bend
From a small boy's statue to the grandest canal houses, follow the money through southern Amsterdam.
De Pijp: A Neighbourhood Built in a Hurry: audio walk in Amsterdam
The working-class district that grew up outside the city wall: the academy where Mondrian very probably studied, the cloudy beer Heineken had to change, houses that fell down before anyone moved in, a street that was once a ditch, the handcart traders' market, the boy who sang to buy his mother a present, the synagogue that came through intact and the bust of Sarphati that should have been dust.
What this walk is about
Outside the ring of canals, Amsterdam built a neighbourhood in a hurry for the people who kept the city running. You start on the bank of the old moat, in front of the academy where a young Mondrian very probably studied, long before he settled on his lines. Next door, a brewer with no experience found out at an exhibition that the city didn't want his cloudy beer. Along the Ferdinand Bolstraat you head into streets put up on borrowed money and in a rush, where houses collapsed while they were still being built. The Albert Cuypstraat is wide because it was once the sawmills' ditch; behind the façades, people slept in alcoves with no window. In the market, a boy sang to buy his mother a present and ended up as a statue. On the Gerard Doustraat, a synagogue hidden in the row came through the war intact. You finish in the park where a railway station was meant to go, in front of the monument to the doctor who dreamt up this neighbourhood and whose name was erased in 1942.
- Start
- The Academy at the Edge of the City
- Finish
- The Bust That Should Have Been Dust
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for anyone curious about neighbourhoods and everyday life and Amsterdam beyond the canals.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The Academy at the Edge of the City
- 2
The Moat That Marked the Boundary
- 3
The Cloudy Beer That Lost at the Palace
- 4
A Building That Would Defy Time
- 5
The Sinking Houses
- 6
The Street That Was a Ditch
- 7
The Windowless Bedroom
- 8
From Handcarts to a Market
- 9
The Boy Who Sang at the Market
- 10
The Synagogue Hidden in the Row
- 11
The Station That Never Arrived
- 12
The Doctor, the Dirty Water and the Bread
- 13
The Bust That Should Have Been Dust
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Amsterdam, before you go
Canals, bridges and narrow façades invite aimless walks. Enjoy them attentively: between the water, trams and bicycles, the best place to look is a clear patch of pavement.
More walks nearby
The Jewish Quarter: Sephardim, Spinoza and Resistance
Walk the old Jewish quarter through the lives of its neighbours and those who never returned. Rembrandt, Spinoza and the workers of 1941 share these streets.
From Leidseplein to Museumplein
Between Leidseplein and Museumplein, theatres and museums have stories their grand façades do not immediately reveal. This walk brings those stories outside.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
iOSAndroidComing soon
A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.