podtour
From the Dam to the Begijnhof
A dam gave Amsterdam its name. Walk from Dam Square to the Begijnhof through changes of rulers, faith and everyday life.
From the Mint Tower to the Golden Bend: audio walk in Amsterdam
From the Spui to the Golden Bend: the Provos' bronze street urchin, the gateway of a house of correction and its legendary cell, tulip mania without the shipwrecked fortunes, the tower that minted coins in the Disaster Year, the cinema of a tailor bound for America, the square that swallowed a canal to save the cost of a bridge, the seven bridges that aren't as old as they look, and the richest street of all: how it was built, who lived there, a plaque about slavery and the notebook of an art dealer who fled in 1940.
What this walk is about
You start beside a little statue of a boy that, in the sixties, was the stage for the Provos and their white bicycles. On the Heiligeweg, the gateway of a house of correction where prisoners rasped wood for dye, and the flooding cell people were already talking about in the eighteenth century, which nobody has ever proved. At the Flower Market, tulip mania without the ruin it was credited with later. The Mint Tower struck silver coins for a year because Amsterdam wouldn't send its silver elsewhere. A Polish tailor on his way to America built the most luxurious cinema in the country here. Rembrandt waits, in iron, in a former butter market; next door, the Thorbeckeplein sits on a stretch of canal that was filled in to avoid paying for a bridge, and the seven bridges on the postcard turn out to be mostly twentieth-century. You finish on the Golden Bend: the painting that shows it as a building site, the façades of the very rich, the plaque the city put up about a company director who traded in human beings, and the house of the art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who fled in May 1940 with a notebook.
- Start
- Smoke, Raisins and White Bicycles
- Finish
- The Art Dealer's Notebook
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about art and the Golden Age and canals and architecture.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Smoke, Raisins and White Bicycles
- 2
Scrape or Drown
- 3
A Bubble Without Shipwrecks
- 4
Coins from the Year of Disaster
- 5
The Palace of a Tailor Bound for America
- 6
An Iron Rembrandt in the Butter Market
- 7
The Square That Saved the Cost of a Bridge
- 8
The Seven Bridges That Are Not So Old
- 9
The Plaque at Herengracht 502
- 10
The Painting of the Empty Plots
- 11
Double Houses: Who Lived on the Bend?
- 12
The Art Dealer's Notebook
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
Western Canals: Anne Frank and the Westerkerk
There is more behind these canal houses than wealth. Follow the stories of people who found refuge in Amsterdam, and others who were denied it.
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.
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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.