podtour
From the Old Harbour to the East India Company
From the harbour to the boardroom, follow the trade that transformed Amsterdam. Along the way, meet sailors, refugees and neighbours who fought for their street.
The Jewish Quarter: Sephardim, Spinoza and Resistance: audio walk in Amsterdam
The Jewish Quarter from its streets: Rembrandt's bankruptcy, Spinoza and the plaque that jumps the gun, the boxers who defended the neighbourhood, the timber island under the city hall and opera house and what its old cesspits revealed, Spinoza's expulsion in a synagogue that no longer exists, four synagogues bought for a single guilder, the February Strike of 1941 and its dockworker, the great synagogue that couldn't be blacked out, the Portuguese Jews who wrote in Spanish, and the hundred thousand names.
What this walk is about
You start outside the house Rembrandt couldn't pay for, listed room by room with the painter standing there. Beside the Amstel, Spinoza's statue says he was born on that spot, which nobody can prove, and next to it a column remembers the Jews who organised the defence of the neighbourhood against the Dutch Nazi militia. Under the city hall and opera house there was once an island for storing timber, where the Jewish Quarter began and where archaeologists found neighbours from half of Europe, and a market that in 1941 became a market for Jews only. In the market square stood the synagogue where Spinoza's expulsion was read out in 1656: the great Portuguese Synagogue didn't exist yet. Four Ashkenazi synagogues the museum bought for a guilder, the square of the first round-ups and of the February Strike, the bronze dockworker modelled by a carpenter, the synagogue the Nazis ruled out as a prison because it couldn't be blacked out, and the descendants of refugees from the Inquisition who spoke Portuguese and wrote in Spanish. You finish at the memorial bearing the names of more than a hundred thousand people.
- Start
- The Inventory of a Bankrupt Painter
- Finish
- More Than a Hundred Thousand Names
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Jewish and Sephardic history and Spain's footprint. Written for adults and teenagers.
- 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 Inventory of a Bankrupt Painter
- 2
Was Spinoza Born Here?
- 3
A Column Against Prejudice
- 4
What the Cesspits Revealed
- 5
The Market as Our Witness
- 6
An Expulsion Before the Esnoga
- 7
Four Synagogues for One Guilder
- 8
More Than Four Hundred in the Square
- 9
The Dockworker Who Was a Carpenter
- 10
A Temple That Could Not Be Blacked Out
- 11
Praying in Hebrew, Speaking Portuguese, Writing Spanish
- 12
More Than a Hundred Thousand Names
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 Plantage under Occupation
Occupation transformed life in the Plantage. Follow the traces of persecution and the people who helped others survive.
The Red-Light District and the Old Harbour
The Red Light District is also a neighbourhood of sailors, churches and residents. Walk the Zeedijk for the stories beyond its windows.
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.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.