Oudemanhuispoort (Old Man's House Gate)

Oudemanhuispoort (Old Man's House Gate) Review

Landmarked by its famous chiseled pair of spectacles set over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal pediment—a sweet reference to old age—this passage led to a pensioners' house, an "Oudemannenhuis," first built in 1754. Today, bikes, not canes, are in evidence, as this former almshouse is now part of the University of Amsterdam. One charming relic from its founding days is the covered walkway, which would have been lined with tiny shops whose rents helped subsidize the 18th-century elderly. Adorned with red shutters, the stalls now house an array of antiquarian booksellers. At the Kloveniersburgwal end stands a statue of Mother Amsterdam protecting two elders, sculpted by Anthonie Ziessenis in 1786.