Oudemanhuispoort Review

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Oudemanhuispoort

  • Address: Between Oudezijds Achterburgwal, and Klovniersburgwal, Centrum, Amsterdam | Map It

Fodor's Review:

Landmarked by its famous chiseled pair of spectacles (set over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal pediment)—a sweet reference to old age—this was once 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, 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 and lead on to Kloverniersburgwal, where a statue of Mother Amsterdam protecting two elders, sculpted by Anthonie Ziessenis in 1786, stands.

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