University Library

Medieval Centre & Red Light District

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Today's library is a concrete hulk, not nearly the beautiful building you'd expect at such a historical site, but its background is fascinating. Citizen militias used to meet here: the handboog (hand-bow) militia at No 421, and the voetboog (foot-bow) militia at No 425, which also served as headquarters for the Dutch West India Company. Now you know where the names of the nearby streets Handboogstraat and Voetboogstraat come from. Their firing ranges at the back reached to Kalverstraat.

The library itself is reserved for the university's students.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • AMSTERDAM - OCTOBER 3: Van Gogh museum building outstanding with design architectured in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on October 3, 2015.; Shutterstock ID 415294189; Your name (First / Last): Daniel Fahey; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Van Gogh Museum POI

    Van Gogh Museum

    0.78 MILES

    This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…

  • Picnic in Vondelpark in afternoon light.

    Vondelpark

    0.54 MILES

    Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…

  • February 13, 2018: Queue of people waiting to enter the Anne Frank museum house, with a passing tour boat on the canal.

    Anne Frank Huis

    0.55 MILES

    Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…

  • Rijksmuseum with tulips in Amsterdam..NOTE: dated image - "iamamsterdam" sign has been removed from outside museum.

    Rijksmuseum

    0.59 MILES

    The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…

  • May 18, 2018: Exterior of the Rembrandt House Museum in the old Jewish quarter of Amsterdam.

    Museum het Rembrandthuis

    0.51 MILES

    Housed in Rembrandt's former home on lively Jodenbreestraat, this evocative museum provides an unparalleled insight into one of the Netherlands’ greatest…

  • The famous stained glass windows of Sint Janskerk ( saint John Church )of Gouda abound in political symbolism, reproducing figures and events of the time, and use biblical events to refer to the conflict between Spanish Catholics and Dutch Protestants that led to the Dutch Uprising of 1572.

    Sint Janskerk

    25.83 MILES

    Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…

  • Details from traditional fisherman village open-air museum (Zuiderzeemuseum), Netherland.; Shutterstock ID 1233901861; Your name (First / Last): Evan Godt; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Netherlands destination page

    Zuiderzeemuseum

    28.88 MILES

    This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…

  • Hermitage Amsterdam

    H'Art Museum

    0.57 MILES

    Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.

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Nearby Medieval Centre & Red Light District attractions

1. Krijtberg

0.05 MILES

The spiky spires of this neo-Gothic church are an unmissable landmark amid rows of handsome Singel homes. Officially known as the St Franciscus…

2. Torture Museum

0.06 MILES

It's dilapidated and so dimly lit inside that you can barely read the placards, but fans of kitsch and oddball lore will enjoy learning about devices such…

3. Heiligeweg

0.06 MILES

The Heiligeweg (Holy Way) was once part of a route that pilgrims took to the spot where the 1345 Miracle of Amsterdam occurred. Halfway along, and…

4. Spui

0.07 MILES

Inviting cafés (pubs) and high-brow bookshops ring the Spui, a favoured haunt of academics, students and journalists. On Friday (weather permitting) a…

5. Rasphuis Gate

0.07 MILES

Directly opposite Voetboogstraat on Heiligeweg is the Rasphuis Gate, which led to a correctional institute in medieval times. The pedestal bears the…

6. Bloemenmarkt

0.08 MILES

Flowers are not treats, but essentials in Amsterdam. Ever since 1860, this famous flower market has been located at the spot where nurserymen and women,…

7. Houten Huis

0.09 MILES

Located in the Begijnhof, the Houten Huis dates from around 1465, making it the oldest preserved wooden house in the Netherlands.

8. Begijnhof Kapel

0.1 MILES

Contained within the Begijnhof and dating from 1671, this is a 'clandestine' chapel where the Beguines were forced to worship after the Calvinists took…