Negen Straatjes - 9 Streets at Amsterdam’s beautiful Canals

A street in Amsterdam’s Nine Streets with tall, narrow brick buildings. People walk on the sidewalk, some sit outside cafés. A one-way traffic sign is visible on the right.

in short...

  • perhaps no secret - but too beautiful to leave unsaid

  • vintage shops, vinyl stores and cafés in Amsterdam's oldest streets

  • our favourite stop - eating fries on one of the canal bridges


A hand holds a red and white checkered cone of French fries from Fabel Friet in front of a canal in Amsterdam. Trees and a blue boat on the water are visible in the background.

The picturesque streets between Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel have long ceased to be a hidden gem, but perhaps that’s precisely why we want to write about them. 

Exterior view of the Concrete Matter shop in the Nine Streets. Vintage jackets and shirts hang in the display window, with a camouflage suit attached to the facade on the left.

Vintage clothing at Concrete Matter

Inside Concrete Matter: Varsity jackets hang on the wall of the vintage shop. Sunglasses are displayed in a glass case, with piles of clothes on the shelves below.
View inside the Concrete Matter shop: A large King Kong poster hangs on the back wall. Customers stand between shelves filled with jeans and vintage clothing.

Sometimes, even after being discovered by many enthusiastic visitors, a recommendation manages to retain its old charm.

A round sign with the Red Wing Shoes logo hangs from a metal bracket above the entrance. The shop is located in one of the alleys of the Nine Streets.

shoes from red wing shoes

Many leather boots hang from hooks on the ceiling of the Red Wing shop. Caps and more shoes are ready on shelves.

Where tanners and merchants once resided in the 17th century, today the picturesque houses are home to charming cafes, fantastic vintage shops, cool record stores, laid-back bars, stroopwafel bakeries and antique shops.

Almost none of them have turned into tourist traps under the influx of visitors.

A sign saying "Wax Well Records" hangs in front of a record store. The logo is in blue, white, and purple.

Vinyl records at Wax Well Records

Customers browse for records at Wax Well Records in the Nine Streets. Rows of various record sleeves hang on the walls.

On a sunny Saturday, as we stand with delicious Dutch fries on the Runstraat Bridge over the Keizersgracht, it becomes clear that even the locals know the nine streets are especially delightful. 

A boat travels through a canal in the sun. People sit on the quay wall in front of the gabled houses.

The spots by the water in the Negen Straatjes, whether for a drink with friends or a weekend breakfast at the flower-adorned Pluk or the Bakkerij Wolf, are not easily surrendered by the locals to out-of-town guests.

And rightfully so!

High-angle view inside Café Pluk in the Nine Streets. Baskets of fruit and vegetables stand by the window, while various cakes are arranged on the marble counter.

Café Pluk in the Nine Streets

The Nine Streets – touristy or not – have a surprisingly calming effect.

It’s the kind of place where we can simply wander, no agenda needed. Independent boutiques, cafés and bars line the streets in such delightful density that strolling is wonderfully effortless and somehow we feel right at home in Amsterdam.

more of our favourite shops in Amsterdam

The Nine Streets:

 
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