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About Amsterdam Old Town

The old historic centre of Amsterdam, with the canals, the Jordaan, the Red Light District and Chinatown, is the largest tourist attraction in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, few people know what is going on in this fantastic neighbourhood. We want to show that the old town of Amsterdam is extremely versatile and draw attention to the special sights, nice shops, local eateries and restaurants, tasting rooms, museums and unique activities.

Start of the project

The project started in 2008, based on an idea by the City Council and the Neighbourhood Development Company (BOM): a partnership between local entrepreneurs and organizations in the old town that support the city centre, intended to put the old town in a different light.

Huis aan de drie grachen

Royal Palace on Dam square

Goals

  • Bringing the versatility of the old town to the attention of Dutch day visitors, foreign tourists, schoolchildren, students and of course the inhabitants of Amsterdam themselves.

  • Providing the right information about the old town in a handy and affordable way for visitors to the old town.

  • Promote mutual cooperation between entrepreneurs, shop owners, hotel managers and local government.

  • Increasing the involvement of residents in their own neighbourhood.

How we achieve our goal

  • Up to date bilingual website that is easy to find via search engines.

  • Active social media tracking: Amsterdam Oude Stad (Dutch name of the project) has a popular Facebook page and an Instagram account.

  • A monthly newsletter with tips for 2.000 Dutch subscribers.

  • Three different city walks and lots of tips along the walking route.

  • Interactive scavenger hunts for adults and children: be your own guide!

  • Mention of Amsterdam Old Town as an official neighbourhood on the city maps of over 240 hotels in Amsterdam.

  • Reference to the city walks by means of a QR code on the city maps of more than 100 hotels that issue an advertisement map to their guests.

  • Together with our partners, we organize affordable group activities, with which we directly generate revenue in the neighbourhood.

  • Sponsorship (money, promotion, help) of small-scale events that strengthen the solidarity among the residents, such as the Hartjesdagen and the Haringfestival.

  • Sponsorship (money, promotion, help) of large-scale events that attract a versatile audience, such as the Red Light Jazz festival and the Gray Pride.

  • Press contact on behalf of the neighbourhood: we like to bring media into contact with the right people or authorities.

  • Establish a dialogue between different parties in the neighbourhood.

Want to collaborate? Contact us to discuss the possibilities.

News letter

Monthly news (in Dutch)