Amsterdam Photo Gallery

February 24, 2009 · Updated September 2026 · BootsnAll

Back in 2009 this site had a separate photo gallery with albums of canals, the flower market, Centraal Station, the Waterlooplein market and Dam Square. That gallery is long gone, but the photos aren't. Here's a selection of them in one place, most taken in 2008 and 2009.

A few things in these shots have changed since. The construction around Centraal Station finished when the North-South metro line opened in 2018, and shops and cafes come and go, so treat this as a picture of the city rather than a current listing. Each caption links to our guide for that spot where we have one.

Canals and the waterfront

Canal boats in front of Centraal Station, with construction cranes over the station in 2009 — Centraal Station from across the water, 2009. The cranes were part of the North-South metro line work, which finally opened in 2018.

The IJ river seen from a ferry, with the old Shell tower on the north bank — On the free ferry across the IJ behind Centraal Station. The tall tower on the far bank is the old Shell building, now A'DAM Toren. More

Markets

Shoppers walking between the stalls of the Waterlooplein market — Browsing the Waterlooplein market on a grey day. More

A vendor in a blue robe beside a stall of rugs, fabrics and baskets at Waterlooplein — Rugs, fabrics and baskets at a Waterlooplein stall. More

Dam Square and the old center

The Royal Palace on Dam Square under a stormy sky, with people sitting on the square — The Royal Palace on Dam Square, with the Nieuwe Kerk to its right. More

Crowds crossing Dam Square toward the National Monument — The other side of the Dam, looking toward the National Monument. More

A Ferris wheel and fair rides set up in front of the Royal Palace — A funfair on the Dam in 2008. More

A tram passing the ornate brick former post office building — A tram passing the old main post office on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, which became the Magna Plaza shopping center.

Around Centraal Station

The front of Centraal Station behind construction fencing — The front of Centraal Station during the metro works, 2009. More

The red awning of a coffeeshop with a pink bicycle parked outside — A coffeeshop a few minutes' walk from the station, photographed in 2009. More

View through a coffeeshop window with the name reflected on the table and a tram outside — The view out the same coffeeshop's window, trams going by. More

Red Light District and Vondelpark

The carved stone entrance of the Oude Kerk — The entrance to the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam's oldest building, right in the Red Light District. More

The Zeedijk street with Chinese restaurant signs and a horse-drawn carriage — The Zeedijk, the edge of the Red Light District and home to the city's small Chinatown. More

A woman feeding ducks and pigeons beside a pond in Vondelpark — Feeding the birds at one of the Vondelpark ponds. More

A man walking across the Museumplein lawn toward the Concertgebouw — Across the Museumplein lawn to the Concertgebouw.

Planning your own photos

The canal belt looks best early in the morning, before the tour boats and bikes fill every frame, and again at dusk when the bridge lights come on. The ring of canals inside the Singelgracht is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you can cover a good chunk of it on foot in an afternoon.

For more ideas on where to point your camera, see our things to do in Amsterdam and free things to do pages. If you'd rather see the city moving, we've also rounded up Amsterdam videos that give you a sense of the place.