JORDAAN

Description

Essentials about the Jordaan in brief

The Jordaan is one of the most interesting and hip neighborhoods of Amsterdam. For many, it is the most beautiful and authentic neighborhood of Amsterdam, where you can best feel the special flair of the canal city. In the well-kept canal houses of the neighborhood there are plenty of cool bars, hip cafes, trendy restaurants, unusual studios, chic galleries and beautiful boutiques to discover. Especially the many small courtyards and the houseboats in the canals (which are considered the most beautiful in Amsterdam) contribute a lot to the charm of the Jordaan.

The name “Jordaan”

The Jordaan stretches between the Brouwersgracht in the north and the Leidsegracht in the south and between the Prinsengracht in the east and the Singelgracht in the west. The origin of the name is not clear. Sometimes reference is made to the river of the same name in Israel and Palestine. However, given the many street names with references to the plant kingdom (Lindengracht, Bloemgracht, Rosenstraat), it is more likely that the name can be traced back to a verbalization of the French word for garden (jardin), since many Huguenots who had fled France had settled in Amsterdam.

The history of the Jordaan

The Jordaan was built at the beginning of the 17th century. Since time immemorial, the neighborhood has been a workers’ and craftsmen’s area. Many of the historic houses display a stone image on the facade with the occupational symbol of the former inhabitants (e.g. a pig for butchers or scissors for tailors). With the rise of the socialist and communist movements in the 19th century, the Jordaan became a stronghold of left-wing parties. Workers’ uprisings occurred in the neighborhood time and again.

In the 1960s, the population structure increasingly changed. Many of the working-class residents left the neighborhood, which led to an increasing decline of the Jordaan in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, artists and students increasingly settled in the area. Towards the end of the century, as the building fabric began to be restored, it became hip again to live in the Jordaan and a wave of gentrification set in, making the Jordaan today one of the most desirable and expensive residential areas in all of Amsterdam.

The museums in the Jordaan

The Jordaan is also home to some of Amsterdam’s more offbeat museums, such as the Pianola Museum, the Houseboat Museum, and the Tulip Museum. On the edge of the neighborhood on Prinsengracht is the world-famous Anne Frank House.