You’ll find Amsterdam’s only surviving medieval fortified gate on the fringe of Chinatown. The many-towered, squat Waag was constructed in 1498 of red-and-white brick and is now the oldest secular building still standing in Amsterdam. The building had many functions over the centuries; it was the site of public executions before morphing into a public weigh house for merchandise brought into the city and later becoming a guild house. One of the wealthy, powerful guilds that lodged here was the Surgeon’s Guild; a fact that is immortalized in Rembrandt’s graphic painting “The Anatomy Lesson” (1632), which depicts a dissection being conducted in the upper-floor Theatrum Anatomicum. Today the Waag is purely dedicated to pleasure; it’s the perfect spot for people watching from the buzzy outdoor bar of the historic Restaurant-Café In de Waag.
Amsterdam› Attraction
De Waag
Nieuwmarkt 4
Our Rating
Hours
Mon–Wed 11am–10:30pm; Thurs–Sun 9am–10:30pm (when restaurant is open)
Prices
Free admission
![2 star(s) 2 star rating](/assets/rating/fromm-rating-2star.png)
Map
Nieuwmarkt 4 AmsterdamNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.