Amsterdam-Noord: what to see and do across the IJ

Amsterdam-Noord at a glance: the city on the other bank

Noord is one of Amsterdam's boroughs, cut off from the centre by the IJ, the broad stretch of water behind Central Station. No bridge links it to the historic centre: you cross by ferry, by metro under the IJ or through the road tunnel. That separation explains its distinct character.

Between the two world wars, the city built garden villages here to house the workers of the shipyards and factories on the north bank, such as the Van der Pekbuurt and Tuindorp Nieuwendam. Older still, the dyke villages of Nieuwendam and Buiksloot line the Waterlandse Zeedijk, the old sea dyke. Since 3 March 2014, much of this heritage has been protected as a conservation area.

After the shipyards closed, the old industrial land along the IJ was redeveloped: Overhoeks around the former Shell tower, the NDSM wharf to the west, and Buiksloterham with its green projects. Further north and east begins Landelijk Noord, the Waterland countryside, with its meadows, canals and small villages.

What to see in Amsterdam-Noord

Overhoeks: EYE, A'DAM Tower and This is Holland

The Buiksloterweg ferry landing, less than 5 minutes by ferry from Central Station, is the gateway to Noord. On the waterfront stand the EYE Filmmuseum, the film museum in its white building opened in 2012, and A'DAM Tower, the former Shell tower from 1971. At the top, A'DAM Lookout offers a 360° view from 100 metres up, plus its swing over the edge.

A few steps away on Overhoeksplein, This is Holland runs a flight simulator of about 9 minutes over the Netherlands, preceded by two shows on the country's history. Allow an hour for the visit. Both shows are in Dutch, with a free app to follow them in your own language. The flight is not open to children under 4 or shorter than 1 metre.

NDSM wharf: street art, STRAAT and the flea market

To the west, the former NDSM shipyard has become a playground for artists, with its cranes, graffiti-covered sheds and the STRAAT Museum devoted to street art. On certain weekends, its halls host the IJ-Hallen flea market, which bills itself as the largest flea market in Europe, with 500 to 600 stalls. Next published dates: 10 and 11 October, 31 October and 1 November, 12 and 13 December 2026, 9am to 4.30pm, entry €6.50. Ferry F4 runs there directly from Central Station.

Nxt Museum: digital art

Nxt Museum, Asterweg 22, is devoted to new media art and immersive installations. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, until 8.30pm or 10.30pm depending on the day, and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Until 10 January 2027, it is showing the exhibition "Pioneers of Media Art". You can walk there from the Buiksloterweg ferry landing.

De Ceuvel, Schoonschip and Buiksloterham

Buiksloterham, a former industrial area on the Johan van Hasseltkanaal, serves as a laboratory for sustainable urban living. On the site of an old shipyard, De Ceuvel lines up former houseboats placed on dry land and turned into workspaces. Plants clean the polluted soil, and the site, open since 2014, is largely built from recycled materials. Its café, Café de Ceuvel, is open to the public.

A little further along the same canal, Schoonschip is a floating neighbourhood lived in since early 2020: 46 households live on 30 floating homes fitted with solar panels and heat pumps, with no gas. These are private homes: look at them from the quay without walking onto the jetties.

Dyke villages and garden villages

The Nieuwendammerdijk is Noord's most picturesque street. For about 1.8 km, this old sea dyke was the backbone of the former village of Nieuwendam: gabled wooden houses, small gardens and an old lock, the Nieuwendammersluis. It feels like the countryside, just minutes from the centre.

Right behind it, Tuindorp Nieuwendam is a garden village built between the wars, with low houses and leafy streets. Closer to the Buiksloterweg ferry, the Van der Pekbuurt is one of Noord's first workers' garden villages, laid out in the same period to house the IJ shipyard workers close to their jobs.

Noorderpark

Noorderpark was created in 2014 by joining the Florapark and the Volewijkspark on either side of the Noordhollandsch Kanaal. It has lawns, waterside paths and the Noorderparkbad, an indoor pool opened in 2015 with an outdoor pool. The park is served by Noorderpark metro station.

Where to eat and drink in Amsterdam-Noord

Noord is the place for a drink by the water while watching the boats go by. The addresses below are long established; check their opening hours before you go.

• Pllek (TT Neveritaweg 59, NDSM): restaurant on the IJ with a largely plant-based menu, open daily from 9.30am, kitchen until 10pm; DJs at weekends and yoga on Sunday mornings.
• Café de Ceuvel (Korte Papaverweg 4): sustainable café-restaurant among the houseboats of De Ceuvel, open Tuesday to Sunday from noon, closed on Monday.
• Hangar (Aambeeldstraat 36): restaurant, bar and event venue, open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am.
• THT (IJpromenade 2): sharing-plates restaurant in the pavilion of the Tolhuistuin, a former Shell site turned cultural venue with a garden and concert halls, a stone's throw from the Buiksloterweg ferry.
• MADAM: the restaurant and bar on the 20th floor of A'DAM Tower, reserved for visitors with a Lookout ticket (details on the A'DAM Lookout page).

For a night out, Noord also has several venues and clubs; see our guide to Amsterdam at night. If you come in the morning, our guide to brunch in Amsterdam lists the best places.

A walk and bike ride through Noord

For the walking part, allow half a day around Overhoeks and Buiksloterham.

1. Take ferry F3 from behind Central Station, on the IJ side, to Buiksloterweg.
2. Visit EYE or go up A'DAM Lookout, then stroll through the Tolhuistuin and its garden.
3. Cross the Van der Pekbuurt and its interwar workers' houses.
4. Head to Buiksloterham for Nxt Museum, De Ceuvel and the Schoonschip floating homes.
5. Return to the Buiksloterweg ferry landing, or carry on west to the NDSM wharf and head back on ferry F4.

By bike, continue east: follow the Nieuwendammerdijk through the old village, then the Schellingwouderdijk out to the Waterland countryside. Durgerdam, Ransdorp and Holysloot, three villages protected since 1976, can be reached by bike along the dykes and meadows. All the details for going further, as far as Broek in Waterland, Marken or Edam, are in our guide to the Waterland villages. Bikes travel free on the ferries.

Practical information

Getting to Amsterdam-Noord

GVB's IJ ferries are free for pedestrians and cyclists. They leave from behind Central Station, on the IJ side:

• F3 to Buiksloterweg (EYE, A'DAM Lookout, This is Holland): departures every few minutes, day and night, crossing under 5 minutes;
• F4 to NDSM: several departures an hour during the day, crossing of about 15 minutes;
• F2 to IJplein, east of Overhoeks.

Metro line 52 (Noord/Zuidlijn) runs under the IJ: Noorderpark is the first stop after Central Station, and Noord station, the end of the line, serves Buikslotermeer. GVB has announced that with the new network in 2028, line 52 will become line M1. Full ticket details are in our guide to getting around Amsterdam.

Summary of places to see

Prices checked in October 2026 on the official websites.

When to go

Come on a fine day to enjoy the terraces along the IJ, ideally in the late afternoon for the sunset over the city. A flea market weekend at the IJ-Hallen lets you combine bargain hunting, street art and lunch at NDSM. When it rains, EYE, Nxt Museum and This is Holland are good options.

Further reading

Noord fits easily into a day in the centre: find our ideas in Amsterdam in 2 days. To compare with a 17th-century canal district, read our guide to the Jordaan, and to leave the city behind, see our selection of day trips from Amsterdam.