Nieuwmarkt, Zeedijk and Chinatown: a neighbourhood guide

Nieuwmarkt, Zeedijk and Chinatown at a glance

The neighbourhood is built around the Nieuwmarkt, a large square dominated by the Waag, the former St Anthony's Gate. It stretches north to the harbour along the Zeedijk and the Geldersekade, west to the Kloveniersburgwal, and south-east to the Sint Antoniesbreestraat and the Jodenbreestraat, home of the Rembrandt House.

It brings together several distinct areas:

• Nieuwmarkt: the square itself, with its terraces and market.
• Zeedijk: a former dyke turned street, linking Central Station to the Nieuwmarkt along the eastern edge of the Red Light District. Its southern half is Amsterdam's Chinatown.
• Lastage: the old shipyard district to the east, between the Geldersekade and the Oudeschans, crossed by the Recht Boomssloot and Krom Boomssloot canals.
• Kloveniersburgwal: a wide canal lined with Golden Age mansions, forming the western edge.
• Sint Antoniesbreestraat and Jodenbreestraat: the shopping street that runs down to Waterlooplein and the former Jewish quarter.

The Oude Kerk and the canals of the Red Light District begin two minutes west of the square.

A little history: from the Waag to the 1975 riots

The Waag is the oldest non-religious building in Amsterdam. Built around 1488, it started life as the Sint Antoniespoort, a gate in the medieval city wall. When the city expanded eastwards in the early 17th century, the moats around it were filled in and the Nieuwmarkt square was created. In 1617 the gate became a public weigh house, and its upper floors housed several guilds, including the surgeons and their anatomy theatre. Today it holds a café-restaurant and a technology lab.

To the north, the Schreierstoren, a defensive tower from 1487, is one of the few surviving parts of the same wall. A plaque recalls that the explorer Henry Hudson set sail from here in 1609 on the voyage that took him to present-day New York.

To dig the tunnel for the eastbound metro line, the city had many buildings in the area demolished. Residents, who considered their homes in good condition, fought back: from 24 March to 8 April 1975, the evictions turned into clashes with the police, known as the Nieuwmarkt riots. The metro was built, but the city then dropped its plans for further lines. Nieuwmarkt station, opened in 1980, still displays artworks recalling those events. Our history of Amsterdam guide puts the neighbourhood in the wider story of the city.

Streets and canals to explore

Streets not to miss:

• Zeedijk: a narrow, winding street and one of the oldest in the city. At number 1, the café In 't Aepjen occupies a wooden house from the mid-16th century, one of only two left in the centre. Long notorious, the street was cleaned up from the 1980s onwards.
• Geldersekade: a wide canal linking the harbour to the Nieuwmarkt, lined with merchants' houses and houseboats.
• Recht Boomssloot and Krom Boomssloot: two quiet Lastage canals a few steps from the square, away from the crowds.
• Oudeschans: a former defensive moat turned canal, overlooked by the Montelbaanstoren. Built in 1516 to protect the city and harbour, the tower was given its decorative upper section, designed by Hendrick de Keyser, in 1606.
• Kloveniersburgwal: the canal of grand houses. At number 29, the Trippenhuis, built for the Trip brothers, arms dealers, houses the Royal Academy of Sciences; opposite, a tiny-fronted house is said to be the narrowest in the city. Further south, the Oost-Indisch Huis, former headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, now belongs to the University of Amsterdam.
• Groenburgwal: a small canal at the south of the neighbourhood, with one of the finest views of the Zuiderkerk tower.

Chinatown and the He Hua temple

Amsterdam's Chinatown covers the southern part of the Zeedijk, the Geldersekade and the streets leading onto the Nieuwmarkt. The first Chinese residents settled here around 1911. Today you will find restaurants, Asian supermarkets and bakeries, and lion dances at Chinese New Year.

Halfway along the street stands the Fo Guang Shan He Hua temple (Zeedijk 106-118), opened in 2000 in the presence of Queen Beatrix. Designed by Dutch architect Fred Greven in Chinese palace style, it is billed as the largest Buddhist temple of its kind in Europe; its main hall is dedicated to Guanyin. The temple is open to visitors Tuesday to Sunday from 1pm to 5pm; it is closed on Mondays and on 24 and 25 December. Entry is free and donations are welcome. It is an active place of worship: dress modestly and keep your voice down.

The Nieuwmarkt market

The square hosts a market almost every day, at the foot of the Waag.

Days as checked in October 2026 on the I amsterdam website and the market organiser's site; closing times vary with the season and the stalls.

For a large flea market, the Waterlooplein market is a 10-minute walk away, at the end of the Jodenbreestraat.

Sights in the neighbourhood

Museums and churches are all within a 10-minute walk of each other.

• Rembrandt House: the house where the painter lived from 1639 to 1658, furnished according to the inventory drawn up at his bankruptcy, with etching demonstrations.
• Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder: a clandestine 17th-century Catholic church hidden in the attic of a merchant's house.
• Oude Kerk: the oldest building in Amsterdam, with its wooden vault and the grave of Saskia, Rembrandt's wife.
• Zuiderkerk: built from 1603 to 1611 by Hendrick de Keyser, it was the first church in Amsterdam built for Protestant worship; Rembrandt buried three of his children here. Now an events venue, it cannot be visited freely; admire its tower from the Groenburgwal.
• St Nicholas Basilica: the large neo-Baroque Catholic church facing Central Station, at the end of the Zeedijk.

Prices as checked in October 2026. The Rembrandt House, Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder and the Oude Kerk are free with the Museumkaart and the I amsterdam City Card (a time slot must be booked at the two museums) and close on 27 April and 25 December. The Oude Kerk only accepts card payments and closes from 9 to 12 November 2026 while an exhibition is installed.

Where to eat and drink

The Zeedijk is the place for Chinese restaurants. Nam Kee (Zeedijk 111-113), open since 1981, is known for its oysters in black bean sauce and its roast meats; right next door, New King (Zeedijk 115-117) serves dim sum and wok dishes and does not take reservations. The street also has Thai restaurants and other Asian cuisines, as well as Chinese bakeries for a snack on the go.

For a drink, the neighbourhood has no shortage of brown cafés:

• In 't Aepjen (Zeedijk 1): a former sailors' inn where, legend has it, guests sometimes settled their bill with a monkey brought back from overseas.
• Lokaal 't Loosje (Nieuwmarkt 32-34): a brown café open from the morning, with tile panels, draught beers and a terrace on the square.
• Café Fonteyn, on the Nieuwmarkt, with its large sunny terrace, from breakfast until late in the evening.
• De Sluyswacht (Jodenbreestraat 1): the former lock-keeper's house, built in 1695, leaning over the water opposite the Rembrandt House.
• De Engelbewaarder, on the Kloveniersburgwal, known for its Sunday afternoon jazz sessions.

For a more traditional meal, the café-restaurant In de Waag (Nieuwmarkt 4) serves Dutch cuisine inside the old gate, lit by candles in the evening. Our what to eat in Amsterdam guide lists the specialities to try.

A half-day walk through the neighbourhood

Allow about 3.5 kilometres and 2 to 3 hours with breaks, not counting museum visits.

1. Start at Central Station and cross over to St Nicholas Basilica, then follow the harbour to the Schreierstoren.
2. Enter the Zeedijk by the In 't Aepjen café and walk down the street to the He Hua temple (open in the afternoon).
3. Come out onto the Nieuwmarkt and walk around the Waag; on Saturdays, browse the organic market.
4. Make a detour west to the Oude Kerk and Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, 5 minutes away on foot, ideally during the day.
5. Return along the Kloveniersburgwal to see the Trippenhuis, then head to the Groenburgwal for the view of the Zuiderkerk tower.
6. Continue to the Sint Antoniesbreestraat, then the Jodenbreestraat and the Rembrandt House; the Oudeschans and the Montelbaanstoren are 5 minutes to the north-east.

The walk can be extended to the Jewish Cultural Quarter and the Plantage. To follow the painter from one address to the next, read in the footsteps of Rembrandt in Amsterdam.

Getting there and staying safe

Nieuwmarkt metro station (lines 51, 53 and 54) is right under the square, one stop from Central Station. On foot, allow about 5 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal station to the start of the Zeedijk, and 10 minutes to the Nieuwmarkt. Waterlooplein station, on the same lines, serves the Rembrandt House. Our getting around Amsterdam guide explains tickets and lines.

The neighbourhood is lively and generally safe, but it borders the Red Light District, whose rules apply as soon as you enter it: no photographing sex workers, no smoking cannabis in the street (a €100 fine if you ignore the first warning) and no drinking alcohol in public. In the evening, especially at weekends, the Zeedijk gets very crowded: watch your pockets and turn down any offer of drugs in the street. Our scams and safety in Amsterdam guide covers the traps to avoid.

Further reading

The Nieuwmarkt combines easily with the historic centre and the canals, a 10-minute walk away. For a quieter, more residential neighbourhood, read our guide to the Jordaan. For an evening out in the centre, our Amsterdam at night guide covers the options, and our selection of free things to do in Amsterdam lists more ideas that cost nothing.