De 9 Straatjes (the Nine Streets): Shopping in Amsterdam

Updated on October 1, 2026

De 9 Straatjes, the "Nine Streets", are nine short cross streets linking the Singel, the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht, between Dam Square and Leidseplein. They lie at the heart of the Canal Ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The local business association counts more than 250 shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels and galleries. The nine streets form three rows: Reestraat, Hartenstraat and Gasthuismolensteeg to the north; Berenstraat, Wolvenstraat and Oude Spiegelstraat in the middle; Runstraat, Huidenstraat and Wijde Heisteeg to the south. Several names recall the old fur and hide trade: huiden (hides), ree (deer), beren (bears), wolven (wolves). The name "De 9 Straatjes" was launched in the 1990s by the neighbourhood's shopkeepers.

Highlights

The northern row

Reestraat, Hartenstraat and Gasthuismolensteeg, the closest to Dam Square, are lined with designer boutiques, homeware and gift shops in old buildings. This is the handiest way in if you are coming from the Royal Palace.

The bridges between the streets

Each street is interrupted by a canal, which you cross on a bridge. Pause on these bridges, such as the Hartenstraat bridge over the Herengracht: the view stretches far along both sides of the canal.

The gabled houses

At the corners of streets and canals, like here between the Reestraat and the Keizersgracht, the old gabled façades now house shops and cafés on the ground floor.

Vintage and specialist shops

Second-hand clothing, accessories, homeware and small independent brands share the shop windows. Shops change often, so take your time and wander street by street rather than hunting for a specific address.

Cafés and lunch

Cafés, tearooms and restaurants are spread across the nine streets, and some serve breakfast from the morning on. A handy stop between two shops.

Infos pratiques

Tips

According to the business association, most shops open every day from about 10am or 11am until 6pm or 7pm, and from noon on Sundays. Each shop's opening hours are listed on the official De 9 Straatjes website. The streets are narrow and busy with bikes, so stay on the pavements.

How to get there

From Amsterdam Centraal, allow about 20 minutes on foot. Trams 2 and 24 stop at Dam, Paleisstraat and Koningsplein, a few minutes from the streets. Wolvenstraat, 1016 EP Amsterdam (in the middle of the Nine Streets).