Royal Palace Amsterdam

Royal Palace Amsterdam is one of three palaces in the Netherlands at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. It stands on the west side of Dam Square in central Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk.

What is the Royal Palace Amsterdam?

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is therefore an official royal palace, rather than simply a historic building carrying a royal name. Its exact setting is the west side of Dam Square, placing it directly opposite the War Memorial and beside the Nieuwe Kerk.

What surrounds the Royal Palace Amsterdam on Dam Square?

Dam Square is the palace's immediate public setting. Directly opposite it stands the National Monument, described in the Amsterdam Walking Tour as the main World War Two memorial for the country.

The National Monument is associated with the country's Remembrance Day ceremonies on May 4th. The ceremony includes the laying of flowers and a two-minute silence, giving the space opposite the palace a national memorial role as well as its everyday public use.

Dam Square is also commonly used as a meeting point and as a place for people to spend time. The square is larger now than it was in the past, as Amsterdam grew and its main square grew with it. Those details make the palace's position more precise: it is not set apart from the centre, but forms the western edge of the city's principal square.

How can you place the palace in an Amsterdam walk?

Royal Palace Amsterdam is the landmark at the opening stop of Amsterdam Walking Tour, a route with 20 stops. It also appears at stop 4 of Coffeeshop Walking Tour, which has 16 stops. In both cases, the palace is one named place within a wider route, not the description of the whole walk.

Use Dam Square, the National Monument and the Nieuwe Kerk to understand the palace's exact position as you explore central Amsterdam on foot.