Royal Palace Amsterdam
Royal Palace Amsterdam features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Amsterdam. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Amsterdam Amsterdam guide
About Royal Palace Amsterdam
A magnificent 17th-century Town Hall converted into a royal palace by Napoleon's brother, dominating Dam Square with Atlas holding up the globe on its roof.
The Royal Palace on Dam Square is one of Amsterdam's greatest architectural landmarks, originally built as the City Hall (Stadhuis) between 1648 and 1665, a conscious statement of Amsterdam's global power and wealth at the height of the Golden Age. Designed by Jacob van Campen in a classical style, it was built on 13,659 wooden piles driven into the marshy Amsterdam soil. The building housed the city's government for nearly 150 years, then in 1808 was commandeered by Louis Napoleon, brother of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who had himself crowned King of Holland and made the Town Hall his royal residence. King Louis furnished the palace with French Empire-style furniture and decorations, much of which survives. The Dutch royal family still uses the palace for official ceremonies and state visits. The interior features magnificent carved marble floors with maps of the world, the celestial hemisphere, and the southern hemisphere, a declaration of Amsterdam's global ambitions.
Did you know? The palace rests on 13,659 wooden piles, a number so famous that Dutch children once memorised it as a school exercise.
How long is a visit to Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for Royal Palace Amsterdam. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Royal Palace Amsterdam worth your time?
Royal Palace Amsterdam is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Amsterdam, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Amsterdam
Hear the story of Royal Palace Amsterdam
Preview the Amsterdam tour free in the Gingerguide app.