The 9 streets
The whole world is build around Amsterdam" wrote the Dutch famous Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel in the seventeenth century.
This century- being the Dutch Golden Age- was to Amsterdam a previously inexperienced period of prosperity. People came to the city for business or a decent living.
The old town area became too small, so an extension was inevitable and tree new main canals where dug out: Heren- Keizers- and Prinsengracht. Between them cross-canals and -streets. Our quarter of ’9 streets’ was constructed in the first half of the 17 th century and was from the beginning until now dominated by trade and culture. The names of the streets remind us of the old artisans dealing with all kinds of skins for the leather-industry.