Waterlooplein Market

The Waterlooplein flea market is the city's oldest and most famous, running daily (except Sunday) on the long square wedged between the Stopera (city hall/opera) and the Amstel river.

Stalls sell second-hand and vintage clothing, leather jackets, records, army surplus, bohemian jewellery, fabrics and a great deal of unsorted curiosities. It's loud, lively and unapologetically scruffy.

The market dates back to 1885 when it was set up to house Jewish street traders. The neighbourhood was the heart of Jewish Amsterdam until the war; the Rembrandt House, Portuguese Synagogue and Jewish Cultural Quarter are all a minute away.

Before it became a market square, Waterlooplein was water: the Houtgracht and Leprozengracht canals were filled in to create the open space. That change helps explain its unusual place in the cityscape, where a broad trading area interrupts the surrounding pattern of narrow streets and waterways. Look beyond the stalls and you can read the square as part of Amsterdam’s changing relationship with its canals, rather than simply a setting for shopping.

Browsing here rewards patience more than a fixed shopping list. With second-hand goods, checking the condition, labels and details is part of the experience; ask the stallholder if you want a closer look at something. Afterwards, head towards the Zuiderkerk and continue to Nieuwmarkt. The route takes you through smaller streets before opening onto the square around the Waag, the former city gate that remains a distinctive landmark in the old centre.