Location:
Brouwersgracht: The 'Brewers' Canal' owes
its name to 16th and 17th century brewery pakhuizen (warehouses),
many now chic apartments. Attractively restored, De Kroon
(The Crown) at No 118, and the modern Blauwe Burgt apartment
block show how old and new are trying to live in harmony.
The point where Brouwersgracht joins Prinsengracht is one
of the most photogenic spots in town. At Herenmarkt, off Brouwersgracht,
is West-Indisch Huis (West India House), which in 1623 became
the Dutch West India Company's headquarters. In its courtyard
is a bronze statue of Peter Stuyvesant, governor of Nieuw
Amsterdam from 1646 until 1664, when the British took over
and renamed it New York. A sculpture depicts the first Dutch
settlement on Manhattan Island, founded in 1624.
