Royal Palace Amsterdam, A Palace on Stilts, an Architectural Marvel
Dam 1, 1012 AA Amsterdam
3.9
Introduction
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is located on the west side of Dam Square in the center of Amsterdam, adjacent to the New Church. The palace was built during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century and was originally used as a city hall. After its unveiling on July 20, 1655, it was transformed into a palace by Louis Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon, during the French occupation, although the Dutch royal family does not reside here. Today, the palace is sometimes used as a reception venue for heads of state and is open for public visits during the summer. The palace was constructed on 13,659 wooden pilings, reaching a depth of 14-16 meters underground, with stone blocks forming the foundation upon which the building is constructed. It is therefore known as the "Palace on Piles," considered the eighth wonder of the world.
The Netherlands has four royal palaces, and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam is one of them. The formal name of the country is "Koninkrijk der Nederlanden" in Dutch, and "Netherlands" strictly refers to a region within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, comprising the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. While "Netherlands" is often used to refer to the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands, it may not be widely accepted by the Dutch, especially those from other provinces, as a polite way to refer to the country. In formal occasions, the Kingdom of the Netherlands uses its formal name "Nederlanden". In Chinese translation, it is generally translated as "荷兰王国" (Kingdom of the Netherlands), so the original names in both terms are not the same. Address Dam 1, 1012 AA Amsterdam
Opening hours Not open to the public during the use or hosting of royal events by the Royal Netherlands from 10:00 to 17:00 every day.
Transportation Public transportation: Take any bus from the Central Station and get off at Dam Square; Train: Depart from the Central Station and walk straight along Damrak to reach Dam Square, with the palace on your right, which should take about 10 minutes in total.
A palace that is actually still in use
