Jordaan district

This is a neighbourhood you cannot miss! The Jordaan district came into existence in the early 17th century as a working-class area for laborers and artisans—hence the narrow form of its houses. Quite a contrast from the residences in the city center, don’t you think? Today, however, the Jordaan has developed its own unique identity, filled with vintage boutiques and traditional cafés known as bruin cafés. Unsurprisingly, they get their name from their brown wooden interiors, slightly yellowed by centuries of tobacco smoke. According to researchers, its name comes from the French word “jardin”, meaning garden. Perhaps it’s no coincidence, then, that many streets here are named after flowers!