Amsterdam, Mercatorplein.

Amsterdam West

Once you are on a city trip in Amsterdam, it is easy to find the routes to the highlights in the city center. However, Amsterdam is much bigger than only the historical center! There are various interesting places to visit if you explore the city a little further. In this blog I help you with that by introducing you to the Mercatorplein. This is a beautiful square in Amsterdam West inspired by a design of architect H.P. Berlage!

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Mercatorplein

The Mercatorplein is located in the West of Amsterdam in the area De Baarsjes. The square is inspired by a design of Berlage and is build in 1925. Exactly, this is also the architect of Beurs van Berlage, the building close to the Amsterdam Central train station! About that highlight you can read more in this blog post. Interesting at Mercatorplein is that all the buildings around the square are built in the same style called ‘Amsterdam school’. One of the two towers was destroyed in 1961, but was rebuild in 1995. The other tower is the original one. Both towers are now used as homes: they are divided into a couple of appartments! The style in which the buildings on this square are built is typical for the beginning of the 20th century building style in Amsterdam. This year, 2016, is celebrated the 1 century anniversary of the Amsterdam School style! More information about the several festivities regarding this you can find at this website.

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Cafe Zurich

In the middle of the Mercatorplein you can find a cafe called Cafe Zurich. In the summer it also has a terrace! It is there where you can enjoy a coffee and the view on the square. For more information about cafe Zurich and their lunch and dinner menu’s you can visit the website.

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Rent a bike!

You can reach the Mercatorplein easily with a tram and bus (tram line 7 and 13, city bus line 15, and 18) but now the weather is still good, it is also fun to rent a bike! Via this website of I Amsterdam you can find various agencies where you can rent a bike. The route from the city center to the Mercatorplein is also a beautiful one to explore by bike. So, now the weather is still nice, this would be my suggestion for traveling to it!