Why go

The Royal Palace on Dam Square was built in the 17th century as Amsterdam’s city hall, at a time when the city was the richest trading port in the world, and it was designed to show it. Its architect, Jacob van Campen, gave the city a classical building of sandstone and marble so grand that it was called the eighth wonder of the world. In the early 19th century Louis Napoleon, brother of the French emperor, turned it into a palace, and it has belonged to the Dutch royal family ever since.

Today the King uses it for state visits, receptions and royal occasions, but when it is not in use the public can walk through its halls. It is one of the most impressive interiors in the Netherlands and a fine introduction to the Golden Age, right in the centre of the city.

The building rests on more than 13,000 wooden piles driven into the soft ground, a reminder of how the city was built on reclaimed land. Its sculpture and decoration were designed to tell visitors about Amsterdam’s power and its place at the centre of the world, with Atlas carrying the globe on his shoulders high above the square.

What to see

  • The Citizens’ Hall. A vast marble hall, with maps of the eastern and western hemispheres and the night sky inlaid into the floor.
  • Paintings by Rembrandt’s pupils. Works by Govert Flinck and Ferdinand Bol decorate the former council rooms.
  • The Tribunal. The marble room where death sentences were once pronounced, with sculptures of justice.
  • Empire furniture. One of the largest collections of Empire-style furniture in the world, from Louis Napoleon’s time.
  • The state rooms. Rooms used today for royal receptions and visiting heads of state.

Plan your visit

The palace is a working royal palace, so it opens on set days only. The opening days and times are published on an online calendar up to six months ahead, and they change when the palace is needed for state visits or royal events. The autumn 2026 season ran from 1 October to 11 November, so check the calendar for the next opening period before you plan your day around a visit.

Adult tickets cost €13.50, and visitors aged 17 and under go free. A free audio tour, available in several languages, explains the building and its art. Buy tickets online for a time slot. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

The entrance is on Dam Square, the main square of the old city. Trams stop on the square, Rokin metro station on line 52 is a few minutes’ walk away, and Amsterdam Centraal is about ten minutes’ walk up the Damrak.

Nearby

The Nieuwe Kerk, where Dutch monarchs are inaugurated, stands next to the palace and hosts exhibitions. The National Monument faces the palace across Dam Square. The shopping streets of Kalverstraat and the Nine Streets, the Begijnhof and the canal ring are all a short walk away, as is Our Lord in the Attic in the old centre.