Kalverstraat for Hendesse by SunriseGirl
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Description
I said the crowded street photo Hendesse posted reminded me of this street in Amsterdam. Then when I was looking through my photos I found I had taken a shot of it when I was there a couple of years ago just after Christmas. Kalverstraat is one of the busiest shopping streets in Amsterdam. From wikipedia: The Kalverstraat is a busy shopping street of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It is named after the kalvermarkt ("calves market") that was held here until the 17th century.
The Kalverstraat is the most expensive shopping street in the Netherlands, with rents of up to 3000 euros per square meter (2016).[1] In 2009 it was the 17th most expensive street in the world measured by rent prices.[2] The Kalverstraat is also the most expensive street in the Dutch version of Monopoly.
The street begins at Dam Square and ends roughly 750 meters down near the Munttoren tower at Muntplein square. This tower was once a gate in the medieval city walls. After the walls were built, the street between the Spui and Munttoren came to be known as Byndewyck. This part of the neighborhood, from 1486 until 1629, had a veemarkt (cattle market). Later on the street got the name Kalverstraat, after the cattle market.[3]
In 1345 a eucharistic miracle was said to have taken place in a home between the Kalverstraat in the Rokin. The event is commemorated by the annual Stille Omgang procession. A chapel, the Heilige Stede, was built on the spot where the miracle was said to have occurred. The Heiligeweg connected the Kalverstraat with this pilgrim chapel, and with Leidsestraat.
Painter Piet Mondrian lived at Kalverstraat 154 from 1892 to 1895. The first HEMA department store opened on the Kalverstraat in 1926.
Comments (15)
calico_jester
... nice pic of this crowded street and thx for the information
Hendesse
I think you're right, this is at least as busy as in my photo. I was not in Amsterdam since 3 or 4 years. I would like to visit this beautiful town again. Thank you very much for the dedication and for all the interesting informations.
giulband
Excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
durleybeachbum
On my weekend in Amsterdam I avoided this area! We went to art galleries and museums mainly, and also ate quite a lot!
Cyve
Marvelous view and shot Katherine !!!
photosynthesis
Looks like quite a mob scene in the street. I've been to Amsterdam a couple of times (though not very recently) & enjoyed it very much, but I don't think I made it to Kalverstraat...
Katraz
Looks a great place but I would avoid crowds like this.
wysiwig
I visited Amsterdam many years ago and found the people friendly and the food very good. An interesting history and a street I would like to visit.
helanker
I have never been in Amsterdam. Seems I have missed alot of interesting streets :-) Lovely shot.
ArtistKimberly
"Exquisite"
dochtersions
Een indrukwekkende foto, lieve Katherine. Je moet daar ergens in een hoog gebouw hebben gestaan om deze foto te kunnen maken. Het is een mooie scène die je hebt vastgelegd, Katherine. En, inderdaad, zoals wij dan zeggen als we dit zien: je kan over de hoofden lopen! LOL. (you can walk over the heads, as we say in The Netherlands ;-)))
junge1
Beautiful capture and very interesting historical information. With the rental property being that high, it is a good thing that the street is only 750 m long lol!
X-PaX
Beautiful capture. Well done.
anmes
Vibrant capture and interesting info
anahata.c
I really like how you shot this with the upper torsos of the people as the bottom of the shot. They make the bottom frame of the shot, its 'carpeting' so to speak. And the city looms up from there. It was koosievantutte (hans boiten) who told me about the facades in various parts of the Netherlands---how they were angled outwards as one goes up to their tops. In order to shake off rain, etc. I'd never known that. And I wonder if we're not seeing that here in a few spots. In any case, the contrast of the people, lights, and that bright sky, with the dark shadows of the facades is striking. Very well seen. We read about "northern light," and I wonder if this sky is typical of it. In any case, there's a quiet about the shot, because of that light; which is in nice balance with the real intensity of all the people (they're really crammed together there!) More fine intuitive work from you. And I see Klaus liked it, too.
SunriseGirl
You are right about the old houses being built on the slant, but it was for a reason more important than shaking off the rain. It was for commercial reasons. The homes were built along canals and were used as warehouses. If you look carefully you can see some of the houses still have a piece that sticks out toward the street near the top of the house. This was a beam with a pulley system for lifting the goods from the boats up into the upper floors of the house which was where the goods were stored in order to insure that they stayed dry in case of flooding.