Rembrandtplein

Rembrandtplein is one of the two main nightlife squares of Amsterdam, a lively open space lined with cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants, and it takes its name from the great painter whose statue stands in the middle of it. The square began life as a market, the Botermarkt, where butter was sold, and it kept that function until the nineteenth century. In 1876 it was renamed in honour of Rembrandt van Rijn, who lived and worked in the neighbourhood, in the house on the Jodenbreestraat, from 1639 to 1656, and the statue of the artist, made by the sculptor Louis Royer and put up in 1852, was moved here from its original place.

The statue shows Rembrandt standing in the dress of his time, holding a staff, and it is surrounded by a modern addition that visitors find a great deal of fun. In 2006, a group of life-size bronze figures was placed in the square, recreating the characters of The Night Watch, Rembrandt's famous group portrait of a civic guard company, so that visitors can walk among the figures of the captain, the lieutenant and the militiamen. The sculptures, made by Russian artists, are a popular photo stop, and they give the square a link to the painter's most celebrated work, which hangs in the Rijksmuseum. It is a clever way of bringing a painting into the street.

The square is best known for its nightlife. Large terraces fill the space in summer, with grand cafes and bars in handsome nineteenth-century buildings, and in the evening and at weekends the area is busy with groups of friends, tourists and locals. Clubs and music venues cluster in the streets leading off the square, and the street Thorbeckeplein, close by, has more bars. The atmosphere is lively and sometimes rowdy, particularly late at night, and visitors should look after their belongings, as pickpockets are known to operate in crowded places. In the daytime the square is calmer, and the cafes are pleasant for coffee or a late lunch.

The area has several things to see close by. The Tuschinski Theatre, a spectacular cinema of 1921 in an Art Deco and Amsterdam School style, stands nearby on the Reguliersbreestraat, and the Rembrandthuis, where the painter lived, is a short walk away, as are the Bloemenmarkt, the Amstel river and the Magere Brug. The square is a short tram ride from Central Station.

The square suits visitors who want a taste of the city's evening life, as well as those following the footsteps of Rembrandt. It is open at all times and free to enter. Come in the late afternoon for the light on the facades, and in the evening for the atmosphere.