News of: Friday, September 11 2009,

This weekend: Open Monuments Day in Amsterdam

This weekend 62 monumental buildings are open to the public in Amsterdam, because of the yearly Open Monuments Day.

The Open Monumentendag is designed to bring people into contact with the historic environment, and to encourage interest in and understanding of historical monuments and the need for their preservation. During the Open Monumentendag - every second weekend of September - thousands of historical buildings and sites in the Netherlands (about 4,000) are open to the public free of charge.

In Amsterdam Open Monument Day is on both September 12 and 13. In Amsterdam 62 buildings will take part.

Many of the buildings listed on the website can normally be visited too, but some open only for this weekend. Some of these are:

- De Waag, the 15th century city gate building on Nieuwmarkt Square (only Sunday).
- Doopsgezinde Singelkerk (Singel 452), an old protestant church
- Huis de Vicq (Herengracht 476), an old residential canal house
- Huis Van Brienen (Herengracht 284), old residential canal house
- Korenmetershuis, Nieuwezijds Kolk 28, used to be a guild house of grain producers.
- Villa Coninck Westenberg, Plantage Lepellaan 6, a 19th century villa.
- 19th century residence, Reguliersgracht 63
- Dilapidated 17th century warehouse, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 63.

The participating building can be recognized by the flag below:


Flag of Open Monumentendag