Location:
Brouwergracht: The 'Brewers' Canal' owes its name
to 16th and 17th century brewery pakhuizen (warehouses), many now
chic apartments. Attractively restored, De Kroon (The Crown) at No
118, and the modern Blauwe Burgt apartment block show how old and
new are trying to live in harmony. The point where Brouwersgracht
joins Prinsengracht is one of the most photogenic spots in town. At
Herenmarkt, off Brouwersgracht, is West-Indisch Huis (West India House),
which in 1623 became the Dutch West India Company's headquarters.
In its courtyard is a bronze statue of Peter Stuyvesant, governor
of Nieuw Amsterdam from 1646 until 1664, when the British took over
and renamed it New York. A sculpture depicts the first Dutch settlement
on Manhattan Island, founded in 1624.
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