Herengracht, Historic canal street in central Amsterdam, Netherlands

Herengracht is a main canal and street in central Amsterdam, lined with tall brick merchant houses that show the city’s 17th-century building style. The waterway stretches from the Brouwersgracht to the Amstel River, with stone bridges, tree-shaded walkways, and large gabled facades facing the water.

The canal was dug in the early 1600s as part of Amsterdam's major expansion, and it quickly became the home of the city's leading merchant families. After 1870, many of those residents moved to newer neighborhoods, but the grand houses and their detailed facades stayed in place.

The name means 'Lords' Canal,' a nod to the wealthy merchants and city officials who once built their homes here. Today, residents hang flower boxes and small lanterns on their facades, while boat owners decorate their vessels for events like the summer Pride parade that passes along the water.

Walking along the quays is easy on foot or by bike, but the narrow sidewalks can get busy with tourists and parked bicycles. A boat tour gives a better sense of how the canal curves through the old city, though the stone edges near the water have few railings in some spots.

At Herengracht 81 stands the oldest surviving house in Amsterdam, built in 1590 and still showing its original stepped gable. A few steps away, the West India House served as the office where the 17th-century decision was made to establish the settlement of New Amsterdam, which later grew into New York City.