Herengracht 605
1017 CE AMSTERDAM
Neighbourhood: Canals
The Willet-Holthuysen museum in Amsterdam had an interesting start. In 1895 Mrs Willet-Holthuysen bequeathed her 17th-century canal house to the city of Amsterdam in her will, on the condition that it was preserved and opened as a museum. Her wish has been faithfully observed for over a century - the house has been turned into a beautiful museum.
Period furnishings
On the first floor there is a magnificent ballroom, a dining room, a room looking out over the garden and an imposing corridor. In other rooms, furnishings have been brought from comparable 18th and 19th century canal houses to recreate the atmosphere of bygone times.
Bygone era
The kitchen is in the basement and gives a good idea of what life must have been like for the servants. At the back of the building the garden is laid out in early 18th-century French fashion, transporting you back in time. The museum houses a remarkable collection of Golden age art and silverware.