Spui Square

Spui Square was not always Spui Square. Here there were no traditional markets, nor was it a determining point at any time in the city, nor was it a particularly advantageous crossing in the steps that Amasterdan was taking. It was something much more curious, at least from the point of view of what we can see today. The Spui Square that we enjoy today was once a body of water that marked the limit of Amsterdam until the 15th century. Specifically, it delimited the southern area until 1420, when the Singel canal was created as the new city limit. Until 1882 there was only water in this square. That year the square was remodeled and acquired the form that locals and tourists enjoy today.

Since its final form, there have been several structural modifications that tried to improve the plaza. The last one, in 1996, reduced the space for vehicles in favor of space for pedestrians.

Spui means, and you probably understand many things now, “emptying the channels”.

Although in the Spui Square there are no great stories to tell, it has a present brimming with stories and that is always appreciated and enjoyed. On Sundays this square is filled with art. Its spaces host watercolors, sculptures, the most varied graphic arts, jewelry ... All this offers a very special light to visitors who go here on weekends, all this is called "Artplein Spui".

The exhibition contains the work of sixty artists from both the Netherlands and other parts of the world. What happens here is that, for a better organization and coordination, the works are shown following a rotation system, devised for this purpose by the organization, which brings at the same time the exhibition of the works of 25 of these artists.

Apart from admiring and strolling among all the works that we will find in this market, we can also buy paintings, sculptures, jewelry ... All these stalls are attended by the artists themselves and it will be with them with whom, in addition to talking about their works, you will be able to negotiate the price. If you are interested in acquiring art or if you are surprised by a specific piece, this is an especially interesting place, because when dealing with the creators themselves you avoid the intermediary (gallery or museum) and that will make the price much more advantageous.

You can never know where a piece of art will captivate us or where will be the object that fits perfectly to what we had been looking for time. Art is often not sought, some pieces of art find us.

This Art Market opens on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. although in the winter months, and due to the low temperatures, it is likely to close earlier.

"The one who reads a lot and walks a lot, sees a lot and knows a lot". Buendía Tours would like to be the architects of such a quote. However, its author is Miguel de Cervantes. The only thing we can try to do is locate this wonderful and accurate phrase in Amsterdam and we can't think of a place as good as Spui Square. If you are here, or you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, you already have two essential plans. Through the streets of Amsterdam, you will walk a lot and you can read at Spui Square every Friday at the book market.

The books and this Amsterdam square are a combo. In fact, many of the city's bookstores are located here, some of which are the largest or most famous. If you are passionate about books, rummage through crowded bookshelves and stroll surrounded by pages with the most disparate letters, stop and enter these shops for a few minutes. One of the best known bookstores is called Athenaeum, at numbers 15 to 19 of the Gebown Helios building. Here are also Nieuwscentre Athenaeum (with foreign press, magazines, guides), American Book (specialist in English literature) and Amsterdam's largest bookstore: Selexzyz-Scheltema.

The book market could not have a better environment, perhaps it is this success that makes books come out to the street so that they do not look for us. In this street market we find new, second-hand books, in many languages, art, maps, rare or hard-to-find novels elsewhere...

Anyway, if the readers have a particular paradise, it has to be very similar to this and that assuming that this paradise does not rest in the Spui Square, in the same Amsterdam.

The book market is open on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Bruin Kroeg are the "brown coffees" (this is their translation). They are an essential stop, or at least highly recommended, during a getaway to Amsterdam as they are part of the personality of the city. The name is due to the interior of these premises: the brown of its aged woods, the dark tone of its ceilings and walls due to the effect of nicotine...

Generally speaking, these places are usually informal and with simple prices. One of the oldest bruin kroeg in the city is in Spui Square. It is the Cafe Hoppe and dates from the year 1670. They serve both local beers and the country's traditional gin. If there is any way to take the pulse of a city, this is one of those ways.

In the square and in its surroundings there is a very varied gastronomic offer. From Buendía Tours we would like to make a small recommendation, if this can make your stay in the city more pleasant. In Spui Square you will find:

• Caffe Espirit: With a large terrace, it is a good place to rest, gather strength or simply enjoy the square. Its offer is around sandwiches, salads, typical snacks in the city ... Open from Monday to Wednesday and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Seafood Bar: Since Amsterdam is a city reclaimed from the sea, both share not only space but existence and reality. Seafood is a good place to taste the fresh fish and seafood in town. Open from 12:00 to 23:00 every day.
• Cafe Luxembourg: Sitting on your terrace is a good way to see the square in your daily activity. They have a menu of sandwiches, salads, snacks and they also have options for both the lunch and breakfast menus. It is open from Sunday to Thursday from 09:00 to 24:00 and on Fridays and Saturdays from 09:00 to 01:00.