Herengracht


The Herengracht is the second of four Amsterdam canals belonging to the canal belt and lies between the Singel and the Keizersgracht.
The Gouden Bocht in particular is known for its large and beautiful canal houses.

History

The Herengracht was built starting in 1612 on the initiative of Mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz. Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck.
Before that it was a moat for the companies located behind the Singel.
The canal ran within the city wall parallel to the canal outside the city wall.
The Herengracht therefore still has a kink at Driekoningenstraat, where the outer moat was routed around a stronghold at that height.
When the ditch was widened into the present canal it was given the name Herengracht in 1612, after the Heren Regeerders van de stad Amsterdam.
The part between Leidsegracht and the Binnen Amstel is part of the expansion after 1658.
This part contains the Gouden Bocht, the most prestigious part of the Herengracht.
Many of the houses were inhabited here by regents, mayors and traders who earned their fortunes in trade with South America or the Dutch East Indies.
Many buildings were built by the Amsterdam architects Philips Vingboons or Adriaan Dortsman.
In the last expansion, the section east of the Amstel was laid to the water of the IJ.
This last part, located in the prosperous part of Amsterdam's Jewish quarter, was named Nieuwe Herengracht.

Monuments

There are many monumental canal houses on Herengracht, such as:
There are also historic gardens such as:
Museums
Herengracht begins in the north at the Brouwersgracht in the West Indian house bridge and Milkmaid Bridge, parallels bends on the Singel and the Keizersgracht gradually towards the southeast, and flows into the Amstel.
The odd-numbered side of the canal is on the side of the heart of the city.
The Herengracht is spanned by eleven bridges:
NumberNameCrossingTypePassage
width		Passage
height		Height at
4m width		Managed by
18HerenstraatArch5,702,341,82Centrum
20Anton JolingbrugLeliegrachtFixed5,701,80Centrum
22WarmoesbrugRaadhuisstraatFixed5,751,80DiVV
24HartenstraatFixed5,611,79Centrum
25WolvenstraatFixed5,651,79Centrum
26Vingboonsbrug Wijde HeisteegFixed6,841,80Centrum
29KoningssluisKoningspleinFixed6,921,80DiVV
30Isa van EeghenbrugVijzelstraatFixed6,981,80DiVV
32KaasmarktsluisReguliersgrachtFixed6,713,012,20Centrum
34UtrechtsestraatFixed6,801,80DiVV
35Hendrick Jacobsz. StaetsbrugAmstelFixed6,002,712,22Centrum

With the passage heights in the table, one should take into account the fact that the Herengracht, like all other canals in the city center, is - from the Amsterdam Ordnance Datum.

Herengracht canals elsewhere

The Herengracht in The Hague is filled in. Maarssen also has a Herengracht; on the right bank of the Vecht. There are also Herengrachts in Drimmelen, Leiden, Muiden, Middelburg, Purmerend, Terneuzen, Weesp and even in Cape Town and other places in South Africa. In Madurodam a part of the Amsterdam Herengracht can be seen in miniature.