Oude Houthaven

The Oude Houthaven tells the story of Amsterdam as a world harbour. The harbour was dug in 1876, at the same time as the construction of the North Sea Canal, and was the first dug harbour of the city. Here enormous quantities of wood arrived from Scandinavia, Russia, Africa and the Baltic region. Tree trunks floated in the water or were stored in the characteristic warehouses along the quays, after which they were processed for the construction of houses, ships and bridges. The timber trade was of vital importance for Amsterdam: after all, the city is largely built on wooden foundation piles. Today the Oude Houthaven has a very different character. The former working harbour has changed into an atmospheric living and working area, but with the historic warehouses, wide stretches of water and industrial appearance, the maritime past is still clearly visible.
Where does the name come from?
The name Oude Houthaven (Old Timber Harbour) refers to the original function of the harbour as a transshipment place for wood. When the harbour area was later expanded with the Nieuwe Houthaven and the Minervahaven, the oldest part was naturally given the name Oude Houthaven to distinguish between the various harbours.
Fun fact
In the heyday of the timber trade, sometimes thousands of tree trunks floated at once in the Oude Houthaven. Dock workers, also called timber rafters (houtvlotters), walked nimbly over the floating trunks to sort them and guide them to the right storage place – a spectacular and not exactly risk-free profession.