Palmgracht

The Palmgracht is a quiet, wide street in the Jordaan that was once a real canal. During the construction of the Jordaan in the 17th century, the Palmgracht formed an important waterway for the supply and removal of goods to the warehouses and workshops in the neighbourhood. At the end of the 19th century the canal was filled in, like many other Jordaan canals, because of hygiene, traffic and urban development. Today the wide street and the monumental buildings still recall the water that once flowed here. The Palmgracht has retained its historic character and is a quiet place where you can still taste the atmosphere of the old Jordaan.
Where does the name come from?
The Palmgracht probably owes its name to Palm Sunday (Palmzondag), the Sunday before Easter. Many streets and canals in the Jordaan were given biblical names in the 17th century, such as the Egelantiersgracht, Bloemgracht and Lauriergracht. The Palmgracht fits within this tradition and refers to the palm branches with which Jesus, according to the Bible, was welcomed in Jerusalem.
Fun fact
Although the canal disappeared back in 1895, the strikingly wide street still reveals exactly where the water ran. Under the street surface the former canal even largely still lies hidden. During works, old quay walls and other historic remains regularly come to light – a silent reminder of the water past of the Jordaan.