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Royal Palace
Dam Phone: ☎ +31 20 620 4060About
Royal Palace (Paleis op de Dam), Dam (Tram Dam), ☎ +31 20 620 4060, [10]. Tu-Su 12:00-17:00. The Royal Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Netherlands. It is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by the Act of Parliament. It was built in 1651 as the city hall of Amsterdam, in a period known as the Dutch Golden Age. Many school children learn that because of the swampy soil, it was built on no less than 13,569 wooden poles. In 1795, the French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Netherlands, and his brother Louis Napoleon became the first King of Holland in 1806. He acquired the city hall in that year and turned it into a royal palace. It was restored to the original owners when Prince William VI returned to the Netherlands in 1812, but when he was crowded as King William I, he decided that Amsterdam should be the official capital and acquired the city hall once again as a royal palace. This still brings out feelings among the locals, some of who would like to see the palace returned to Amsterdam. It has been completely renovated in 2009 and is now open again. It is mainly used for diplomatic receptions and to welcome visiting heads of state, not as a royal residence. €7.50.
