De Waag’s clustered towers dominate Nieuwmarkt, but the building began as the Sint Anthoniespoort in Amsterdam’s medieval wall. After the city expanded, the gate became a weigh house for heavy trade goods and meeting rooms for craft guilds.
Guide preview
The building’s towers and entrances do not line up neatly with the surrounding streets. That irregularity makes sense when you know De Waag began as a city gate. Built in 1488 as the Sint Anthoniespoort, it guarded an eastern entrance through Amsterdam’s medieval wall.
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Quick facts
- De Waag was built in 1488 as the Sint Anthoniespoort city gate.
- It was converted into a weigh house after the city expanded.
- Guilds occupied rooms in the building’s upper floors.
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