Rembrandtplein grew from a wagon stopping place and Botermarkt into a monument square and Amsterdam entertainment district. Its lanes recall the carts and horses once served here; cafés, terraces and nearby Reguliersdwarsstraat carry later histories of cultural life and queer nightlife.
Quick facts
The square began as a wagon stopping place by the Regulierspoort; nearby Wagenstraat and Paardenstraat preserve that association.
The former Botermarkt sold dairy products and poultry and hosted Amsterdam’s annual September fair.
Louis de Royer made the cast-iron Rembrandt monument; Amsterdam’s municipal history records the square’s official renaming as Rembrandtplein in 1876.
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Guide
Rembrandtplein is a public square in central Amsterdam whose name arrived long after its first working life. Before cafés and terraces made it a place to linger, the open ground served people and animals trying to get through the city. The lanes opening onto the square still tell part of that story: Wagenstraat and Paardenstraat refer to wagons and horses, while the old name Botermarkt recalls the market that succeeded the wagon yard.
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