Leidseplein

Leidseplein lies on the southwestern edge of Amsterdam's canal belt, where the old Leidsepoort once let farmers from the south into the city. The square takes its name from a 17th-century cart park for wagons coming from Leiden; in the 19th century it grew into an entertainment hub when the Stadsschouwburg theatre opened in 1894 in its current neo-Renaissance form. Next to it stands the American Hotel with its famous Cafe Americain, an Art Nouveau hall lit by stained-glass windows. The side streets Korte Leidsedwarsstraat and Lange Leidsedwarsstraat are packed with bars, coffeeshops, restaurants and live venues like the Paradiso and Melkweg, which have shaped Amsterdam's nightlife since the 1960s. By day, street musicians, fire-eaters and acrobats perform in front of the theatre; by night the square fills with tourists and students.