In short
Noordermarkt brings together two very different market mornings, a seventeenth-century church and the everyday streets of the Jordaan. Come on Saturday for organic produce and a wider mix of goods, or on Monday for vintage browsing and curiosities. On other days, the square still makes a useful pause between the Prinsengracht and the neighbourhood’s smaller streets.
Plan for Saturday or Monday if stalls are your priority.
Look around the exterior of the Noorderkerk.
Allow time for the square’s history of trade and protest.
Continue along the nearby Prinsengracht or Brouwersgracht.
Keep market access separate from paid tours and the church’s light show.
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The perfect stop for market mornings and Jordaan walks
A visit works best when you decide what you want from it. Saturday suits food browsing; Monday offers a different selection of second-hand and general goods. A quiet day is better for looking at the church and surrounding façades, but it will not deliver the same market atmosphere.
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Recommended stop time 30–45 min
For market browsing and the church exterior; add time for cafés, shopping and booked activities.
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Local customs
Keep stall access clear, ask before taking close-up photographs and treat church activities and memorial history respectfully.
What to see around Noordermarkt
The square is compact enough to explore without a fixed route. Start around the church, look towards the market edges and then follow one of the nearby streets or canals. The market calendar determines much of what you will see.
Saturday market Must see
Browse organic produce and the adjoining mix of general goods; individual stalls and availability vary.
Monday finds
Look for vintage items, books, textiles and curiosities, with a different setup from Saturday.
Noorderkerk exterior
Walk around the church and observe its relationship with the square; interior visits follow separate arrangements.
History of the February Strike
Take time for the square’s connection with the meeting held on 24 February 1941.
Nearby canal connections
Continue towards the Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht, keeping crossings and cycle routes clear.
Quick summary of a Noordermarkt visit
Allow time to browse rather than treating Noordermarkt as a quick photo stop. Add a separate slot for a food tour or indoor show, and leave space in the day for walking around the northern Jordaan.
Best moment
Saturday or Monday morning for stalls
Crowd
Busier around market stalls and cafés
Kid friendly
Short browsing stop with supervision
Unmissable
The market and Noorderkerk setting
Type of experience
Shopping, local history and canal walks
What to expect
A compact square with changing market activity
Noorderkerk light show and food tours around Noordermarkt
The square and markets are free to enter. Optional bookings can add a different experience: a sound-and-light show inside Noorderkerk, a food walk ending on Noordermarkt, or a food-and-canal combination that meets beside the church.
The show uses projected imagery and sound; it is not the Van Gogh Museum and does not provide access to that museum. The food walk and cruise combination have separate meeting points, routes and inclusions. Check the selected option, dietary requirements and current schedule. A tour booking does not guarantee that the market is trading, and a cruise ticket does not establish boarding at the square.
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Good to know
Saturday and Monday are different: organic food is a Saturday feature, alongside other goods; Monday focuses on general goods and finds.
The neighbouring Lindengracht and Westerstraat markets are separate markets with their own schedules.
Noorderkerk is an active church; services, open-church visits and the light show have different arrangements.
Market access does not include purchases, café refreshments or booked activities.
Practical tips
Bring a reusable bag and ask each stallholder which payment methods they accept.
Avoid blocking stalls or photographing traders at close range without asking.
Confirm allergens and dietary suitability before booking a food tour.
On quieter days, use the visit for the church exterior and nearby canal streets rather than expecting open stalls.
How to reach Noordermarkt
Noordermarkt is in the northern Jordaan, beside the Prinsengracht. Walking from Centraal is often practical. For a public-transport approach, check current connections towards Westermarkt or the northern edge of the Jordaan and allow time for the final walk; the square does not have its own metro station.
Allow roughly 15–20 minutes, depending on your route and pace. Follow a walking route and take care at canal bridges and cycle crossings.
Check the current GVB planner for stops towards Westermarkt or the northern Jordaan. Allow time for the last section on foot.
Allow roughly 10 minutes from Westermarkt along the canal-side streets; add time if browsing shops or stopping for photographs.
Noordermarkt, Amsterdam
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From Prinsenmarkt to a place of trade and resistance
The square took shape during Amsterdam’s seventeenth-century expansion. It was first known as Prinsenmarkt; the completion of Noorderkerk in 1623 helped establish the name Noordermarkt. The church and the trading space developed as important neighbourhood meeting places.
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Early trading included pottery and second-hand goods. The square’s long commercial history helps explain the continuing contrast between practical shopping, browsing and social life. Its present-day markets have changed with the neighbourhood, rather than preserving one unchanged seventeenth-century scene.
Noordermarkt also has a place in the history of the February Strike of 1941. On the evening of 24 February, a meeting here helped organise the strike against the persecution of Jewish residents. The strike began the following morning and spread beyond Amsterdam. This history gives the square a significance that extends well beyond its market stalls.
Today, church activities, market trading, cafés and visitors share the same compact setting. Looking at the streets around the square helps connect this public space with the wider Jordaan, while treating its memorial history with the attention it deserves.
Details behind Noordermarkt’s neighbourhood life
Two names for one square: Prinsenmarkt preceded the name associated with Noorderkerk.
A Saturday visit can connect with Lindengracht, while Monday also brings activity on Westerstraat.
The square’s trading history includes pottery and second-hand goods as well as today’s produce.
The meeting of 24 February 1941 links a familiar shopping square with an important act of resistance.
Canal tickets and Amsterdam food experiences
Find your stay near Noordermarkt
Accommodation near Noordermarkt and the northern Jordaan can suit visitors who enjoy walking, cafés and canal streets. Check the actual entrance, stairs, nighttime surroundings and route from public transport. The map is centred on Noordermarkt in Amsterdam.
Noordermarkt visiting questions
Is Noordermarkt free to visit?
Yes. The public square and markets do not have a general visitor entrance charge. Purchases, food, shows and guided activities cost separately.
Which days are the markets held?
The regular market days are Monday and Saturday. Check the current calendar and any holiday arrangements before a dedicated trip.
Is the organic market there every day?
No. The organic farmers’ market is a Saturday feature. Monday has a different general-goods setup.
Are Noordermarkt and Lindengracht the same market?
No. They are neighbouring markets. Lindengracht has its own trading arrangements, while the Westerstraat market is another nearby Monday option.
Can I visit Noorderkerk?
The church has services and specific visitor openings. Check the current church calendar; a market visit does not guarantee interior access.
Is the light show a visit to the Van Gogh Museum?
No. It is a sound-and-light experience in Noorderkerk, separate from the Van Gogh Museum and its collections.
Do the food tours guarantee open market stalls?
No. Their tastings, routes and meeting points follow the selected booking. A tour can take place when the market itself is closed.
How long should I allow?
Around 30–45 minutes suits a short market browse and look around the church exterior. Add time for shopping, a café, a guided activity or a longer Jordaan walk.
