The east side of old Amsterdam was once a centre of international trade and exploration, with parts of the city drawing a large Jewish community from the 1600s onwards. On this walking tour, I’ll tell you about this maritime history, and guide you through the old Jewish district, Jodenbuurt. As you roam the docklands, alleys and canals of the old east side, I’ll share the stories floating through its streets. You'll hear about the Dutch fleet, once the most powerful in the world, the eternal Anglo-Dutch wars, and how the old Navy Warehouse – now the National Maritime Museum – contributed to one of the worst defeats in the history of the British Navy. Speaking of museums, we’ll pass several that you may like to include in your Amsterdam explorations, including: • NEMO Science Museum, the green building shaped like a ship and built in what once was the arm of the sea that linked Amsterdam to the ocean • H’ART Museum (former Hermitage Amsterdam), which houses a lot of Dutch artwork collected by the Russian Tsars • Rembrandt House Museum, modelled to look as it did in the 1600s • Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam (the Museum of WWII Resistance) where you can learn what life was like for locals during the war On this Amsterdam tour, you’ll also have the chance to: • Discover the rich traditions of Sephardic Jews while visiting the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam, the largest synagogue in the world for centuries • Learn how WWII and the Holocaust almost fully wiped out Amsterdam’s Jewish population • Take in the many memorials around the Jewish District including the National Holocaust Names Monument and the Memorial to Auschwitz Victims • Stroll along Waterlooplein Market, one of the largest and oldest flea markets in the city • See Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam and ARTIS zoo, one of the oldest botanical gardens and zoos in the world • Hear about barges and traditional Dutch sailing ships including the magnificently refurbished East Indiaman Join me on this two-hour walk as we hop over a dozen artificial islands and past more than a dozen museums.