My favorite thing about Amsterdam? Definitely its architecture! I love wandering around the streets looking at the beautiful facades and imagine the great historic stories behind each one of them.

In Amsterdam most of the canal houses are often high and deep, but very slim. This had to do with several things, but foremost the tax being calculated by the width of the facade. This resulted in some real creative thinking, aka slim facades and tiny tiny houses. There’s some discussion on which is exactly the smallest house in Amsterdam, there are several fighting to get the title. This is why there now is an distinction between the smallest facade and the smallest house.

Smallest facade.
You can find the smallest facade on the ‘Singel’ number 7. This facade is just over a meter wide! It is located between two much bigger buildings, emphasizing it’s tiny facade even more. You can stand in front of the house, stretch out your arms and touch both sides. The trick of this house is that this is only the rear end of the building, the front being significantly bigger. This is also the main reason why it gets named the smallest facade, and not the smallest house. A little down the street, at number 166, you will find an other really pretty tiny house which is also very popular for taking pictures.

Singel 7 & Singel 166

Smallest house. 
The smallest house of Amsterdam is located on the ‘Oude hoogstraat 22′. It is only 2.02 meters wide and 5 meters deep and has a room on each floor. This teeny-tiny house was built in 1738. Nowadays a small tea shop is located in the tiniest house of Amsterdam, a shop of only 9m2! They have all sorts of fresh loose teas, pre-packaged tea, tea accessories and tea sets but also wonderful delicacies. New is the tiniest tea room of Amsterdam, located on the first floor. You can enjoy breakfast or lunch or an Afternoon Tea. Isn’t that something?

Smallest house of Amsterdam with the tea room

Largest facade.
The ‘Trippenhuis’ on the ‘kloveniersburgwal 29’ has the largest facade. It is 22 meters wide! Can you imagine, the smallest facade of Amsterdam will fit almost 22 times in its biggest. Making it one impressing building.

Did you find some amazing, unique, beautiful stuff while exploring the Dam? I would love to hear them!

Sincerely,
Mr. J.