The swing over the edge
It swings you out past the building's edge over a hundred-metre drop — why the place is known.
Marion Golsteijn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Steven Lek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Henk Monster — CC BY 3.0 · Marion Golsteijn — CC BY-SA 4.0
A tower on the north bank of the IJ opposite Amsterdam Centraal, Shell's former office tower and now converted to leisure and office use. The viewing deck at the top gives the widest view of Amsterdam there is: the old city and its canals spread out across the water, the harbour to the west, and the flat Dutch countryside to the north. What separates it from any other deck is a pair of swings fixed at the roof edge that swing you out beyond the side of the building over more than a hundred metres of nothing. The idea is as simple as it is terrifying, and it is why the place is known. Access is by the free ferry from behind Centraal Station, five minutes across the water and an enjoyable trip in itself. You should know that prices are high, the swing is paid for separately from the deck ticket, and the view is the product — there is no point going up on a hazy day.
It swings you out past the building's edge over a hundred-metre drop — why the place is known.
The canalled old city, the harbour and the flat country north, all in one.
The ferry from Centraal costs nothing and the ride is part of the pleasure.
Overhoeks 1, 1031 KS Amsterdam — north bank of the IJ, opposite Centraal Station
Eye FilmmuseumThe Netherlands' national film museum, in a sharp white angular building on the 1 minute walk4.3
Amsterdam Centraal StationAmsterdam Centraal is the first thing most visitors see, and a building worth lo7 minutes walk4.6
The Basilica of St NicholasThe Basilica of St Nicholas stands directly opposite Centraal Station, the first10 minutes walk4.6
The SchreierstorenThe Schreierstoren is a stone tower of 1487, among the last surviving pieces of 10 minutes walk4.4
Nxt MuseumNxt is the Netherlands' first museum devoted to new media art, opened in 2020 in11 minutes walk4.1Both are on the same bank reached by the same free ferry, but they are entirely different: Eye is about film, architecture and sitting by the water; the tower is about height, the view and the swing. The two fold easily into one afternoon.
It is a staffed activity with harnesses and safety procedures, and it stops in strong wind. It carries age, weight and health conditions and does not suit anyone with a heart condition or a serious fear of heights. If you are unsure, the deck ticket alone gives you the whole view without it.