Dappermarkt

An ordinary market, used every day

The Dappermarkt runs along Dapperstraat in Amsterdam-Oost. People come here to shop, not to look. It is one of the busiest markets in the city, and it draws visitors from all over the Netherlands, not only from the streets around it.

That is the reason to walk over. You will not find a market made up for tourists. You will find a street where neighbours meet, compare prices and carry their bags home. It is free to walk through, and you can stay as long as you like.

How a street became a market

In 1910 the municipality of Amsterdam officially designated Dapperstraat as a market street. The market has been part of daily life in this part of Oost ever since. Today it is open 52 weeks a year, Monday to Saturday, from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The shops in the surrounding streets stay open a little later.

The neighbourhood has a strong multicultural character, and the market reflects it. Many of the goods are chosen for residents of Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish and Moroccan background. These communities are a large part of Amsterdam's story, and their links to the Netherlands run through colonial and migration history. If you want that wider background, the Wereldmuseum is a short walk away. It stands in a grand 1926 building by the park.

In its November/December 2007 edition, National Geographic named the Dappermarkt among the top ten shopping streets in the world. Locals did not need the magazine to tell them. It is still the place they go on a Tuesday morning.

What to look for

Start at one end of Dapperstraat and walk the whole length slowly. Then walk back on the other side. The street is narrow, so the stalls on both sides feel close together, and the pace is set by the people in front of you.

Listen as much as you look. You will hear Dutch, Turkish, Arabic and Surinamese Dutch, and stallholders calling out their prices over each other. Notice what people are actually buying. Shoppers here know what they want, and they know which stall to go to for it.

Take a look at the shops on the side streets too, since they stay open a bit later than the stalls. They are part of the same neighbourhood economy, and a good place to pick up the day's shopping once the market begins to pack up.

If you have been to the Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp, you will notice a different feel here. This one is less about snacks to eat on the spot and more about the weekly household shop. Come with an open mind and a bit of curiosity, and ask before you photograph a stall or the people working at it.

When you have had enough of the crowd, the green space of Oosterpark is not far, and it is a good place to sit down and watch the neighbourhood go by.