The streets at night
In 2023 the city shortened the district's night. The windows now close at three in the morning instead of six, bars on Friday and Saturday nights stop admitting new guests at one and close at two, and smoking cannabis in the street is banned inside the old quarter. The effect is that the lanes are crowded and loud until about two, then empty surprisingly fast, leaving the canals to cleaners, night cyclists and residents on their way home. That schedule matters for a booking. Before two, the crowd along the Oudezijds Achterburgwal can make the last hundred metres to a hotel door slow, so an entrance on a side street or on the Warmoesstraat saves time. After two, the district is quieter than much of the city, and a woman walking along the Voorburgwal draws no attention at all. Many small hotels here have no night desk; tell us how your door works and she will come prepared.
