The narrowest house in Amsterdam: everything you need to know

Amsterdam’s architecture is unique and varied. You’ll find tall houses, historic houses, slanted houses, and even sinking houses. But Amsterdam’s homes are perhaps best known for being narrow.

Coming from the vast lands of the United States, getting used tiny ol’ Amsterdam is was quite the adjustment for me. People on the sidewalks and in bike lanes are crammed shoulder to shoulder, and the houses are no different.

Why? Because when the city saw a growth spurt after the economic boom of the 17th century, narrow houses meant more people could squeeze into the city’s limited space.

But a few of these houses are so narrow you’ll have to see them to believe it. 👇

The narrowest house in Amsterdam: Oude Hoogstraat 22

Of the three skinniest houses in Amsterdam, the one holding the record for the narrowest of them all measures just 2.2 metres in width. (Americans, that’s about the length of six wine bottles.)

If you’ve been to the Red Light District, you’ve likely passed by the narrowest house in Amsterdam without even noticing. It stands bashfully between the gateway to the Walloon Church and the historic East Indies House.

With its red-brick facade and traditional spout gable, it looks like any other Amsterdam canal house — only miniature. 

READ MORE | The Amsterdam canal houses: why are they so wonderfully weird?

The municipality of Amsterdam purchased the small plot of land for this particularly narrow house all the way back in 1738. It was first leased to a clockmaker in 1742, as a single-story building (with ridiculously high ceilings.)

Over the years, the building went from a workshop to a three-story home. Eventually, Amsterdam’s narrowest house became a storefront for small businesses, like a jewellery store and flower shop.

The dainty landmark is now aptly home to Amsterdam’s tiniest tea shop, which opened its doors in 2014. At just five metres deep, the total area of the tea room is a gezellig nine square metres. 

Amsterdam’s other narrow houses

These next two Amsterdam houses may not be the skinniest of the skinny, but they’d still be approved for a high fashion runway in the ’90s.

The Loophole: Singel 7

This Amsterdam canal house is located on Singel 7. Mistakenly (but understandably), it is often thought to be Amsterdam’s narrowest house.

However, it’s only the back facade that’s so slim, measuring just above one metre in width. The front of the house looks completely normal, so altogether, the inside of the house isn’t that narrow at all. 

Oddly, Amsterdammers used to pay taxes on the width of their houses on the canal side, which happens to be the front side of the vast majority of houses.

So, Single 7’s narrow, canal-facing rear facade is seen as a creative approach to tax evasion. Gotta love that Dutch ingenuity.

The kleine Trippenhuis: Kloveniersburgwal 26

Our final narrow Amsterdam house stands out for its mirroring of the stately mansion across the canal. The Trippenhuis was the largest residential house in Amsterdam in the 17th century, owned by the well-known arms-dealing Trip brothers.

Legend has it, the brothers’ coachman had mentioned he’d be delighted to live in a house even just the width of the mansion’s door.

In good humour, the brothers commissioned the 2.4-metre house across the canal to emulate the neoclassical facade — a slender gift for their dear coachman.

Tour all of Amsterdam’s narrowest houses

You can easily see all three of Amsterdam’s narrowest houses in just an hour or two.

It makes for a great self-guided walking/cycling tour around some of the loveliest parts of the old city. Just follow these directions, or wander around more creatively on your own route. There’s always plenty to keep you entertained along the way.

Have you seen the narrowest houses in Amsterdam? Let us know what you think of them in the comments below!