Although it looks a bit odd and archaic at its current location on Alexanderplein, this impressive gate was once a symbol of the city’s grandeur and even Napoleon made a point of riding through it when he entered Amsterdam in 1811. Built in 1770 to replace an existing gate that had succumbed to the ravages of time, it was designed in Louis XVI style with Doric friezes and all kinds of other embellishments meant to impress. Today it’s hard to imagine its purpose as a gate, since the narrow bridge created for horse-drawn traffic that led to it no longer exists, but it’s still an interesting bit of local history that’s worth a look.
