Brouwersgracht (brewers canal) takes its name from the number of breweries located along it in the 17th and 18th centuries. Decent sized flats on the Brouwersgracht will cost you upwards of €500,000. If I had the cash, this is where I would live.

The four warehouses from 188 to 194 are a fine example of 17th century functional buildings with their simple spout gables and shutters. The strong beams with hooks at the top of each building are not only found on warehouses. Nearly every house in the city has one -- the narrow steep stairs make moving furniture very difficult.Using a rope and tackle means fridges, cupboards and boxes of books can be lowered out of the window to the pavement below.

Just off the western end of the Brouwersgracht, on Driehoekstraat (Triangle street) is the last remaining distillery in the area, the Ooievaar, which has been producing Genever (Dutch gin) and bitters since 1782.