Directions
From the northeast corner of Leliegracht and Keizersgracht, turn right on Keizersgracht's odd-numbered side. Look for No. 123 on the right, the Huis met de Hoofden, or "House with the Heads."
Huis met de Hoofden ("House with the Heads")
- This highly decorative red-brick and sandstone house is another fine example of the Baroque Amsterdam Renaissance style.
- Along with Bartolotti House, this is one of only three surviving 17th-century predecessors to the double canal house.
- Designed by Hendrick de Keyser, his son Pieter completed the building in 1622, the year after his father died.
- The six carved heads of Classical dieties adorning the facade give the house its name. They are (from left): Apollo, Ceres, Mars, Minerva, Bacchus and Diana.
- Originally built for a rich merchant, the building has also served as an auction house and a high school. From 1983, it housed offices for the City of Amsterdam Department of Monuments & Historic Sites; in February 2006, the building was sold to a private owner. The city offices will move, but this historic gem will remain open to the public.
Keizersgracht
- Keizersgracht means "emperor's canal."
- As the middle canal of the main three, Keizersgracht feels calmer than the closer-to-center Herengracht and shop-filled Prinsengracht.
- This western stretch of the Keizersgracht offers some of its most picturesque canal houses and bridge views, but maintains a laid-back air with its occasional houseboats.
