Amstel Canal Guest House

Located 10 minutes from the center of Amsterdam, the Plantagebuurt is a quiet, green neighborhood with a troubled past. A Jewish neighborhood from the 16th century until World War II, the Plantagebuurt was once bustling with factories and commerce. But its location, completely surrounded by canals, allowed German forces to isolate the area and create a Jewish ghetto.

During the cold winter following the war, many of the tragically deserted homes were dismantled for firewood. The area was renovated in the 1970s, and today only the synagogue and the Jewish Museum remind visitors of the its troubled past. Plantagebuurt is, however, home to several museums (including the Rembrandt House Museum) and a zoo.