Surprised and Delighted - What a wonderful tour - we thoroughly recommend it. Tijs was knowledgeable, full of interesting stories and extremely courteous and polite. A fascinating tour and to be able to see inside Huis Bartolotti was the icing on the cake! Thank you Tijs.

Fascinating new view of the Canal Ring architecture - I really enjoyed my morning walking tour of the canal district with Historical Tours Amsterdam. Tijs’ knowledge of the city is amazing and he explains fascinating historical details clearly and with enthusiasm. I learned about the reasons why the Amsterdam skyline is as we see it now, why the canal fortifications are necessary to maintain the city and why there is a swan on top of a Protestant domed church. I now understand more about how Amsterdam expanded rapidly from medieval times onwards as trade developed and where the remnants of the old city walls can still be seen. I heard about the story behind the Multatuli statue on the oldest bridge in Amsterdam with a prison below it and the origins of fair trade coffee. Likewise the stories behind the different widths and gable-ends of the houses was so interesting; now I’ll look at this familiar city through fresh eyes. I highly recommend Tijs as a guide who can add a fun personal touch to a tour of Amsterdam and bring history to life.