Oude Noorden/Liskwartier – Great discoveries

The old North, squeezed between 3 waters – the Noordsingel, the river Rotte and the Noorderkanaal. Here you’ll find 2 small areas in the northern part close to the center. Locals tend to gather them both as Het Oude Noorden (the Old North). Despite a certain reputation as so-called ‘hotspot’ (not a good thing here), I’ve lived many happy years in this buzzing multicultural area which is definitely worth a visit (and for shopping).

A little introduction and historical facts: The Old North used to belong to a ‘manor’ till the 19th century. The ‘manor’ has a special Dutch name, ‘ambachtsheerlijkheid’. This means that either some nobility or a city has ownership of a certain territory. They don’t ‘own’ the land, but have certain rights – a leftover of the feudal system.

Historic streets like Zwaanshals, now great for shopping, already got mentioned in the 16th century and was known as both a small area and the name of a house (Swaenshals). Two typical houses are turned into a museum where you can have a glimpse of the past.

The Liskwartier (quarter) is named after Lischwater. What’s left is a small pond nearby. This area has grand houses, lanes and broad streets with the monumental Bergsingel church. The stately Rodenrijselaan, Bergselaan and Bergsingel are just a few streets to wander around for the architecture and the atmosphere.

There was a substantial Jewish community here, most didn’t survive the concentration camps during WWII. You can still find a shelter at Schiebroekselaan.