![\"Paleis](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/amsterdam-palast-von-aussen.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nVia a modest entrance visitors get inside the building. But before the tour can start one has to lock away all bags and coats. Handbags are allowed in the building as well as taking pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>The history of the Royal Palace <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The building was constructed in the Golden Age of the Netherlands (1648 \u2013 1665). At this time, Amsterdam was at the zenith of its power. Originally, the palace wasn\u2019t intended for royal use as the Netherlands were a republic at this time. It only became a monarchy in 1804. It was built for the magistrate and the municipal court. The mayor used it as a residence as well. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Construction was surely difficult. The building rests on over 130000 wooden pillars and the positioning of these pillars was recognised as a modern architectural wonder at the time. As it is typical for so many construction projects the costs grew astronomically and only after a new head of construction was brought in the costs were somewhat kept in check from then on. The Town Hall was inaugurated in 1655. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The building lost its function as the city\u2019s Town Hall in 1808. King Louis Bonaparte used the building has his residential palace. Since those days the building was called Royal Palace. The Royal Family bought the palace from the city in 1939. Today, the Royal Family is only present in the building for official functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The building was opened for the public after reconstruction works were completed in 2009. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A visit to the Royal Palace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It becomes\napparent that this palace is different than other palaces we have\nvisited before just by looking at the outside. It is a very compact\nbuilding and it has no palace garden. The footprint is square with a\ndome in the middle. A tower rises from it, some 20 meters high, with\na weather vane shaped like a Dutch cog. One enters the Citizen\u2019s Hall first. This great, barrel vault hall fills the entire depth and height of the building. The hall\u2019s ceiling is 28 meters high. It\u2019s framed by marble galleries and has a wonderful floor mosaic that shows a picture of the earth in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nFigurines on the roof\nrepresent the Westphalian Peace, Intelligence and Justice. All\nsymbols that fit more on the roof of a Town Hall than on the roof of\na Royal Palace and therefore highlight the original usage of the\nbuilding to this day. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n