De Munt - Mint Tower, Amsterdam

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The tower was originally part of the Regulierspoort, one of the main gates in Amsterdam's medieval city wall. The gate, built in the years 1480-1487, consisted of two towers and a guard house. After the gate went up in flames in a 1618 fire, only the guard house and part of the western tower remained standing. The tower was then rebuilt in Amsterdam Renaissance style in 1619-1620, with an eight-sided top half and elegant open spire designed by Hendrick de Keyser, featuring a clockwork with four clockfaces and a carillon of bells.

La torre fue originalmente parte de la Regulierspoort, una de las puertas principales de la muralla medieval de Amsterdam. La puerta, construida en el año 1480-1487, constaba de dos torres y un cuerpo de guardia. Después de la puerta ardió en llamas en un incendio de 1618, sólo el cuerpo de guardia y parte de la torre occidental permaneció de pie. La torre fue reconstruida en estilo renacentista en Amsterdam 1619-1620, con una mitad superior de ocho lados y la torre elegante abierto diseñado por Hendrick de Keyser, con un reloj con cuatro clockfaces y un carillón de campanas.

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This large tower was built in 1620, by the architect Hendrick de Keyser, on the place where one of the oldest gates of Amsterdam used to stand.

Today it houses a Delft ceramic shop, ‘De Porceleyne Fles.’

The Mint Tower makes an excellent reference point. If you followed the pedestrian shopping street, Kalverstraat, down from the central station, the tower stands where the street opens up for vehicle traffic. This is also where the Amstel river and the Singel canal meet. An finally, this is the start of Vijzelstraat which leads to the museum district.

The tower was once part of the city walls and dates from 1672. The tower gets it name from the guardhouse next door where coins were minted.

the munttoren, (mint tower) was originally a gate in the medieval city wall. the clock tower was added in 1699. the tower acquired it's name in 1673 when the city mint was housed there. not open to the public

Munttoren was built in 1619-1620 and it is the southern tower among all other ones in the city. Near of Munttoren you can see Regulierspoort, a part of fortification that was built in 1480-1487. As the matter of fact the tower was built after great fire of the old gate by de Keyser architect.

The Munttoren is a part of the formerly bigger Regulierspoort (built between 1480-1487), which was a part of the mediaeval brick-built city-wall (city fortification) and was one of the three city main gates. However the Regulierspoort (Reguliers Gate) was destroyed by fire in 1618. The Munttoren was the only part, which was not destroyed. Hendrick de Keyser designed the bell tower in the same year. Carillon dates from 1699 and plays every 15 minutes.
The name, Munttower (= Mint Tower) dates from 1670, when the coins were struck in this building.

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The "Munttoren" is a part of the "Regulierspoort" (poort = gate) and was built around 1480 and 1487 as a part of the Amsterdam city wall. This entrance gate had two twoers, with in between the gate itself. After the expansion outside the gates started (1585) the wall and entrance gates lost their function. It became a glas blowing factory and in 1613 the wall alongside the building was demolished. One suspects that a fire that started in the factory destroyed one of the tower and the gate. Around this time the tower became a kind of police checkpoint and later even an inn. In 1672 (in The Netherlands known as the disastrous year) silver and gold was stored in the tower to be transported to Enkhuizen and Dordrecht where coins were made. Later Amsterdam got - for a short period - also the right to make coins (munten). Here's the explanation for the present name of the tower. In the tower houses one of the five famous "Hemony"carrillions (bell organs). The brothers Hemony, were the first that could make clocks in various (clear) tones. Carrillions are a very Dutch and especially Amsterdam thing. The sounds of them belong to the towns atmosphere as no other.

The lower part was part of the Reguliersgate in the medieval city-walls. The gate burned down in 1618, but this part remained. A year later a clock tower was added.
During the French occupancy (round 1673), coins were made here, so that is how it got its name.

The Munttower : (Munt = coin)

At this place you are very near the flower market.