Sonnenberg is located on the Herengracht, in the historic centre of Amsterdam. Surrounded by the famous nine-streets, this historic canal house was built in 1649 for the Sonnenberg family. It is one of the few houses that still boast its original gable, which is a classical renaissance crow-stepped gable; this is a stair-step type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building.

Not only the gable is still original, the interior with its solid oak beams as well as the winding staircase are original. It is not hard to imagine this Dutch merchant family doing business from this very location. This family remained owners of this historic canal house well into the 19th century, and perhaps the heirs of these Sonnenberg’s are the same Sonnenberg’s as those who are among the ten richest families of the Netherlands.

Sonnenberg - Description
This apartment is located on two floors. Two flights of stairs are circular and steep, and the first one is a straight flight. One enters the Sonnenberg apartment through the shared entrance on the beletage, after climbing a set of stone stairs of half a floor level. All floors have excellent views of the canals, and there is a bench on the porch as well as one on the canal side.

Behind the front door there is a hallway to the first set of steep circular stairs leading to a hallway on the first floor of the house. Practically every room in the house has its own adjustable radiators, it is quite easy to keep this house warm and comfortable in winter. As each room also has windows, it is quite easy to create a nice breeze in the house cooling it down in the summer. There are also fans available on the rare summer days that it is actually hot.

On the first floor there is a toilet in the hallway, and a door to the living/seating room. This floor has a beautiful wooden floor as well as beams supporting the floor above. In the front (canal side) of this floor there is a spacious living area with a bench overlooking the canal, a sofa and TV. This is a great area to relax after or before a day of exploring all the sights of Amsterdam. You will find a counter with limited facilities such as kettle, coffeemaker, toaster, oven/microwave, fridge, dishwasher and a large table in the back of the floor. We have cutlery, plates, cups and glasses to enjoy light meals, ordered in or prepared on the spot, unfortunately no full kitchen (stove and sink from counter are missing in compliance with local laws). We do have an easily accessible sink on this floor.

It is not hard to imagine enjoying a spending an evening with a good diner and equally good conversations at the large table with dimmed light shining from the chandelier. With ample heating present and friends swapping stories at the table, this is typically what the Dutch will call “gezellig”. The word “gezellig” is considered to be an example of untranslatability, and is one of the hardest words to translate. Some consider the word to encompass the heart of Dutch culture.

One floor up with the steep circular staircase there is the floor with one bedroom (twins) in the front, with canal views and the master bedroom in the back (optional with twins, on request). On this floor located in between the two bedrooms is the bathroom, with a toilet, sink, and a bath with shower. The bedrooms have wooden floors, gorgeous beams and the bathroom floor is marble.

Features
•Canal view
•Central location (nine-streets)
•Part of UNESCO world heritage
•Extreme high speed WiFi internet
•Wind and solar power electricity
•Carbon offset for heating
•Check in at apartment
•Self-catering
•Smart HD widescreen TV
•HD Sat/Cable reception
•Private laptop safe
•80 m2
•Steep stairs (400 year-old landmark feature)
•2 bedrooms (1 double + twins or 2 twins or 2 doubles)
•No full kitchen (stove and sink from counter are missing in compliance with local laws)
•Complete kitchen inventory
•Dishwasher
•Fridge
•Microwave / Oven
•Toaster
•Coffeemaker
•Kettle
•Electric egg boiler
•Separate sink
•Basics provided
•Shower / Bath
•2 toilets
•Hairdryer
•Laundry/laundrette nearby
•Iron and ironing board
•English Guide books
•Bed linen and towels are provided
•No Smoking
•No party policy
•Child safety is low due to steep circular stairs (see stairs section)

Location description
The Sonnenberg is located in the “nine streets” area. The nine streets area is well known for its plentiful boutique shops, many restaurants, and its beautiful canals. This area is comprised of nine narrow streets running perpendicular with the four major canals (Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht) of the canal belt. It is distinctly different from other shopping districts as there is a large diversity of privately owned shops and specialized shops.

Nearby points of interest
•9 Streets Area - 0 minutes walking
•Flower Market - 2 minutes walking
•Spui – 2 minutes walking
•Dam Square – 3 minutes walking
•Jordaan – 5 minutes walking
•Westerkerk/Anne Frank - 5 minutes walking
•Rembrandt plein - 6 minutes walking
•Centraal Station – 15 minutes walking
•Leidseplein - 15 minutes walking
•Nieuwmarkt - 15 minutes walking

Staircases
This apartment has 2 internal flights. From street level to the entrance there is a short stone flight of stairs up to the front door. From here there is a circular flight of stairs to the Living/seating level. The circular staircase continues up to a floor with 2 bedrooms and the full bathroom. The stairs are steep and narrow, as is typical for a 400 year old house. However with closed doors stairs are not accessible.

I personally meet my guests at the apartment to make sure they settle in alright. During the stay I am always available, and many times organize boat tours or advise my guests on special events during their stay.

The view from the apartment of the most beautiful canal is already awesome. But to be in the nine-streets area of the city means the coolest shops and restaurants are a literal stones-throw away.

From this location no sight is more than 15 minutes away by foot. There is access to more than a dozen tram-lines and bus-lines within 3 minutes walking and Rokin Metro is no more than a 4 minute walk.