Irene de Craen

The dirtiest street in the Netherlands

A busy city is often a smelly city...

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Prins Hendrikkade under construction - 1929 De nog smalle Prins Hendrikkade 99-129 met op nr. 108-114 het Scheepvaarthuis Source: Stadsarchief Amsterdam inventarisnummer OSIM00003001524

The Prins Hendrikkade is a street in the centre of Amsterdam that runs eastwards from the central train station. Well-known buildings on the Prins Hendrikkade include the Victoria Hotel, the Sint Nicolaasbasiliek, the Schreierstoren, and the Scheepvaarthuis (Shipping House). When Dutch naval 'hero' Michiel de Ruyter lived on this street on number 131, it was located right on the water of the harbour. From 1938 onwards however, the Prins Hendrikkade has been widened to make place for the development of the city. Today this street has the dubious honor of being the dirtiest street in the Netherlands with a concentration of 80 µg of particulate matter per m³, twice as high as the European air quality standard (40 µg/m³).