Amsterdam’s canal grid runs east–west — which means one side is shaded all morning and the other all afternoon. Three walks that know which side is which.
The Jordaan is the rare central-city neighborhood where the trees and the buildings agree. Both run parallel to the canals. So once you know which side is the cool side at this hour, you stay on it for the entire walk.
These three are picked for late morning and early afternoon — the only stretch when the elms still cover the sidewalk and the gable lines from across the canal can reach you. After 4 PM the canals widen into low sun; that’s a different kind of walk.
Prinsengracht east bank, north into the lace-curtain quiet of the upper canals. Shaded the whole way before noon.
Cross south on the western side of Prinsengracht. The 17th-century gables on Bloemgracht take over by 1.
Two blocks of east-west canal, full elm canopy, no tram. The locals walk this at lunch and you should too.
Stay Cool computes a shadow-aware route for any city we map.