Barangây is your tropical hide-away in the heart of Amsterdam!

This gay-owned, but straight friendly, guesthouse was built in 1777 on the former coastline of Amsterdam and still has her original facade.

Although we are located one street behind the longest shopping street in the Netherlands, our location is very quiet. All tourist attractions are within easy walking distance.

The Central Station for all kind of public transportation is only a 3 minute walking distance and the closest gay bars are 5 minutes away. It will only take you 20 minutes from Schiphol Airport by car/train.

This guesthouse is next to the famous Jordaan quarter where you can also find Anne Frank's house.

Bike rental, shops, restaurants, coffee shops (the ones where you do not drink coffee) cafés, cinemas... you will find all these just around the corner.

Rooms:

The rooms are decorated in tropical style and we serve our world famous breakfasts in the room.

Located 3 minutes from the central station in the heart of the historic center of Amsterdam.

The rooms are decorated in nostalgic colonial style with a tropical accent. Each room has cable TV, refrigerator, digital radio alarm clock, coffee/tea making facilities (and video per request).

Don't worry we also have nice beds! Our two tropical rooms share a big bathroom. The rooms are non-smoking but they have garden doors opening to a small patio where smoking is allowed.

Excursions:

With big discounts, we can book all your canal tours and other 2 hours, 4 hours and 10 hours excursions in Amsterdam, Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Location:

The Area is called 'the Golden Reaal' and it is right in the old center, just 200 meters southwest from the Central Station.

Parallel with 'Droogbak' (our street) you will find the Haarlemmerstraat' and the 'Brouwersgracht' (brewery canal).

The Haarlemmerstraat is a former sea dike, now a very nice street with restaurants, (coffee) shops, barbers, laundry, and an art-deco cinema etc. The Brouwersgracht is one of the most beautiful canals connecting the 4 main canals. In former days, the many breweries took water from this canal to brew beer.

Walking Distances:

• Shops & restaurants is 1 minute
• Central Station is 3 minutes
• Red Light District is 5 minutes
• Nearest Gay Scene is 5 minutes
• Jordaan Area is 5 minutes
• Dam Square is 10 minutes
• Leidseplein is 25 minutes

Before the invention of noise pollution, it was said that if you could hear the bells of the Westerkerk, you were in the Jordaan. Nowadays, the church tower is merely a good place from which to view the Jordaan’s streets and canals, provided you don’t suffer from vertigo. At 85 meters (278 feet) high - one of the tallest structures in Amsterdam - it also makes a useful landmark.

Neo-Classical Church:

The neo-classical church was built in 1631 by Hendrik de Keyser. Its tower is topped with a somewhat gaudy gold, blue and red crown marked ‘XXX’.

The story goes that in 1489, Maximillian, the Holy Roman Emperor, in need of medical help during a pilgrimage and grateful for the sanctuary, granted the city the right to include his crown on the city arms. The triple-X came to be used by the city’s traders as a seal to denote quality and does not mark something as X-rated, as some people theorize when they witness, for the first time, the ‘XXX’ marked and remarkably phallic parking poles - ‘Amsterdammertjes’ - that are found throughout the city.

Chris Café:

Practical jokers are recommended to take their companions for a coffee at the historical Chris Café (Bloemstraat 42), which began as the local for the builders of the Westerkerk. The toilet’s flusher has always been located - uniquely - by the bar, which makes it all too easy to shock a friend who’s having an over-leisurely sit (sic).

Anne Frank House:

A short saunter away from Westerkerk is Anne Frankhuis, one of the most visited attractions in town. It’s the seventeenth century canal side house where the young Jewish girl Anne Frank spent over two years in hiding during World War II, from June 1942 to August 1944.

It’s definitely not a cozy recreation of a family home. The Nazis destroyed the furniture and the interior has been left bare, though you can still see the diary and the bookcase that concealed the entrance to the annex where the family hid, sustained by friends. Regular exhibitions are held, but visit very early to avoid the crowds.

Hidden Gardens:

Part of the Jordaan’s charm is what is hidden from the uninformed eye.

The area has the highest concentration of hofjes (hidden garden courtyards) in the city.

The better-known ones in the area are Claes Claesz Hofje (1e Egelantiersdwarsstraat 3), St Andrieshofje (Egelantiersgracht 107-114), Suyckerhofje (Lindengracht 149-163), Venetiae (Elandsstraat 106-136), and the oldest, Linden Hofje (Lindengracht 94-112).

Rembrandt:

A washed-up Rembrandt lived from 1659 until he died ten years later at Rozengracht 184, where all that remains of his former home is a plaque on the first floor bearing the inscription ‘Hier Stond Rembrandts Woning 1410-1669’ (‘Here Stood Rembrandt’s Home 1410-1669’).

Markets and Shops:

The area south of Rozengracht has two excellently browse-worthy indoor antique markets, Rommelmarkt and Looier, both of which have cafés.

There are also a number of interesting shops, including curio store Het Winkeltje (Prinsengracht 228), and the English Bookshop (Lauriergracht 71).

There are plenty of more sights and places to see that you should know about. We would be more than happy to help your holiday in Amsterdam be the best it can be by sharing our knowledge of Amsterdam and our location with you.

Getting To Barangây:

Please push only the black bell when arriving... we don't want to disturb our neighbours!!

Public Transportation:

• Take any tram, metro, bus or train going to Central Station.
• From the Central Station it is only a 3 minute walk to Barangây.
• Coming out from the Central Station (main entrance facing the tram stops), you turn right direction Ibis Hotel.
• After passing the Ibis, immediately cross the modern (steel) foot bridge and take the stairs up front.
• In front of you, you'll see a little square and a huge free standing red-brick building with white stripes and a red door in the middle. This is on Droogbak.
• With the rail tracks at your right side, walk towards that building and you will find Barangây on its left side, on number 15.
• Please use/push only the black bell.

By Bus:

• If you really don't want to walk, Barangây is one bus stop away (walking is much faster).
• Bus 22 is located in between the Central Station and Victoria Hotel.
• Walking towards the bus stop you cross the main bridge with all the tramlines away from the station.
• On the right hand corner you will find bus 22, next to the canal boats of Holland International.
• After one stop you get out in front of a free standing red-brick building, with a red door in the middle. This is Droogbak.

By Taxi:

• If you have lots of money, the taxis are waiting in front of the station.
• Get ready to be disappointed as they will probably refuse you a ride.
• Barangây is too close from the station.

By Car:

• When you arrive on the A10 (the ring around the city center) take the ring west and take exit S103 (Haarlem) at the end of the exit turn right direction centrum.
• Now you are on the Haarlemmerweg. Just follow the Haarlemmerweg until the end where you cross the bridge, (you can see an old square gate of the city, at your left hand side).
• After the bridge, turn left and follow the main road to the right, parallel with the railway tracks at your left hand side).
• This street leads you directly to Barangây.
• After crossing the canal, the road goes to the right and there you see a big free standing redbrick building, this is Droogbak.
• If you face the front side, take the little street left from building and there a nice room is waiting for you on number 15.
• Please push only the black bell.

Parking:

Two minutes (walking) away from Barangây you can park your car in a underground parking opposite the Central Station. If you walk out the front door you turn right and in front of Lovers canal boats you will see the parking garage.

Your Hosts:

Wimmo Bouman (the Dutch look-a-like of Bruce Willis) and Godwin Yosalina (the former Filipino version of Diana Ross/Bob Marley).

We are two easy going guys sharing our lives together since 1996.

Wimmo is a former dancer (classical ballet and folkdance) and God is a frustrated dancer himself. Wimmo used to manage a touring canal boat company but now works together with God as hosts on the same boat company. God also part-times as a data encoder... so if you have some typing job to be done, just bring it with you.