Kalverstraat (Calf Street), Amsterdam

Calf Street is a pedestrian zone and a major shopping street, running for about 750 meters from Dam Square to Muntplein Square. Alongside are a number of notable locations such as the former Orphanage building (now housing the Amsterdam Museum), the Saints Peter and Paul church, and the Orphanage Gate.

The street traces its roots back to the 14th century when it was known as The Lane and served as the western dike of the Amstel River. Later, it came to be known as Calf Street after the cattle market that existed there from 1486 until 1629.

On 16 March 1345, a Eucharistic miracle (known as the Miracle of Amsterdam or the Miracle of the Host) occurred in the area. Upon receiving the Holy Sacrament and last rites, a dying man vomited The Host (or the Sacramental bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist). According to liturgical regulations, The Host was then put into fire but miraculously “survived” and was retrieved from the ashes intact the following day. This miracle was quickly acknowledged and, eventually, a large pilgrim chapel, called the "Holy Site", was built on the spot where it occurred. Presently, this miracle is commemorated annually with a Silent Procession through Calf Street.

By the late 19th century, Calf Street was the first street in Amsterdam to be paved, fitted with electricity, and hosted the first public film screening by the Lumière brothers (in 1896). The V&D branch on Calf Street, opened in 1912, was the Netherlands' first real department store and the first to feature elevators and escalators.

Today, Calf Street is the most expensive shopping street in the Netherlands, with rent prices reaching up to 3,000 euros per square meter. It has approximately 150 shops including several department stores, such as Bijenkorf (Amsterdam's premier option), Peek & Cloppenburg, and Maison de Bonneterie. The five-story Kalvertoren shopping center adds about 40+ stores to the area. At Number 212, you'll encounter the ever-present and budget-friendly HEMA, established in 1926, offering affordable designer goods, practical clothing, stationery, kitchenware, and food items.

Calf Street also features a branch of the Waterstone's bookshop chain, at Number 152. On Rokin, is one of the standout shops – the PGC Hajenius tobacconist, at Number 96. If you have a penchant for Havanas from a well-maintained humidor or seek a traditional clay pipe as a souvenir, this establishment is sure to delight you.

Introduced in 1995, the Shopping Sunday regulation, allowing local shops to work on Sundays, has been drawing additional crowds to the area ever since.