Rembrandtplein has been Amsterdam's beating heart of nightlife for well over a century, but it earned its name in 1852 when a bronze statue of the city's most celebrated painter was unveiled here. It was the first statue in the Netherlands dedicated to an artist rather than a statesman, and it remains the oldest in Amsterdam. The sculptor, Belgian artist Louis Royer, produced a flattering likeness. Compare it with Rembrandt's self-portraits and you'll see his admirers quietly improved on reality.

In 2006 the square gained a second act: bronze figures from The Night Watch were arranged around the statue, turning the whole ensemble into an open-air tableau.

VoiceMap's audio tours use Rembrandtplein as a launchpad to trace Rembrandt's Amsterdam story, from his rise and bankruptcy to his death nearby, and connect the square's lamplit nightlife to a Golden Age inventor who first lit the city's streets in 1669.