The Prinsengracht is a 3.2-kilometer (2.0 mi)-long canal that runs parallel to the Keizersgracht in the center of Amsterdam. The canal, named after the Prince of Orange, is the fourth of the four main canals belonging to the canal belt.

Construction started in 1612 on the initiative of Mayor Frans Hendricksz Oetgens, after a design by city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck.

The part between the Leidsegracht and the Amstel was developed during the city expansion of 1658. The section to the east of the Amstel was constructed during the last expansion. This part was named Nieuwe Prinsengracht. The Korte Prinsengracht is in the extension of the Prinsengracht between the Brouwersgracht and the Westerdok.

The Prinsengracht was a key part of Amsterdam’s urban planning during the Dutch Golden Age, serving as a trade route and expanding the city’s economic potential. The entire canal belt was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 for its innovative hydraulic engineering and urban design.

There are many monuments and monumental canal houses on the Prinsengracht, including:

The Prinsengracht starts in the north at the Brouwersgracht, bends parallel to the Keizersgracht to the southeast and flows into the Amstel. The odd numbered side of the canal is on the side of the heart of the city (Dam Square).

The Prinsengracht is spanned by 14 bridges, all fixed: