Five of the best homes for sale in Amsterdam

George Upton

A typical canal house

The four-bedroom house is located on the quiet Keizersgracht. It's one of four concentric canals, the Grachtengordel, that was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2010. Split over five floors, the house includes a first-floor study that offers a view of the canal, and a second-floor living room with views of the canal. The 35-m-long, ground floor kitchen opens to the property's garden. It also has a summerhouse. Each of the four bedrooms has an en-suite bathroom and the basement houses an air-conditioned wine cellar. This property is available for sale at EUR4.57mn

Art lovers

Villa Alsberg is a large villa located on Museumplein. This square is home to the Van Gogh Museum as well as the Stedelijk Museum. The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands' national museum. The house is up for sale for EUR46mn. It was built in 1904 by Siegmund Alsberg, a banker. It was recently renovated and used as an office space. Ed Cuypers, the architect of the building, created the original stained glass windows and murals and used photographs from the city archives to restore them. The property is currently used as an art museum, but could easily be converted to a private residence.

A guest house

The canals at the Grachtengordel were constructed in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. They became one of the most prominent addresses in the city. This property, which has five bedrooms, is located at the rear Residence Lebrun. It's a late-18th-century building on Herengracht that was named after Charles Francois Lebrun (a Napoleonic-era governor general of Holland), who lived here once. The hall is decorated with murals by a local artist. There's also a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, walk-in closet and a master bedroom. The Louis XVI-style living area has tall windows that allow for a great view of the garden. There is also a three-bedroom guesthouse (center of the photo, hidden behind the foliage). The property is available for sale at EUR4.35mn.

Private mooring

The five-bedroom house, which is unique in its location in Amsterdam-Zuid in the south of Amsterdam, has five bedrooms. The property was built in 1927 and backs onto the Noorder Amstelkanaal. It also includes a jetty at one end of the garden. There are spacious living areas throughout the house, as well as a lift that connects the first and second floors. The master bedroom has a private bathroom and is accessed via a large walk in wardrobe. The basement has a pool, bar and cinema. This property is available for sale at EUR13.9mn

Two front doors

Because canal houses in Amsterdam are taxed according their width in 17th-century Amsterdam, they are often tall and thin. The five-bedroom property is on the market for EUR6.1mn and connects to a smaller house on a side street. Both houses were recently renovated. The main house uses the upper floors of the second house's second house. However, the possibility exists to connect them. A wellness area with a sauna, steam cabin and garage on the top floor of main house is available. It can be accessed from the garage which has space for three cars.

Photography by Amsterdam Sotheby's International Realty and Christie's International Real Estate