Most buildings have one door or gate. Some important ones have two. De Waag (the weighing house) on Nieuwmarkt (New Market) had no less than 10 at a certain point! The building was first constructed as a medieval city gate and was used as a meeting place for craftsmen in the city.
Each group had its own tower and its own entrance. If you look at the signs above the doors, you can see who they were for: blacksmiths, doctors, masons and painters. De Waag was also a prison, which sounds strange: with so many different doors, it’s easy to forget to lock one, don’t you think?
Nowadays you can eat at De Waag’s restaurant. If you don’t want to go inside, you can have a quick snack from the market on the benches surrounding the ancient building.
