Reguliersgracht: the seven bridges south
The seven-bridge canal at dusk, a wooden church on a green, and the antiques street to the Rijksmuseum. Walked and written by the editor.

1. Rembrandtplein
Get off the tram, note the cast of the Night Watch standing about on the square, and then leave — the square is the loudest thing on this walk and you want it behind you fast. Head south-west to the canals.

2. Reguliersgracht at Herengracht
Stand on the bridge where Reguliersgracht meets Herengracht and look south down the line of seven humpbacks. They only truly line up from a boat low on the water, but lit after dark from up here they're still the best fifty metres on the route. Come at dusk for the lamps.

3. Amstelveld & Amstelkerk
Follow the canal down to the *Amstelveld*, a square of plane trees with the *Amstelkerk* on it — a black timber church thrown up in 1668 as a temporary fix that nobody ever got round to replacing. Cross the green; it's the quietest spot you'll hit all evening.

4. Utrechtsestraat
The walk crosses *Utrechtsestraat*, the most liveable of the radial streets — trams, small restaurants, no souvenir shops. A good place to stop for dinner if the timing's right, or just to cross and carry on west.

5. Nieuwe Spiegelstraat & Spiegelgracht
The *Spiegelkwartier*, the antiques-and-galleries quarter, runs along Nieuwe Spiegelstraat and the little Spiegelgracht. Window-shop the old maps, the Delft and the dealers' lit cabinets; in the evening the shops are shut but the windows stay on, which is arguably better.

6. Rijksmuseum passage
The street aims you straight at the Rijksmuseum and through the vaulted passage cut beneath it — cyclists, sometimes a busker, and the museum's lit galleries overhead. Walk through, then double back a few minutes to the Vijzelgracht metro for the ride home.

Reguliersgracht: the seven bridges south