Located in the heart of Amsterdam, Centraal Station was built between 1881 and 1889 and designed by Petrus J. H. “Pierre” Cuypers – Cuypers also designed the Rijksmuseum.
Centraal Station is one of Europe’s busiest stations and the second busiest in the Netherlands (Utrecht Centraal is apparently slightly busier).
The station is built on 8067 wooden piles, forming three artificial small islands called Stationseiland. The roof is constructed from cast iron made in Derby, England.
The turrets on the building express time and the four points of the compass. There are coats of arms from Amsterdam and other European cities amongst the details. It really is a beautiful building.
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