Here’s a riddle for you: what weighs 250 kilos, is two metres high, and features in around 6,000 selfies a day? The I amsterdam letters, of course! The iconic red and white blocks stood proudly on Museumplein for well over a decade, while hundreds of thousands of tourists happily got their holiday snaps.
The I amsterdam letters were a marketing campaign which became the victim of its own success.
What happened?
In 2018, the Amsterdam municipality bowed to complaints of over-tourism and crowding, ultimately forcing the removal of the giant letters.
In the winter morning mist of December 3rd, 2018, the letters were hoisted onto a truck, leaving behind nothing but empty space — just the way the Amsterdammers wanted it.
But were the letters thrown in the nearby IJ-river? Of course not! Instead, they became a travelling circus, wandering the Netherlands, and popping up for festivals and events.
P.S. If you keep reading, you’ll find the top tip for getting the perfect snap!
Where are the I amsterdam letters now?
There is some good news. While the most famous letters were torn away from Museumplein in the heart of Amsterdam, there are still two sets of sister letters where you can get your photo fix. 📸
I amsterdam letters at Schiphol Airport
If ticking off the I amsterdam letters is number one on your Dutch bucket list, this is for you!
Just outside Arrivals 1 in Schipol is a permanent set of the letters to satisfy your craving to snap a picture and start your trip to the Netherlands with a bang.
The airport keeps the landmark polished to make sure it can shine in your selfies. ✨
Can you spot the difference? 😂
— Schiphol (@Schiphol) May 28, 2024
Cleaned and freshly coated, the I Amsterdam letters have landed back at Schiphol: a selfie moment you won't want to miss! 🤳 pic.twitter.com/GrZeme80j2
I amsterdam letters at Sloterplas Lake
The letters in Amsterdam’s West are a little different. While the letters ‘I am dam’ stand upright, ‘ster’ is lying down. This makes it the perfect spot for a picnic, but less so as a selfie spot. 🤳
The Sloterplas also makes up a free-running course, so there may be some athletically inclined people getting in your way — or vice-versa. 😬
I amsterdam letters on the road
The original Museumplein letters are now on the road. After touring the country, they now pop up in the surrounding region.
Is there a schedule or plan for this? Well, not a publically released one. We recommend checking out Instagram to see if you can spot some near you!
Why were the main I amsterdam letters removed?
If you found a magic recipe that brings in loads of tourists, who spend all their money in your city, why take them away? Well, the concept worked a little too well.
The I amsterdam phrase was originally created by a Dutch advertising firm, KesselsKramer, as their own take on ‘I ♥︎ NY’.
However, there was one problem: Amsterdam-based designer, Vanessa van Dam, had already used a similar concept and design to ‘I amsterdam’ two years prior.
Luckily for her, the city of Amsterdam bought her out to the sweet tune of €20,000, despite finding that no copyright had been breached.
The I amsterdam letters are on the move! They’ve been removed from Museumplein at the request of @AmsterdamNL, but you can still find them @Schiphol, as well as at festivals and events across the #AmsterdamArea. Read more: https://t.co/ydjvheHCMd (📷 by https://t.co/nMKKQmlA0c) pic.twitter.com/4513ejipPP
— I amsterdam (@Iamsterdam) December 3, 2018
The letters landed in Museumplein in September 2004, patiently allowing thousands of tourists a day to climb, scrabble, and hug them.
Yet, in 2018, city councillor Femke Roosma, of the Groenlinks left-wing party, made a push for the removal of the letters. Roosma told The Telegraph that the letters contributed to overcrowding, and gave the wrong message about Amsterdam.
“The message of ‘I amsterdam’ is that we are all individuals in the city. We want to show something different: diversity, tolerance, solidarity,” argued Roosma.
“This slogan reduces the city to a background in a marketing story. Amsterdammers want to regain their grip on the city.”
Roosma’s push for the removal was a success, and the largest set of the I amsterdam letters was carted away within weeks. It’s just one of the measures Amsterdam has taken in reaction to mass tourism in the city.
Big-letter trendsetters
While Amsterdam may have been the first to install giant letters for tourists, it was certainly not the last.
In almost every big tourist destination today, there are examples of huge signs. Some other places you can get your big letter fix are listed below.
Cities & countries with giant letters like I amsterdamAlanya, Turkey ‣ Antalya, Turkey ‣ Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands ‣ Bacalar, Mexico ‣ Bahia Kino, Mexico ‣ Bali, Indonesia ‣ Banff, Canada ‣ Barranquilla, Colombia ‣ Beirut, Lebanon ‣ Belgrade, Serbia ‣ Belize ‣ Bilbao, Spain ‣ Bogota, Colombia ‣ Boston, USA ‣ Braca, Portugal ‣ Brisbane, Australia ‣ Brussels, Belgium ‣ Bucharest, Romania ‣ Budapest, Hungary ‣ Buenos Aires, Argentina ‣ Cabo, Mexico ‣ Caborca, Mexico ‣ Caldera, Costa Rica ‣ Cancun, Mexico ‣ Cannes, France ‣ Cartagena, Colombia ‣ Caye Caulker, Belize ‣ Chapala, Mexico ‣ Cleveland, USA ‣ Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay ‣ Costa Maya, Mexico ‣ Cozumel, Mexico ‣ Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands ‣ Dahab, Egypt ‣ Dubai, UAE ‣ Edinburgh, Scotland ‣ El Alto, Bolivia ‣ Ensenada, Mexico ‣ Faro, Portugal ‣ Fores, Guatamala ‣ Gdansk, Poland ‣ Gijon, Spain ‣ Gili Trawangan, Indonesia ‣ Guadalajara, Mexico ‣ Guam ‣ Guayaquil, Ecuador ‣ Halifax, Canada ‣ Hanoi, Vietnam ‣ Harkany, Hungary ‣ Ibiza, Spain ‣ Indianapolis, USA ‣ Isla Holbox, Mexico ‣ Isla Mujeres, Mexico ‣ Jaco, Costa Rica ‣ Jambeli, Ecuador ‣ Jomalig, Philippines ‣ Karlovy Vary, Czechia ‣ Koh Samui, Thailand ‣ Liege, Belgium ‣ Lisbon, Portugal ‣ Loreto, Mexico ‣ Luxembourg ‣ Lyon, France ‣ Machu Picchu, Peru ‣ Madurodam, Netherlands ‣ Mallaca, Malaysia ‣ Marseille, France ‣ Mazatlan, Mexico ‣ Medellin, Colombia ‣ Melbourne, Australia ‣ Merida, Mexico ‣ Mexico City, Mexico ‣ Miami, USA ‣ Montego Bay, Jamaica ‣ Montevideo, Uraguay ‣ Naga, Philippines ‣ New York, USA ‣ Niagra Falls, Canada ‣ Nice, France ‣ Oaxaca, Mexico ‣ Oklahoma City, USA ‣ Ottawa, Canada ‣ Pai, Thailand ‣ Palawan, Philippines ‣ Panama ‣ Patong Beach, Thailand ‣ Pattaya City, Thailand ‣ Penasco, Mexico ‣ Playa Del Carmen, Mexico ‣ Plovdiv, Bulgaria ‣ Pombal, Portugal ‣ Ponce, Puerto Rico ‣ Porto, Portugal ‣ Puebla, Mexico ‣ Puerto Morelos, Mexico ‣ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ‣ Quepos, Costa Rica ‣ Queretaro, Mexico ‣ Quito, Ecuador ‣ Rabat, Morocco ‣ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ‣ Roatan, Honduras ‣ Sacramento, California ‣ Salou, Spain ‣ Salvador, Brazil ‣ San Carlos, Mexico ‣ San Cristobal, Ecuador ‣ San Jose, Costa Rica ‣ Santa Cruz, Ecuador ‣ Sentosa Island, Singapore ‣ Sentosa, Singapore ‣ Seoul, South Korea ‣ Split, Croatia ‣ St Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands ‣ Tacloban, Philippines ‣ Taupo, New Zealand ‣ Tena, Ecuador ‣ Texas, USA ‣ Tijuana, Mexico ‣ Tirana, Albania ‣ Tokyo, Japan ‣ Toronto, Canada ‣ Tulum, Mexico ‣ Warsaw, Poland ‣ Winnipeg, Canada ‣ Xcaret, Mexico ‣ Yerevan, Armenia ‣ Yucatan, Mexico Is this list missing places? Drop it in the comments below! |
How to get the best I amsterdam sign picture
We really considered gatekeeping this little tip, but since we love our readers, we thought we would share it anyways. 😋
It’s a secret that could really change your life (and your Insta game).
The biggest problem with taking pictures of these big letters is the stacks of annoying tourists crawling over them, right? We have a solution for you.
Are you ready? Stand on the back side of the letters — so that they appear backwards. Go to town with your photo shoot, knowing no other tourists can be seen.
Then, once you’ve had your fill of photo-taking, flip the image. Now, the letters are the correct way, and you’ve outsmarted the system. Golden! 👏
Did you take a selfie with the I amsterdam letters before they disappeared? Have you been to any of the other sites? Let us know in the comments below!
Big letters also found in Fremantle, Australia
El Médano, Tenerife has these big letters (in blue capitals) as well
Ehm….the IJ is NOT a river….
If letters were thrown in river… would they become IjAmstel ? 🙂