Description of the attraction
The Wailing Tower is a medieval tower in the center of Amsterdam. Once upon a time, Amsterdam, like any medieval city, was surrounded by powerful fortress walls. Then most of the walls were demolished, the city grew, but some of the walls - mainly the towers - remained intact and began to be used in a new capacity.
The Wailing Tower was built in 1487 and was called the Schrayershoucktoren. from this tower the fortress wall turned at an acute angle. Over time, the name of the tower began to be pronounced as Schreierstoren - from the word "cry", supposedly on this tower the wives of the sailors cried, seeing them off on long voyages. Crying women are, of course, legends, but it was from here in 1609 that the famous expedition of Henry Hudson (Hudson) started in search of the western route to India. The expedition was organized on behalf of and financed by the East India Company. In the course of it, a significant part of the coast of North America was described. The Hudson River and Hudson Bay in North America are named after Henry Hudson. In September 1927, a commemorative plaque was installed on the tower, telling about this expedition.
In 1966, the tower was restored, significant work was carried out to reconstruct the structure. The round tower with thick walls and a sharp hipped roof invariably attracts the attention of tourists. Large windows in the walls are of course a modern addition. Now the tower houses a cafe. Not far from the tower is the St. Nicholas Basilica.
