THE NETHERLANDS – Amsterdam, Magere Brug // Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
The Magere Brug is one of the most famous spots in the Amsterdam canals. But don’t just stop there – the city is full of surprises at night!
Why Bond was here
James Bond (Sean Connery) traces a diamond smuggling ring, that operates between South Africa and the Netherlands. In Amsterdam he meets with contact Tiffany Case (Jill St.John) in her house in the center of the city. Meanwhile, just some canals to the east, two assassins do their job: Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd had killed off a South African contact and dumped her in the Amstel river. Her remains get recovered next to the Magere Brug aka “The Skinny Bridge”.
Follow the Murderer: Magere Brug in Amsterdam
How you gonna get there
The Magere Brug is a famous tourist attraction in Amsterdam. It is an Old Dutch design wooden bridge crossing the river Amstel close to the “Grachtengordel”, Amsterdams canal belt in the old city center.
The bridge is situated between Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. Those are also the names of the two closest tram stations, both reachable with tram line 4. Also nearby is the metro station Waterlooplein.
Good to know
In the movie, a tourist boat passes the Magere Brug as the dead body is recovered. That boat is still running and you can look for it in the harbour. Back then the name was “Prins Willem Alexander”, now it’s “Koning Willem Alexander”, as the prince was crowned King of the Netherlands in 2013.
The ship belongs to the “Rederij P. Kooij”. A tour costs 11 Euros, but the also offer to rent the whole boat for private parties. Go for an evening boat tour. It is very romantic, as the canals are illuminated at night. But pay attention while booking that you don’t miss the Magere Brug: Not all cruises pass the Reguliersgracht. Especially nice is a candlelight canal cruise with wine and cheese. They tend to start from around 25 Euro for adults – book in advance!
A good opportunity – especially for bad weather or a trip with kids – is the CitySightseeing Amsterdam with their hop on – hop off boat trips starting from 25 Euro valid 24 hours for an adult. They also offer combinations deals for one of the many museums at the Museumsplein, e.g. the Rijksmuseum or the Stedelijk Museum.
Diamonds Are Forever missed the chance to highlight Amsterdams beauty. There would have been more places to see than just the canals. So you go ahead: Have a night out in the Red Light District, stroll at Vondelpark, visit the Anne Frank house or the Rijksmuseum and hang out at the bars of upcoming neighborhood De Pijp!
© 2015 Huntingbond (1,3), © 1971 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation (2)