Where was Amsterdam Empire shot? Revisiting key filming locations of the Netflix series

The Dutch crime drama Amsterdam Empire immerses viewers in the city’s intricate world of business and crime. The series tells the story of Jack van Doorn, a successful businessman who built the Jackal Coffeeshop empire. His power begins to slip when an affair becomes public, turning his wife, Betty, against him. She makes a plan to destroy his legacy.

This intense drama needed a real and gritty background. So, where was the series filmed? The production team chose to shoot the series entirely in the Netherlands. They focused primarily on the beautiful yet sometimes shadowy capital city of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Empire: Revisiting key filming locations of the Netflix series

Six months of filming in the Netherlands

The production for Amsterdam Empire began in June 2024. The main filming continued for about six months. The crew finished up their work around November 2024. Robin Streppel, one of the cast members, noted the incredible experience of working on a large set.

The creators, Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen, and Piet Matthys, used real Dutch locations for authenticity. The show uses the setting to reflect the city’s glamour and its darker cannabis scene. So, the question, Where was Amsterdam Empire filmed, has a straightforward answer: The Netherlands, with two major cities serving as the main backdrop.

The core filming locations

Most of the filming for Amsterdam Empire took place directly in Amsterdam, the country’s capital. The city offers a unique blend of old history and modern life. Its canals and historic buildings gave the crime drama a timeless feel. The crew used several well-known locations within the city.

One of the key areas was De Wallen. This district is known globally for its nightlife and red-light area. The cobbled streets and neon lights provided the perfect atmosphere for the show’s themes. Many intense scenes were filmed right here in the city center. The production also moved close to De Wallen to a place called Zeedijk. This locality is often called Amsterdam’s Chinatown. The crew filmed several sequences in this district.

The real location of Jackal Coffeeshop

The center of Jack van Doorn’s world is his business, Jackal Coffeeshop. The production team needed a believable location for this important setting. They did not build a set for it. Instead, they used a real local business.

A portion of the filming happened at a cafe called Café de Oranjerie. This cafe is located at Binnen Oranjestraat 15. The crew temporarily transformed this spot into the fictional Jackal Coffeeshop. This use of a real venue added to the show’s sense of realism. The city's charm and unique architecture made it a perfect choice. This is the truth about where Amsterdam Empire was filmed when it came to the key business location.

The Hague: Providing political contrast

The series did not stay in Amsterdam alone. The Hague, the capital city of the South Holland province, also served as a filming site. Crew members utilized many streets and neighborhoods in The Hague. They taped a number of both indoor and outdoor scenes there. This added variety to the Dutch locations used in the series.

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The exterior shots of The Hague may feature several known landmarks. Viewers might spot the Binnenhof, which houses the country’s parliament. They may also see the Peace Palace in the background. The Amsterdam Empire needed a location that projected political and legal power. The Hague provided this necessary contrast to the criminal setting of Amsterdam.

The entire production period lasted approximately half a year, and the use of the two cities was strategic. The final result is a series that captures the beauty and the tension of the Netherlands. The show brought the story to life. It uses its setting as a key part of the drama.

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