The Nes began life as a boggy walkway along the Amstel River, evolving into a strip of monasteries and convents in the 14th century. The decline of the monasteries after the Protestant takeover in 1578 led to a more commercial tone overshadowing the Nes. It was not until the late 1800s that it began to change into the theatrical centre we see today, with the opening of coffee houses such as the Frascati Theatre, which hosts many dance and opera performances.
