On your right, on the opposite side of the road, you will see one of the strangest buildings of the canal ring: Paradiso, one of the most famous pop music venues in the Netherlands.

You can tell by the building’s exterior that it was not built as a concert hall. In fact, Paradiso was a church until 1967, which is obvious from the high, church-like windows with their rounded tops, which are typical of churches.

Nowadays, Paradiso is hallowed ground for music and culture lovers, because pick of the international music scene has given spectacular performances here in this intimate temple of pop, including Pink Floyd, Prince, Adele and Lady Gaga. All these famous performers love to visit cosy Paradiso because this pop venue has its every own intimate ambiance. This special atmosphere is created by the high, church’s ceiling and balustrades but more particularly because ‘only’ 1,500 people can fit into the building. That may seem a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the larger venues like the Heineken Music Hall or Ahoy in Rotterdam.