De Bijenkorf is a chain of 12 department stores located in various cities across the Netherlands. The main shopping center is in the heart of Amsterdam — on Dam Square. This store was founded back in 1870 — at that time it was just an ordinary haberdashery, although trade there was quite brisk. In 1889, the owner of the haberdashery, Simon Goudsmit, passed away, and his wife took over the business, purchasing the neighboring premises to expand it.
The building on Dam Square was constructed in a slightly flamboyant aristocratic style. De Bijenkorf, which, by the way, translates from Dutch as 'beehive,' has 6 floors that you can wander through endlessly without noticing how time flies. The shopping center features a wide variety of luxury brands of clothing, footwear, perfumes, and cosmetics, and on the fifth floor there is a restaurant with a magnificent view of the city.
