Amsterdam's 'Brown Cafes' under threat

Amsterdam's traditional 'brown cafes,' or 'bruine kroegen,' are dwindling so fast that city councilors say they need protection and listing as part of the UNESCO cultural heritage list.

The council has ordered an inventory of the traditional neighborhood bars, with usually dark interiors, carpet-covered tables and limited available snacks. Councilor Lian Heinhuis, who proposed the listing, said they are "part of the soul of Amsterdam.

He told Dutch press that they are threatened by moves to “make room for the men with deep pockets. As one Amsterdam owner once told me ‘the cashification of the city is becoming more and more evident’. The identity of the city should not depend on who has the most money.”