This is the main hall of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. It does make a heck of a good impression. The building actually served as the City Hall for the city, starting in 1655.
Then in 1806, the French came storming through town as part of their effort to take over Europe. Louis Napoleon, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, took over as ruler of the Netherlands. He thought the place would make a nice palace.
But that plan didn't last long, as the French left in 1813. Prince William thought it was important to have a nice building in the Dutch capital (even if the government was actually elsewhere), so he converted it back to a Royal Palace. It has retained this function to this day, and is occasionally used for royal functions.
Visitors can take a good-sized tour of the place. As you'd expect, one room is more spectacular than the next. Let's take a look:
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