South of the Dam, this street is part of the route most visitors take from Centraal Station into town, the name being a corruption of rak-in, or inward reach. In the early 16th century the northern part was the site of the first Amsterdam stock exchange, which played a big part in spinning Golden Age riches.
The Rokin is now in the grip of the underground construction of a new metro line, which has brought forth a number of archaeological finds from the Amstel's old river bed.
