Many travellers are realizing that
there is more to Amsterdam than the cannabis culture, the Red Light
District and the party atmosphere. Amsterdam took shape as a small
fishing village sometime in the 12th century and rapidly grew into a
vital port during the Dutch Golden Age. From the 19th century,
Amsterdam expanded quickly as a result of some nifty town planning.
World War II saw the deportation of more than 50,000 dutch Jews to
concentration camps including the well known Anne Frank and her
family.
Near the end of the war, communication
had broken down within the Netherlands and people started to spread
out into the countryside to forage food and fuel. The trees were cut
down for fuel and the apartments of the deported Jews were ransacked
for supplies. A pall of gloom had descended upon the city by the end
of the war.
The Comeback
Once the war ended, plans was underway
to improve the facade of the city by incorporating new parks, office
buildings and widening the streets. Today, Amsterdam is home to world
class museums, beautiful canals and is considered to be one of the
top financial centers in Europe. The sprawling city with its network
of canals, green spaces and historical buildings is a city explorer's
dream come true. Foodies will be impressed with the diversity of
restaurants due to its large multicultural population. Don't miss the
local specialties like Dutch cheese and bitterballen. Add to this a
vibrant nightlife comprising of breweries, nightclubs and pubs and
you are guaranteed to be entertained in this beautiful city.
What to See?
The Canals :- The canals are
easily the best part about Amsterdam and is the perfect place to
start your tour of the city. They were built during the 17th century
for transport and water management. There are primarily three canals
in the city : Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht that form
a concentric belt around the city. The city has more than 100 km of
canals and a whopping 1,500 bridges and 1,500 buildings. You can
explore the canals either by boat, walking or as most travellers
seems to prefer, by bicycle.
Museums :- Amsterdam has a huge
collection of impressive museums that many travel to the city with
the sole intention of checking them out. The largest and most
impressive of the lot is the Rijksmuseum that hosts a collection of
paintings from the Dutch Golden Era, most by Rembrandt and Vermeer.
The Van Gogh Museum houses 200 paintings and some 500 sketches which
depict Van Gogh in various moods. This is the biggest collection of Van Gogh in the world and even include
select works of his friends and contemporaries. Another museum worth
checking out it is the Rembrandt House Museum which reproduces the
atmosphere of the artist's residence. The Stedelijk Museum is
dedicated to contemporary art and design and houses works of Willem
de Kooning, Andy Warhol and Malevich.
Oude Kerk :- Dating back to
around 1250 and curiously located in the Red Light District, this is
the oldest church and the oldest building in Amsterdam. The building
has undergone multiple renovations but thankfully, a few features
like the beautiful hand painted wooden roof and stained glass windows
are retained.
Red Light District :- Easily the
most talked about of Amsterdam's landmark and no trip to the city
would be complete without a walk through the area. Much of the
stereotypes you have heard about the place is true, the district is
swamped with sex shops, peep shows, brothels and prostitutes in red
lit windows. The area is swarmed by tourists and there are always
cops in all corners but certain areas of the district are a tad
seedier and is best not ventured alone.
Other notable sights include the
Vondelpak, the Heineken brewery, Westrkerk and Single Flower Market.
Getting there
Schiphol Airport serviced by more than
100 different airline carriers is the major entry point to Amsterdam.
The international air tickets to Amsterdam is fairly
inexpensive from European cities, but its a good idea to check
multiple portals before you book air tickets.
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