Amsterdam-Holland | Splendid Imaginative City of Artists and Waterways.

Amsterdam,the marvellous capital of Holland is a splendid imaginative city of artists and waterways unique in its kind,delighting with its appeal tourists and travellers from all around the world.

 
That Dutch centre has long been considered as one of the most, exciting,intriguing and interesting cities that the world has to offer. Known as the Venice of the North,or also City of Rembrandt honouring one of  the world-renowned master painter who gave fame to the major centre of The Netherlands with its unique and magnificent masterpieces.

 Amsterdam is a city built on a cobweb of canals which boasts one of the most picturesque settings in the globe with a stunning and picturesque mosaic of waterways.

The city is a captivating place full of historical significance,an European Capital famous for its accentuated eclecticism,lively and charming and boasting a stunning  architecture.

Every corner of that city is rich of attractions,art and history and an invitation to discover the fascinating appeal of something really unique and special.

The beginnings of Amsterdam back in the late 12th century, when a handful of farmers and fishermen came in that area up the river Amstel,reaching its mouth.To make the region habitable should control difficulties swamp and they built a series of dams and dikes of which the oldest is now marked by the iconic Dam Platz Square,heart and lively core of the current city-

Amsterdam became a city in its own right until the early 13th century when in that period the local Lord Gwijde Van Limburg, Bishop of Utrecht gave that centre the title of City.

Meanwhile,the former town extended slowly from the centre around the dam,the ramparts were built and canals were dug.In the year 1420 the urban flat expanded eastward,where was established and built a new rampart with the Geldersekade Kloveniersburgwal while in the west was dug a new canal.

Amsterdam's economy in that historic period was not totally developed,the current centre sources were exclusively based on the production of beer and herring fisheries.It was only after Amsterdam became part of Burgundy,always during the 15th century the operations began to go faster.

 Ranged against the Spanish domination,Amsterdam participated in the war of resistance of the seven northern provinces with the famous Eighty Years War adhering to the Protestant Reformation in the year1578.

In that period the former town with its 30,000 inhabitants was the most populated of the entire Holland.The country since that time was considered the most tolerant in Europe and for that reason a large number of rich merchants of Antwerp moved their businesses from Belgium to Amsterdam giving a significant boost to the local economy.

The Dutch were forced to find their way to the East Indies as a result of the annexation of Portugal to Spain in the year 1580.The first trips to those far countries started in Amsterdam as a challenge and with a relevant determination and enthusiasm by the first navigators and all that was a great success.

Encouraged by those brilliant results which took new trades along routes for many unknown the Dutch began to plan new missions by sending more ships to the Indies.Among those initiatives was standing out the famous Dutch East India Company, the VOC,Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie and over the 50% of the capital of the new company was owned by the city of Amsterdam.

When the company was founded not only merchants were involved, but also the citizens who invested large sums personal initiative.The VOC had a monopoly for 21 years of colonial activities in Asia,it is from there the consecration of Holland as a relevant European power.

That land was admired and taken as example by important countries as Great Britain and France who as powers at that time saw as a small country as The Netherlands with that active centre called Amsterdam was able to create a trade Empire.

 At the beginning of the 17th century were founded the bag and the bank which managed to retain a certain cachet,even when in the second half of the 18th century the city suffered a brief period of decline reestablished with the study of new economic plans and the development of other routes.

The economic boom was accompanied by the cultural splendour,which peaked in the mid 17th century, when Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn simply known as Rembrandt,the genius painter from Leiden gave impetus to a flourishing school of painting.

In addition other artists chose Amsterdam and Holland as residence,Descartes in Holland spent most of his life where he developed his philosophy and Breder, Vondel and Hooft wrote there their famous poems,that Dutch centre became a cradle of thinkers,talented artists,an imaginative city which created,developed in architecture,literature and painting,becoming a focal point of several artistic movements and new ideas.

A Wealthy life,power,culture and tolerance flourished in the city,the population grew rapidly and Amsterdam extended greatly.It was also built the famous ring of canals,flanked by tall renaissance buildings,more than any other city in Holland, and even Churches,a new Town Hall and a whole new neighbourhood, the emblematic Jordaan cradle of art and new cultural movements.

In the 18th century,Amsterdam had already counted 200,000 inhabitants,symbol of an always increasing importance and prestige well known all around Europe and in the world.

Historically the country in the 17th century,exactly in the year 1672 was involved in the war with France and England.

Those two important countries saw in Holland a hard rival and they started to have a desire to break all that magnificent empire of trade,commerce and rich activities which The Netherlands and Amsterdam created during the course of a great historic escalation full of successes.

Skilled merchants,talented traders,who conquered the admiration of the Scandinavian Kingdoms,reaching popularity from the Baltic coasts to Southern Europe in Spain,Portugal,apart a strong influence overseas in America and Asia continents were something really dangerous for those notable European powers.

Due that and several attacks,the port of Amsterdam became inaccessible to the fleets of the East India Company and for that the prosperity had a notable decline by the end of the 17th century.

Once again,however,the city was able to transform its economy from a financial commodity,Amsterdam became the banking centre of the European Monarchs in financing their expensive wars.

Amsterdam's economy suffered another crash when selected as the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1806 by Napoleon paid the expenses of the Continental anti-French campaign.

After the Congress of Vienna,the city became the official capital of the Kingdom of Holland even if governmental functions were transferred to Den Haag (The Hague).

During the 19th century with the construction of new canals and the creation of important waterways in its boundaries linked to the North Sea the city gradually regained its former prosperity marked by a new continuous increase in population,new activities and becoming also as cultural destination once again.

The year 1940 was probably one of the darkest pages in the history of Amsterdam becoming the a terrible reality: the 2nd World War. The population of Amsterdam was hit hard,partly because its population included a high percentage of Jewish inhabitants many of whom were deported and killed in the extermination camps.Places like Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House) and Museum and the National Monument on Dam Square, remember that tragic period in the Dutch Capital.From the postwar period and especially in the recent decades,Amsterdam has found a new economic splendour thanks to the development of culture and tourism.


Many of its ancient and magnificent buildings are of historic monuments and canals and the Grachtengordel were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Amsterdam is a vibrant and fascinating melting pot of various lifestyles,traditions,attractions and arts.The city centre is subdivided in four areas.Old Centre,Canal Ring, Joordan and Plantage.The Old Centre is the oldest and most visited area of Amsterdam, known for its traditional architecture,canal shopping and many coffee shops.

Canal Ring is all that network of canals and waterways developed since the 17th century and crossing and forming as a "Ring" around the centre,Joordan is the area east of the famous Prinsengracht in the outskirts of the core of the city while Plantage is an area which is a sort of expansion of the city started in the second half of the 17th century and developed furthermore in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today, Amsterdam has a population of  over1,200.000 inhabitants with a very cosmopolitan aspect with a  45% of the population is subdivided 150 different nationalities.

Amsterdam is currently ranked as the 13th centre in the world for quality of living in the globe by Mercer,3rd International centre in innovation,many top companies in the world are based in the city, including Philips and ING among others

The Dutch city is also one of the centres well known in the world for its brilliant and outstanding networks of museums some of them among the best in the World such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and many others which are are a mecca for art lovers.

In addition  the already mentioned Grachtengordel,the 17th century Amsterdam Canals is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,Beurs Van Berlage ,the  Amsterdam Stock Exchange,is the oldest stock exchange in the world

A city which apart those titles and awards is also a symbol of tolerance and freedom,Amsterdam also legalised prostitution and the red light district is one of its tourist attractions since long time ago also because it is located in the centre of the Capital .In the year 2001 the City held the first gay civil marriage and its coffee shops can legally purchase marijuana and with the record to have.


Dam Platz (¨Dam Square) is the heart of the city.Locals call it simply : De Dam.That square was created in the 13th century when a dam was built around the river Amstel to prevent the Zuiderzee sea from swarming the city.That place is the equivalent of Piccadilly Circus in London,Time Square in New York consisting in a large rectangular square,approximately 100 x 200 meters, located in the historic city centre.Located about 750 meters from Central Station,at the intersection of two major avenues,Damrak and Rokin.

Surrounded by imposing buildings, including the most outstanding Koninklijk,the Royal Palace,built in 1648 during the so-called Golden Age, in order to serve as City Hall,although currently, the Dutch Royal Family used it only occasionally.

The imposing Royal Palace is the most important public building in the city.Its construction began in 1648 and ended in 1665 and it was a work by the architects Jacob Van Campens and Daniel Stalpaert.

The construction of a palace reflected the need to provide a new headquarter to the City Council which previously occupied a former medieval Gothic palace and lacks of space to meet the administrative needs of a rapidly developing Amsterdam and whose state deterioration threatened the occupants..

Built in a style quite austere and sober on the outside,the building sits on13,659 wooden piles considering the brick as a common material  which was used for the exterior.

In contrast, the interior is entirely of marble dazzles with its rich decoration.Famous painters as Rembrandt and Ferdinand Bol among others contributed to its outstanding and distinctive splendour.

The emblematic Burgerzaal the Citizens' Hall, has a size of about 34 meters long and 17 meters wide wide,approximately 25 meters high and it was used as meeting place for the citizens of Amsterdam. 

On the floor are represented the eastern and western hemispheres, indicating there the Dutch colonial influence and the famous routes taken by the iconic East India Company.On the ceiling there is a representation of the constellations in the sky as seen in the northern hemisphere,the whole seems to indicate that Amsterdam was not only in the centre of the world but of the universe.

The pediment, depicting scenes of the sea was arranged by the Flemish sculptor Artus Quellin and from the dome topped by an element shaped like a boat could be seen across the bay and ships arriving or departing haul.

Until the year 1806 the building was the majestic Town Hall in the the year in which Louis Bonaparte Napoleon's brother, became King of Holland.Decorates addressed by the so called French Empire style time of which are still preserved furniture,tapestries,clocks,extravagant chandeliers and established an art museum in the palace,the predecessor of today's Rijksmuseum.

Today the Royal Palace is used only from time to time  by the Royal family for official and state visits and the awards Erasmus, Prince Claus Awards Painting Royals.When the building is not used by the Royalty it is open to the public and also used for summer art events and historical exhibitions related to the history of that monumental construction.

Opposite to the Royal Palace you can see the emblematic Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky.That Hotel which is a landmark in terms of architecture and hospitality was established in the year 1866 by a Polish tailor called Adolf Wilhelm Krasnapolski and it was the first Hotel opened in Amsterdam at the end of the 19th century.

The building occupied by Mr. Krasnapolski started an activity as Cafe and adding later rooms for rent,the delight to spend pleasant days in the centre of Amsterdam in front of the Royal Palace in a very lively area,packed by cosy cafes and fine restaurants and historic attractions in its proximity did the rest and it was later redeveloped as a luxury,classy and modern Hotel.

Close to the Royal Palace you can admire the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church),.That Church was dedicated although the Virgin Mary and then to St.Catherine,it is known as New Church because it was the second Church built in the city, after the famous Oude Kerk the Old Church.

The interior hosts the unmarked grave of the poet Vondel,called the Dutch Shakespeare.Nieuwe Kerk has been the National Church since 1815, meaning in part that it hosts inauguration ceremonies of Dutch Monarchs and on February 2002 when the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima celebrated the wedding in that beautiful Church.

The original religious building is dated 1408,although there is almost nothing of that former Church after the great fire of 1645 which almost completely reduced it to ashes.That Sacred Temple was rebuilt under the direction of Jacob Van Campen in a mix of Gothic- Renaissance styles trying to respect the spirit of the original building.

The interior, lit by 75 windows extensively and where stands a beautiful carved mahogany pulpit, for which it claimed 15 years,save the tombs of important characters in the history of Holland, famous admirals who helped to establish the power of the country such as Jan Van Galen, Michiel De Ruyter Adriaansz and Van Speyck, among others.

Today the Church is no longer used for religious services but it is a prestigious temporary exhibition hall,within which there is a special place dedicated to exotic cultures mainly former colonies of Holland. 

Nieuwe Kerk is also the crowning place of kings and queens of Holland and place of  Royal weddings are held there. The organ concert of the Church enjoys high reputation among cultural activities related to high-level music thanks a great acoustic and space to arrange orchestras and vocal choirs.

On one side of Dam Platz stands the National Liberation Monument, which honours the Dutch soldiers who died in World War II, consisting of a white marble monolith 22 meters high surrounded by sculptures representing the Martyrs reaching the arms of Jesus Christ.Rounding out the monument there are a pair of lions on either side symbols also present in the Coat of Arms of the city.

Across the square is situated Madame Tussaud Scenerama, a wax museum opened in 1971 in which you can find the most varied characters,many of which,by audio-entertainment systems recreate historical situations.

Especially interesting is the model which represents the city in the 17th century.Other large-scale building surrounding Dam Square is the De Bijenkorf, a shopping complex considered the biggest Amsterdam department store arranged in a six floors building.

The history of De Bijenkorf dates back the year 1870 when Philip Goudsmit opened his first shop in a street called Nieuwendjik Straat and then moved to Dam Platz. That monumental building was designed by the architect Marcel Breuer has a long story.

De Bijenkorf and its personnel bravely resisted German occupation during the 2nd War,the store has been burnt two times remaining opened throughout the war for years,then started to open divisions in 12 Dutch cities and it It also owns the chain of the good quality low price stores HEMA existing since 1926.

Another famous shopping building is Magna Plaza,erected in Neo-Gothic style by the architect Peters at the end of the 19th century and it is situated just behind the Royal Palace.It is a large building developed between 1895 and 1899,originally developed to house the Post Office as designed according the initial project by the architect.

The project was inspired by Neo-Renaissance including Gothic and romantic details with a rich decoration of the facade and the use of pear-shaped crown on the top of the towers led to different reactions especially among the working classes of the Jordaan district who named the style of the building as Gothic Postal and later nicknamed Perenburg.

The Post Office was housed in that building until the year 1988 and later was decided to establish in that site of a large and luxurious shopping centre which, according to his mentor could not miss in the middle of a city which attracted thousands of visitors each year.

In the year 1991 an intense work began on restructuring, including the most important consisted in the addition of 500 piles which were added to the existing 4560 to ensure the foundation.

Damrak is another highlight of that area of the city,it is a wide avenue in the centre of Amsterdam linking Damplatz to Centraal Station,packed by shops,Hotels and restaurants.

The term Damrak has come to be a synonym for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and in Damrak there is the monumental building Beurs Van Berlage built between 1898 and 1903 by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage.

It is the old former Amsterdam Stock Exchange and the locals call it simply Beurs.It was there when in the year 2002 was celebrated  the civil wedding ceremony between the Prince of Orange and the Princess Máxima.Queen Wilhelmina officially opened the building on 27th May 1903 for the development of the activities of the stock market.

For some years the building housed the merchandise trade,stocks,grains,currencies and cargoes but soon the structure was inadequate for such activity and most of the functions were transferred in 1912 to a new building near the current Stock Exchange Building, in 5 Beursplein.  

The latest trade related activities in the Berlage Exchange ended in 1998 but since the year 1987 had already begun to be used to host exhibitions,conferences,concerts and special events.Berlage designed the building as a large block of red bricks in austere forms and lines and coloured ceramic friezes.

The old main entrance faces Beursplein and  there is a relief representing Zeil Lambertus Paradise,Future and Culture in decay and crossing the three double doors you can enter in a hall in which there are three boxes of tiles works by Jan Toorop which symbolically represent the past when women were subordinate to men,that the emancipated woman and future,men and women on equal terms.

Both the entry and relief tiles Toorop did not please the traders who faced Berlage intended to take away but the works are still in place.

The Main Hall is the most impressive and it was used not only for trade but also for political meetings and parties.Berlage designed that space combining different materials and architectonic inspirations,brick, sandstone,granite, wood and iron were combined together in a large room of 22 meters high arches flanked by roofed double glass panels.

Next to the Beurs you can admire is the iconic Oude Kerk the Old Church,which is the oldest Amsterdam Church dated 13th century.It is a typical example of Dutch Gothic style and it was erected in honor of St. Nicholas the Patron saint of sailors.

Developed in the form of a basilica,inside you can note high windows,beautiful painted wooden vaults,the roof of the Oude Kerk is the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe,and the floor consists entirely of gravestones.

Named from the construction of the New Church in front of the Dam,it was now fully immersed in the Wallen the Red Light District, surrounded by sex shops which produces a strange contrast between sacred and profane.

 Its tower is 70 metres high an d it formerly served as a reference point precisely to the marine and since it has a beautiful view over the city.Three centuries had to pass to the Old Church reached its present size and appearance,its construction began in the mid 13th century and despite its 40 metres in length after 30 years,it was considered small,in a period in which Amsterdam reached the rank of city and attracted new settlers in the area.

Works were halted several times due to economic problems caused by the fires of 1412 and 1452 while not affecting mostly to Church almost completely destroyed as other in the city built mainly using wood.The expansion of Oude Kerk was limited by the surrounding buildings and it was already ended the Nieuwe Kerk which budget was pretty reduced.
 In the early 16th century, with the addition of Chapels north and south,the plane of the Oude Kerk took the present dimensions corresponding to 70 metres long, 60 metres wide and 20 metres high.

In the 18th century were renewed two bodies which are noted for their excellent sound quality and built a set of small houses around the Church.

You can also admire three pipe organs,the third was built by the German Christian Vater in 1724 and it is considered of the finest Baroque organs in Europe.Thanking the fantastic acoustic it is one of the favourite place for BBC Singers and many other important musical Institutions.

Part of the Oudekerksplein,(Old Church Square) surrounding the Church is used by prostitutes who offer their services from behind windows.You are there in the infamous De Wallen that area of the city is a major tourist attraction in Amsterdam and each year, millions of visitors come to see that vibrant and for many exciting part of Amsterdam,entering in a planet formed by narrow old streets the well known Zeedijk straat.

In the past it was one of the most dangerous streets in Amsterdam in which sailors could be found searching for local amusement and after nights spent drinking ending in terrible fights causing several troubles and accidents.

Nowadays, instead of the shady taverns of  the past it consists of theatres,shops, museums, restaurants,bars, coffee shops and those windows where over 260 women dressed in eye-popping underwear and window-shopping perform their activity in the Red Light District.

Wallen is the district of legal prostitution,which is legal in Holland and in Amsterdam most of it is mainly concentrated in the Red Light District that it has enjoyed a long tradition of tolerance. 

Since October 2000 window prostitutes have been allowed to legally ply their trade.Amsterdam city Council is trying to clean up the image of the Red Light District and it has considered banning some of the more obvious displays advertising prostitution.

It is  not that most tourists are interested in the services,but many seem to want to experience the atmosphere of that over-the-top Red Light District,which is in its kind an attraction not common in other cities and European capitals.

Apart the several Sexy Shops and Private House Brothels in the Wallen there is the Erotic Museum showing the visitor bizarre objects,and everything about eroticism from erotic literature to old Oriental illustrations and pictures.

There is also in the district a bronze relief of a hand caressing a breast which was set in the cobblestone at night by an anonymous artist.In the year 2007 a statue named Belle honouring the prostitutes of the world was also erected there.

At the civic number 18 of Damrak is situated The Temple of Venus which is the Sex Museum throughout more than 20 years of its existence,visiting it you will see the plaster figure of Venus at the entrance and a rich collection of artifacts with the elements of the attraction park.

Inside the rooms have particular names like Mata Hari,Oscar Wilde,Rodolfo Valentino,Marquis de Sade,that last one is considered the most important.You can see there if for curiosity you decide to visit that place many objects such art photographs,China, figures, plates,extract of erotic literature, funny objects and many others things.

At the end of Damrak  is situated Centraal Amsterdam Station,an impressive Neo-Renaissance building erected between 1882 and 1889. It is one of the stations in the country in which trains come together from all over Europe and with the largest metro line station of Amsterdam.The building hosts what it was the first station of Holland,the site was chosen in the Bay facing the city,demanded special treatment and elected to address the project in the artistic aspect was the architect Cuypers.


It is remarkable architectonic structure with some similarity to the Rijksmuseum another work by Cuypers,dating from the same period.

The site chosen caused no little protest since it involved the closure of the pier on Damrak,the old port of the city.Cuypers designed a building of 306 metres long and 30 metres wide whose central doorway is flanked by two towers, giving the station the character of  a new gate of the city.

Also watched a royal pavilion in the east with input for a vehicle at one time the Royal carriage.Amsterdam Centraal Station  is an important railway centre also because the creation of the new metro line which will be probably completed in 2015.

Next to Centraal Station, close the the main Underground entrance is situated St .Nicolaas Kerk an imposing Church dedicated to Saint Nicholas located along the street Prins Hendrikkade.

That Sacred construction was built between 1884 and 1887 honouring St. Nicholas Van Myra,the Patron of the city and it is a Catholic Church designed by the architect Adrianus Bleijs.

The facade of that religious building combines Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles crowned by two towers with a rose window and a a high dome.Inside you can see some murals depicting events of the life of Saint Nicholas and a 19th century Sauer Organ, used for concerts and religious celebrations. 

In Holland people celebrate the name day of St. Nicholas on 5th December which is called Sinterklaas an old popular tradition when in the evening people exchange gifts,sometimes accompanied by a poem and that Church is an emblematic meeting point for that.

The construction of that Church in Amsterdam in a way symbolised the emancipation of the Catholics and the end of religious intolerance after the Protestants lost power.

Vondelpark is the largest park in Amsterdam,currently its surface reaches 48 hectares  and it is undoubtedly the preferred place to develop many activities such as biking,walking sports,picnics by locals.

Each year around 10 million people visit that park,it is also a place in which hundreds of different plant species and small animals have made their home.

Vondelpark is a symbol of the city and the history of that iconic green area started in 1864 when a rich citizen of Amsterdam had the idea of creating a large park-garden and managed to raise funds to buy the 8 acres that originally comprised the Vondelpark.

Originally,its name was Nieuwe Park(New Park) and the site chosen was somewhat swampy and turned to landscaper and the architect Zocher who was the responsible to carry out the task of shaping the new park,designed in English style with avenues, ponds,small islands and large areas to give the visitor the impression of a perfect natural environment.

The park was officially opened in 1865 to horseback riding and to enjoy pleasant walks in a new attractive area of the city and two years later in 1867 at its centre was erected a statue in honor of the Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel,it is from there the park adopted its current name.

In 1877 after  purchasing other 40 hectares of territory Vondelpark took its current size.Although that area was originally in the suburbs,currently it is located in the urban conglomeration between the lively Leidseplein  and the artistic and cultural area of Museumplein which makes it very attractive as a green lung of the city.

On summer nights Vondel Park hosts free concerts and events are held and it also hosts Vondelpark Works Real Riding School since 1882 inspired by the famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna and
 Filmmuseum (film museum),which displays each night in their 3 screens films that are part of a collection of 30,000 movies.

Near the Filmmuseum in a small street called Roemer Visscherstraat, which reached worthwhile to see a group of houses called United Europe or the Houses of seven countries.

Those seven houses are situated between the civic numbers 20 and 30,dating from 1894 and erected according to distinctive styles of seven European countries with romantic arched windows according to the German style, a mini-castle of the  French Loire,a Spanish Moorish Villa,an Italian Renaissance Palace a reminiscent of  a Russian Cathedral,and Dutch and English cottages.That architectonic composition in a sort of inspiration to evoke the history of the European construction.

In 1996,Vondelpark was declared real monument and it is one of the areas most visited by locals and tourists also for the several attractions it contains and the others in the immediate proximity.

Vondelpark Openluchttheater is an open air theatre working from June to August every week which performs theatre shows and live music and furthermore in the park there are also are some artistic attractions like a statue called the Fish by Pablo Picasso and bike paths.

In 1996 the Park was declared a  monument of interest and it is one of the areas most visited by locals and tourists also for the several attractions it contains and the others in the immediate proximity.

Vondelpark is famous anyway for its Museumplein Museum Square,it is there in which are located the most important Amsterdam Museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Diamond Museum-

That square was designed by the Swedish architect Sven Ingvar Andersson specialist in redesigning important parks and squares all around the world.

The imposing Rijksmuseum is the National Museum of Art and History of Holland.It is one of the most important museums of the world and a symbol of identity for the Dutch as the collection meets most significant art of the Netherlands, especially of the 17th century the so called Dutch Golden Age.Magnificent works by artists such as Rembrandt,Vermeer and Hals and others allow thee visitor to discover how the artistic life was in those days.It is an extensive exhibition including furniture,clothing, jewelry, housing and meals described in detail in the fabric which keeps such valuable museum.The Rijksmuseum is not as old as you might expect for a museum of that magnitude and prestige but to become what it is today had to suffer many arrangements due to the vagaries and the different periods of the political history in Holland.

Its origins date back to the year 1798,born as a museum to collect works of art of the Monarchy which survived during the French occupation.By a royal decree dated 1875 and after a contest in which the winner was designed the architect Cuypers,it was decided to build a new museum.

Rijksmuseum building was erected in Gothic style with a red brick facade and elaborately decorated with coloured tiles and opened in 1885.During the 20th century,there were some modifications and it was added a new wing,called Philis Wing.

Successive reforms came to substantially transform the initial structure of the planes of Cuypers to the considerable increase of the collections and the need for more rooms and space.

In the year 2003,the Spanish architects Cruz and Ortiz faced reform efforts,the highest since the inauguration of the museum in 1885, which run until 2008.It tried to recover the original look of the museum according to the author's idea and facilitate the movement,meanwhile, the best of their collections on display in the new wing.

The collections in that magnificent exhibition cover periods from the 15th to the 20th centuries, including particularly the 17th century Dutch painting and it also meets sculpture,furniture,diamond jewellery silverware and crystal items .

The Golden Age space also engaged in painting there is a Cabinet of Engravings with about one million drawings,photographs and prints,with works by Rembrandt,Durer,Toulouse-Lautrec and Goya, among others.

A section of Oriental Art which displays objects and scrolls from China, India,Java,collected during the Dutch colonial era and a space devoted to the history of Holland as well as the Library of Art History, the largest of the country.

Among the masterpieces contained in that superb museum worth to be mentioned some great works by Rembrandt: The Night Watch, Society of Weavers,The Jewish Bride works by Jan Vermeer as The Milkmaid,or Women in her bathroom by Jan Steen are some of the most shining highlights, definitely some of the most important masterpieces by a school which conquered the world,with new imaginative concepts in colours,lines,shapes and expressions.

If you are fond about modern and contemporary art do not miss a visit to Stedelijk Museum, next to Rijksmuseum,housed in a splendid Neo-Renaissance building designed by the architect Adriaan Weissman in a stylish red brick construction with stoned accents and a small tower.

It is one of the museums of modern and contemporary art world's most popular, the same way as the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the MOMA in New York: Kandinsky,Matisse,Braque,Picasso, Mondrian, Chagall are among the protagonists in a place which  every year hosts more than 30 exhibitions.

The permanent collection includes about hundreds of thousands of objects includes collections of works by Edward Kienholz and Kazimir Malevich,the Bauhaus and De Stijl. Since its inception Stedelijk Museum has consistently represented the new trends and developments in art and design,both in its exposure in the acquisition policy and also linked to the education areas.

Over time the building was transformed especially those carried out by directors David Roell and Willem Sandberg responding to needs space to house new collections as well as functional aspects such as space for offices,restaurant and bar due to increased constant influx of people. 

Diamond Amsterdam Museum is undoubtedly the right place you you can learn about the City of Diamonds,Amsterdam was the centre of diamond processing and trade for more than four centuries.

That Museum was founded by a Dutch polishing and trading company in 1940.The visitor is firstly introduced to the exhibition with a short film explaining the basics on diamond which also consists of diamond jewelry tells information about diamonds, how yo know a real diamond from a false, the history of diamond.

Holland during its wealthy period and golden ages with its legendary merchant fleet sailing in all the continents started that magnificent activity linked to those precious stones becoming in a very short time the International Capital of diamonds in terms of trading,commerce,cut and final preparation.

The Van Gogh Museum is another brilliant highlight of Amsterdam.In no other museum in the world the art lovers will find many works of that genius called Vincent Van Gogh who with its unique works inspired the imagination of millions of people worldwide.A collection of about 200 paintings,prints,over 500 drawings and 700 letters that Van Gogh wrote much of his younger brother Theo are the relevant patrimony of that magnificent exhibition,unique in its kind,as well  works by other artists such as Gauguin, Monet and Signac among others.

The museum consists of two structures built in different times.The main building was designed by the architect Gerrit Rietveld in the year 1963.

The museum was officially opened in the year 1973 and over time suffered several modifications,the most important in the year 1999 with the addition of a new wing designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, funded by grants from The Japan Foundation organisation dependent of a insurance company in Tokyo.

Since there the old building houses the permanent collection only,while the new section presents temporary exhibitions and some offices.In its tormented and short lives,Vincent Van Gogh produced the incredible number of 864 paintings,150 watercolours and drawings

The artist of Zundert died when he was only 37 years old, the term of only 10 years before succumbing to the ravages of mental illness which affected him throughout life and led to the suicide.His younger brother Theo was the only person who understood and assisted financially him and who led hundreds of letters.On his death he had managed to sell a couple of pictures and the entire collection was left to Theo,who died shortly after.Theo's widow, Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger,inherited the collection and it was through her that Vincent's work became known.Although some of the artist works were sold many of the most important and famed are displayed in that magnificent exhibition pride of Amsterdam,despite Vincent Van Gogh left the country to live in France where he died in Auverse-sur-Oise.

 When Johanna Bonger died in 1925, his son Vincent Wilhelm van Gogh kept the works of the uncle until 1962, when he signed an agreement with the Dutch state yielding to the Vincent Van Gogh Foundation the complete collection of the great painter in addition to preserved hundreds of drawings and letters by the artist and works by gauguin.

That foundation was the basis for the future Van Gogh Museum which is today one of the most outstanding exhibitions dedicated to a single painter in the world.Works present in the museum include Country Houses, Nuenen Church with parishioners, Skull with Cigarette,Potato Eaters, Woman with her hair down, Still Life with three bottles, Self-Portrait with Hat, View of the roofs of Paris, Self-Portrait with Pipe,Still life with bottle and lemons,The room of Van Gogh, Sunflowers, Peach tree in bloom.

A visit to Van Gogh Museum if you are fond about art is a must,it is not only a simple exhibition of paintings but also a full immersion to learn more about a talented artist who despite his controversial life has fascinated and conquered the world with his new style,expressions,colours and representations of many faces of our world and that magnificent museum is the right mean to know a great artist in all his essence.

The Concertgebouw a short distance from that iconic Museum crossing a path along Vondelpark is a majestic building hosting the Amsterdam Concert Hall.

Its superb acoustics has come to make it one of the three most important concert halls in the world, comparable by experts only to Symphony Hall in Boston in USA and the Musikverein in the Austrian Capital Vienna.

Its construction was decided by a group of six prominent citizens to have in Amsterdam a proper Concert Hall.There were in the Dutch Capital some buildings hosting concerts but  the acoustic were considered poor and much more there was not a distinctive site,a city of importance as Amsterdam deserved.

In charge of selecting the location of the site was Pierre Cuypers,architect famous for the project of of the famed Rijksmuseum and Centraal Station,then under construction who suggested the proximity of the new museum,just outside the city limits at that time,the architect for the construction was the architect Adolf Leonard Van Gendt, author of other remarkable buildings.

Van Gendt chose a neoclassical style with the passage of time in art history became known as Viennese Classicism of clear inspiration from the stylish buildings erected in the capital of Austria remembering a sumptuous silhouette and stylish lines ideal to establish an imposing Concert Hall.

 The consistency of the subsoil,weak sandy was as necessary pillars 2186 interred between 12 and 30 metres to support the structure.A large golden lyre crown the imposing building,the project was edited in 1886 and the building was ready to be opened,but the opening was postponed until 1888,exactly on 11th April of that year.

For that important date,was called an orchestra of 120 musicians and a choir of 500 people performing works by Wagner, Handel, Bach and Beethoven.The Concertgebouw is composed by two rooms:.The small room is named Kleine Zaal,the little Hall oval in shape and designed to chamber concerts and recitals.

The Grote Zaal (The big Hall) is a large room measuring about 44 metres long by 28 metres wide and 17 metres high with a capacity for 2000 people especially dedicated to the symphonic music for its excellent acoustics and  it is precisely the sound quality of the Grote Zaal which has given the fame it enjoys internationally.

The facade was completely renovated and restored to its original splendour in 1992 while the interior was fitted in 1995.At the beginning, the room was almost exclusively the headquarters of the Dutch Royal  Concertgebouw Orchestra, were given about 70 concerts a year and it was almost nothing to attract other shows.

Also popular music had a place in that Concert Hall, with artists like Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Frank Zappa among others.Currently Concertgebouw is dedicated exclusively to music concerts.

From Museumplein take Spiegelgracht and then Prinsengracht walking towards Leisdplein and stop in 263 Prinsengrach where you can see one of the emblematic attractions of the history of Amsterdam,Anne Franke Huis,the House of Anne Frank and Anne Frank Museum which had its origins in the horrors of the 2nd World War and in the famous diary wrote by that Jewish girl during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.

When the Germans troops occupied the city in 1940, a Jewish merchant named Otto Frank moved his Opekta company dedicated to the spice trade to the building at 400 Singel in Prinsengracht.Like many of the houses in Amsterdam,the new headquarters of Opekta also had units in the fund which the locals called Acterhuis,the back house.

When the deportations of Jews became more frequent,Otto Frank began to use that back home as a refuge where him,the family and friends could hide in case of danger,and that happened on 6th July1942

The entire family went there,Otto Frank, his wife Edith,the daughters Margot and Anne, hiding at the entrance by a library and a week later they were joined by the couple Van Pels with a son and in November a family friend,called Fritz Pfeffer.


The history of that so famous period of the Franks and friends,eight people who lived in that the house locked up aided by a few friends who knew the shelter them until they were betrayed, never knew exactly by whom and deported on 4th August 1944.Since the beginning of  the closure,the little Anne who was only 14 years wrote in a diary as a journal her experiences in that hidden refuge,the chats and the relationships with the others,sensations and emotions and different moods day by day,all that was her adolescence.

In her writings the young Anne also transmitted about her intention to become a writer and to publish her diary after the war ended.Anne did not survive the horrors of deportation camps, like her sister Margot who died of typhoid in the infamous camp of Bergen-Belsen,it is believed that shortly before the Allies liberated the camp.

About the occupant of the house,only Otto Frank returned and he decided to publish the diary of his daughter as it was her desire.When Otto returned was warmly received by his friends and protectors and the house was still the company headquarters,but was very poorly preserved and about to be demolished along with other houses along Prinsegraght.

Otto Frank fought actively to preserve that building,for him it was something symbol of a story to narrate to the world,something which could not be deleted or forgotten after such experience,a place which all the globe by the diary of the daughter had to know.

Under pressure and with the public support and funds donated by the Major of Amsterdam to restore the building,on 3rd May 1960 opened the Anne Frank House Museum intended to modernise the home front to make it an international youth centre and to hold that place,the back home as a exhibition.

The popularity of the publication of the diary of Anne Frank,immediately generated interest and a lot of visitors came to the museum,although it closed a few times for maintenance and upgrades.Currently the Museum receives about a million visitors a year which are particularly moved by visiting the famous back home in which you can still see pictures and posters that Anne stick on the walls,stripes that Otto was doing on the wall to mark the growth of the daughters,a map of Normandy where Otto noted the progress of the Allies and of course,copies of Anne's diary actually composed of several books and many sheets.Also on display at the museum many personal items of  Frank family and other fellow refugees as well as material relating to the publication of the newspaper,stage and film adaptation, letters from readers  and other items.

For the history of Frank family,a notorious diary,a period in which the lively,peaceful  and happy city of Amsterdam,probably lived one of its darkest historic periods of its history the visit to that museum is a must.

Prinsegracht is also one of the most charming street in Singel,very attractive with its beautiful Neo Renaissance buildings and coloured doors and shutters but it is equally important to know that history,a historic highlight of the Dutch Capital. 

Next to Hanne Frank Huis is situated  Westerkerk.(Western Church) which is the largest Protestant Church in Holland and containing the tomb of the great artist Rembrandt and his son Titus.

Westerkerk was erected in the 17th century and opened for the day of Pentecost in the year 1631.For a period that Church kept a sort of record as to be the largest Protestant Church in the world a title which was maintained until the construction of St Paul's Cathedral in London happened only a few decades later.

Following the traditional Dutch Renaissance style and developed using bricks and natural stones the Church was erected on a in a rectangular plan with 36 windows providing a good natural light to the interior of the religious building.

The tower of that Religious building called Westertoren is the tallest tower in the city, with its 85 metres in high.Despite it was opened in the year 1631 the Church continued to be modelled and completed seven years later until 1638. 

The crown that Emperor Maximilian of Austria donated to the city in 1489 was placed at the tip emphasising the project of making the tower of that Church the most prestigious of the the entire Amsterdam.

Those three X coloured in red, blue and gold which refer to the crown that Maximilian of Hapsburg, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,gave to the city as a sign of the care received during a visit and in a
short time the triple-X also became a symbol of the city.

It is pretty difficult to explain and even the Dutch agree on the origin of those acronyms.One theory is that St. Andrew an apostle and Patron saint of Amsterdam died in an X shaped cross.

According to other versions pretty romantic it is said that the three X represent the courage,determination and compassion which are the three adjectives that city called the Queen Wilhelmina.The last but not least is the version of the three X represent the disasters that have plagued the city throughout its history such as fires,floods and pestilence.

The bells that make up the carillon of the tower are mostly the work by François Hemony renowned manufacturer and it is another highlight of that magnificent religious building.

Restored in 1959, currently consists of 50 bells chime and the concert offered every Tuesday between 12.00 and 13.00 hours and is part of the cultural life of the city.

During the 2nd World War the bells were removed to prevent them from being melted down to make weapons,although not known exactly where it is known that the famous Rembrandt was buried here on 8th October1669. In 1906,the year of the tercentenary of his birth, a commemorative plaque was placed in one of the interior columns, near the grave of his son Titus.

In the square opposite the Church you can see a statue in honour of Anne Frank and just behind the house,the square of Westermarkt,there is a simple monument reminding the homosexuals exterminated by the Nazis three triangular slabs of pink granite,like the pink triangles that were their mark in the infamous concentration camp.

Together, the house and the square is one of the high points of European memory and Amsterdam as a city famous for tolerance,peaceful and contrary to what one might think superficially has never meant the cancellation of the differences and the renunciation of the judgement moral.

At 6 Westermarkt there is also the house which was residence of one of the greatest philosopher of the history René Descartes alias Cartesium famous for his Cogito ergo sum while at 296 Prisengraght there is the Woonbootmuseum,the Museum of houseboats housed in one of them.

In Singel since 1862, the Flower Market of Amsterdam is  not only a tourist attraction but it is the favourite spot for locals to buy flowers and plants.

Originally,since almost one century and half ago,flowers came daily on hundreds of boats at Bloemenmarkt with plants and flowers for sale.Today you will notice that it is just a floating market and which is arranged in platforms and barges subject to edge of Singel Canal.

In the  Flower Market you can find all kinds of flowers,tulips of all colours, varied plant seeds and gardening items.The flagship for tourists are the tulip bulbs undoubtedly one of the best presents that you can take as a souvenir from a trip to Amsterdam.A curiosity in the Singel is that there is still a houseboat named De Poezenboot on which  only cats live.

One of the main canals of Amsterdam is Herengracht,which was first excavated in the heyday of the city and throughout the country in the 17th century and attracted the richest merchants who decided to live in Amsterdam.along its southern side in which there are the most impressive houses of Amsterdam,a great line of Renaissance and Neo Renaissance high buildings offering a magnificent scenery. 

The Museum Willet-Holthuysen is a classic example of those stylish 17th century Amsterdam mansion and it hosts a collection of furniture, porcelain, silverware and books of that period.Along thay canal there is also the official residence of the Mayor of the city,at the civic number 502.

The southern section of Keizersgraght which is also linked to the name of the Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg,a friend of Amsterdam and Dutch Monarchy is also adorned with sumptuous buildings dating the famous period of the Holland of to the golden age.

So relevant examples are the Museum Van Loon and Kettenkabinet,the Museum of the cats  but it boasts of being the only of its kind in the world: such as paintings,statues, posters and grotesque objects dedicated to cats fill the large rooms guarded by cats which spend time playing,lazing and purring to visitors.

Nieuwmarktbuurt the New Market district is at the door of  De Waag the historic scale house and it is one of the ancient gates of Amsterdam.

De Waag was originally part of the medieval walls surrounding the old Amsterdam then limited only to the current historical centre and it was one of the former city gates called originally St.Anthonius Gate.An old plaque commemorating the date of commencement of construction,depicted with an inscription 28th April, 488.

In the 16th century the walls were demolished and it moved to the area around a square in which there was a market,the New Market and the old gate of Sr.Anthony was conditioned by adding a roof between the towers using the resulting building as public scale,a place where local authorities were responsible for controlling and weigh the goods.

Waag is an old Dutch word meaning scale,hence its association with checks and balances.The upper floors were occupied by different trades such as masons,painters, surgeons in different periods,for its location, history and importance De Waag is considered a landmark of Amsterdam..

In that area you are also in Amsterdam Chinatown,so you can take a look to several Chinese shops in that place and then walking on Sint Antoinesstraat,very close where you can admire Zuiderkerk the Southern Church of Amsterdam a beautiful Renaissance building erected by architect Hendrick de Keyser between 1603 and 1611.

The idea and concept about that Sacred Temple was to build a pseudo Basilica using Tuscan columns,a central nave and two sides,timber vault barrel vaults and stained windows.The beautiful tower is a square stoned structure with an octagonal sandstone section and on top of that there is a wooden, lead-covered spire.

Zuiderkerk contains a carillon of bells made by the brothers Hemony, installed there in 1656.That   Protestant Church has inspired many artists as Claude Monet, the French master painted the Church during a trip to Holland and also Rembrandt painted it the Night Watch at Zuiderkerk because his own studio was too small.

The Dutch master lived in Jodenbenstraat a street very close to that Protestant Church.Since 2006, the religious also houses the Wall of Fame,an homage to Dutch celebrities who have made a positive contribution to the local society some of them are former football player star Johan Cruijff ,3 times Golden Ball ,swimmer Inge De Bruijn four-time Olympic swimming champion, Job Cohen Mayor of Amsterdam,jurist and politician among others.

Crossing the bridge St. Antoines Sluit you will reach the famed street Jodenbenstraat on which is situated Rembrandt Huis the house where Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn lived between 1639 and 1658. In 1911 Rembrandt's house became a museum and it now owns and houses almost all of Rembrandt's etchings,250 in total.That old house was built between 1606 and 1607,a place which is a landmark of Amsterdam simply because was the residence of  undoubtedly the most famous Dutch painter of the history of Holland.

When Rembrandt purchased the house in 1639 that area was inhabited by rich merchants and artists and although he enjoyed a reputation as a painter the amount payable for the house was quite expensive and he had many difficulties to survive.

In the same year,he received a good sum of money for his famous work The Night Watch yet could not or perhaps did not want to pay down debt.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts to meet subsequent payments,the creditors in 1656 declared bankruptcy and they took the house and expropriated his works, his art collection and other belongings.Nobody exactly knows as that great talent spent his money,an immense talented artist but with a life packed by financial problems.

Everything was sold to settle the debts of the painter and.Rembrandt plunged in solitude and poverty,then was forced to rent a small house in Rozengracht where he remained until his death in the year 1669.

Rembrandt's old house was subdivided into two successively occupied by several families until the late 19th century which caused a serious deterioration and it was saved from being demolished for having been occupied by so famous character.

It was in the year 1906 in occasion of the exhibition organised to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth, when the City Institutions decided to purchase the old and dilapidated house to determine the location of the Rembrandt House Foundation which aimed return to the house it looked in the mid 17th century.

In the year 1911 Queen Wilhelmina was protagonist with the decision to open that Museum in honor of the great painter from Leiden.During the early years the collection of etchings grew steadily through donations and acquisitions but it was during the 90s when there was the further development with the purchase of adjacent properties and the possibility of expanding the exhibition.The addition of a new modern wing next to the old house finally allowed some large restoration approximately as it was when Rembrandt lived there.In the year 1999 the works was completed and currently in addition to the collection of works including his famous etchings of landscapes,portraits and self portraits and engravings.


Rembrandt House Museum presents recreations of rooms in which the painter used to work or to teach to some pupils and also exhibits works of those who were his teachers during his early years in Amsterdam and Jan Pieter Lastman Pynas who greatly influenced his career and works of some of his disciples over whom in turn he influenced considerably.

Next to Jodenbenstraat you can see Waterlooplein  a big square in which you can admire Stopera the Amsterdam opera and other buildings such as Mozes en Aäronkerk Kerk,the Dutch Royal Post Office and the flea daily market open every day except Sunday.

Very close to Waterlooplein is situated Joods Historisch Museum the Jewish Historical Museum dedicated to the Jewish community of Amsterdam and the history containing about 11,000 art objects and works by Jewish artists such as Wolfgang Suschitzky, Max Liebermann and Oskar Kokoschka.

Do not miss to take a look to  Magere Brug which is another Amsterdam symbol and icon and close to Waterlooplein enjoying a relaxing walk next to Binnenamstel Canal,Magere Brug,nicknamed the Skinny Bridge is the most famous bridge of the city,it is a traditional double-leaf, Dutch draw-bridge connecting the banks of the river Amstel and approximately every twenty minutes the bridge opens to let boats through.

Take now the tram number 4 to Begijnhof.That splendid and charming place was originally built as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes a Catholic sisterhood Order who lived like nuns.It is an enclosed courtyard dating from the early 14th century in which you can admire some beautiful houses overlooking an amazing green garden.At the civic number 34 is situated Het Houten Huis which is the city's oldest house and another important attraction is Engelse Kerk the English Church dating back the end of the 14th century with a beautiful medieval tower.


Another highlight is Schuttersgalerij which is the Civic Guards Gallery containing old portraits of important citizens of Amsterdam with some 17th century paintings.The term designates Begijnhof is a courtyard by the word Hof surrounded by houses which were in medieval times occupied by groups of religious women the mentioned Begijn who were dedicated to serving the community.

 In the year 1578, at the time of the disturbance the Protestant Calvinists took the Church to transfer it as Religious centre and later in the hands of the English Presbyterians and a highlight was the strength of the Begijn order to abandon the Catholic religion.

The most famous of them was was Cornelia Arens,who died in October of 1654 and there is a legend which says that close to death she refused to be buried in the Chapel which had been desecrated by the Presbyterians asking to be buried in the courtyard.

People ignored her desire and she was  buried  in the Chapel but every time her coffin appeared in the courtyard. Repeating the fact a couple of times finally he was buried in the courtyard. Another version says that her soul found peace in the hood and still roams the Begijnhof bury until the outside.

The neighbourhood was completely renovated in 1979,currently, there are no Begijn in the Begijnhof today the last one died in 1971 and the houses are occupied by about one hundred single women and students and in that place today live approximately 160 people.

Not far from there,you can reach Spui a lovely square to enjoy a drink or a coffee.In that square stands a small statue called Het Lieverdje representing the youth of Amsterdam.Before becoming Spui,that area was a watered space which marked the boundary in which the city ended in Amsterdam until 1882 when the area was filled to become that splendid square.

That cosy place located near the university hosted the movement Provo in the 60s and one of the main local attractions are undoubtedly the weekly markets which offer visitors the opportunity to find all types of literary or artistic items.

Worth a visit Jordaan neighbourhood.That so famous district was originally  the class working residential area but due the increasing cultural movements and prominent people who started to populate Amsterdam,that area became a sort of bohemian area in Amsterdam changing the soul and spirit the image of that picturesque district.

Many important Amsterdammers people lived there such as writer Joost Van den Vonde and also Rembrandt lived there in Rozengracht on Rose Canal.In that neighbourhood there  is a very lovely atmosphere with its narrow streets, picturesque canals,shops,old taverns, brown cafes the typical dutch bars-cafes.

Jordaan has also a high concentration of hofjes inner courtyards with little houses,and it is also the district of the Noorderkerk (Northern Church) a beautiful Protestant Church dated 17th century erected by the architect Hendrick de Keyser and his son Pieter.

You will notice as very curious detail that in Jordaan many houses have a stoned tablet on their walls,the stone represent the profession or family sign of the inhabitants..Some examples ..a butcher house shows a pig,a fishmonger a lobster,a shoemaker house shows shoes a tailor a pair of scissors,and so on.

Definitely a very imaginative quarter which continues after centuries to be the bohemian quarter of the Dutch capital,meeting point of artists today as in the past,residence of architects and talented painters and also a place in which art and imagination found its natural habitat.

Joordan also hosts some interesting and curious small museums as Pianola Museum which is a houseboat museum,and there is also a fluorescent museum called Electric Lady Land and another mandatory is to sit in Joordan to have a drink in a typical Brown Cafe.

Rembrandtplein is one of the busiest places of Amsterdam.That square is always lively,packed by people, shopping,dining and entertainment are for visitors and locals as a must.

Surrounding the square there are some interesting buildings including the Grand Cafe l'Opera in Art Nouveau style,the famous Cafe Schiller and the Cafe de Kroon among the oldest in the city.

The area remained more or less for the other two more centuries until the 20s, when some Hotels and restaurants were built and the square was named after the famous Dutch painter.

Since then it became a popular place among young people and tourists.Originally the square was known as Botermarkt (butter market) hosting a dairy market already present in 1668 in a place built using the remains of the old port of the city and occasionally the square in more recent times could also used as space for entertainment events.

The other Amsterdam lively square  is Leidseplein one of the places more attractive and with a notable vibrant nightlife.In the past that area was a sort of huge parking,a place in which people should leave their carriages before to enter in the city.

The large number of bars,restaurants, nightclubs and discos,the varied artistic,theatrical and musical life as well as the Holland Casino and numerous theatres and venues are one of the main attractions in that animated area of Amsterdam.
 
Facing the square you can see Stadsschouwburg the Municipal Theater,a majestic Neo-Renaissance building erected  in 1894 as venue hosting opera to replace previous theatres which were destroyed by fire.

Next to the Theatre is situated Melkweg (Milky Way) a famous venue meets in its chambers five different artistic areas such as music,dance and theatre, photography, film and art exhibitions.Melkweg was created in 1970 by a group of artists who restored an old abandoned dairy building to carry out their vocation for art.

Paradise is a popular Concert Hall of Amsterdam, housed in an old Church transformed into a temple of rock.Opened in 1968 as an entertainment centre for the youth soon became synonymous with the hippie culture and the rock era and it was one of the first places in which the consumption and sale of soft drugs was tolerated.

Artists as The Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson performed in Paradise.Leidseplein Theater in the group Boom Chicago offers daily their comedy shows in English combining political and social issues,sometimes quite controversial, with elements of traditional cabaret.

Installed in Amsterdam since 1993,Boom Chicago gradually took its place in the theatrical life of the city and today is considered one of the most serious comedy groups and influential in Europe.

In a walk around the square you can discover some architectonic gems as the exclusive American Hotel, a beautiful art Nouveau building erected in 1900.

You can not miss once you are in the Dutch Capital a boat cruise on Amsterdam ´s canals.Most people who have never even been to Amsterdam have at least heard about its canals.

They are certainly worth seeing as the 165 waterways created to reach 90 islands connected by 1281 bridges. A canal cruise is a mandatory in Amsterdam and just walking the winding,narrow streets along the waters will give you a sense of the magic and enchanting charm that city has and offers the visitor from that other perspective during a city boat cruise.

You can enjoy a fantastic cruise on a UNESCO site the Amsterdam Ring Canals, there are many kind of cruises such as one hour,two hours,depend of different options including a cruise with dinner.

If you love gardens and flowers the Hortus the Botanical Garden of Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world,originally dedicated to grow medicinal plants.

With over 4000 plant species growing in their gardens and greenhouses it is located close to the Artis Zoo in the central district of Plantage.

Created in 1638, the Hortus was where medicinal plants were grown and the place in which experienced physicians and pharmacists prepared medicinal potions.Thanks to the ships of the East India Company. Hortus expanded rapidly in the 17th and 18th centuries,incorporating not only herbs and spices but also exotic ornamental plants.

Close to the entrance of the garden there is the Orangerie a recently renovated old building which was erected in 1875 as a reading room and over time served as a greenhouse with tropical plants and then as the name implies,of citrus plants.

The Artis Zoo also located in the Plantage, was created in 1838 by the Royal Zoological Society led by GF Westerman.The purpose was to promote awareness

At that time, that combination of zoo,scientific collections,laboratory, museum and a library and Artis Zoo an almost unique place in its kind in the world.Occupying an area of about 14 hectares many attractions are organised around a large garden in which you can breathe the atmosphere of the 19th century undulating trails,majestic trees and about 50 sculptures scattered throughout the park in addition to historic buildings.

Within Artis Zoo stands the Aquarium,opened in 1882, after a hard work for the construction of the building based on 1740 piles and the reserve with a million litters of seawater.

It was extensively renovated in 1997, three of their new giant aquariums recreated different ecosystems and the fourth shows the inside of an Amsterdam canal.In the lobby of the building,there is the Zoological Museum which exhibits on a variety of animal life  including old photographs and stuffed animals.

Within the space devoted to animals,that section highlights shows examples of the African savanna and a rocky natural scenery.The animals found in the park representing about 700 species of birds,mammals, reptiles, insects and fish from around the world.

The mission of that Institution is not merely Artis educational or illustrative it is also working in cooperation with other zoos in the world to contribute actively in the struggle for the preservation of endangered species.

The Maritime Museum is also located in the Plantage neighbourhood in an imposing building which was built in 1616 the National Naval Depot.The Maritime Museum tells the story thorough Dutch shipping.

The first floor of the museum shows the origins and development of the Dutch fleet in the 17th century,that period so called Golden Age by the hand of the Society of the Netherlands East Indies while the second is devoted to commercial navigation,developed in the 19th century.

The museum's collections includes all kinds of navigational instruments, maps, and replicas of boats.Among the curiosities and special attractions available in the the museum,there is a copy of the first edition of the work of Maximilianus Transylvanus,De Moluccis Insulis the first to describe the trip of Ferdinand Magellan around the world.

Part of the museum is dedicated to craft and set as the time and a group of actors dressed as sailors then depicting scenes simulating the crew which is without doubt another great attraction of that splendid exhibition..

Close to the Maritime Museum there is the entrance of the tunnel which connects to the north of Amsterdam, across the bay.Right where the tunnel begins rises a building which has the shape of a boat and it is the headquarter of National Science Centre Nemo, the largest science centre in Holland.

The Italian Architect Renzo Piano,who worked on the project of the Centre Pompidou in Paris among others was the architect responsible for designing the building,opened in 2000.

Although it seems that the main idea was to give the building the appearance of a huge green boat evoking the emblematic maritime past of the city it is a great and imaginative attraction loved by many people.

The building has five floors and every summer the roof becomes a huge outdoor restaurant from where it is great to enjoy views of the city and the main buildings in the area are spectacular.

Called in its early stages New Metropolis, later adopted the name Nemo,which describe as the appropriate name for a place that lies between fantasy and reality linked to the iconic captain so famous in the novel by Jules Verne.

That Science Centre is defined as a fully interactive space,in the Laboratory of Nemo Wonderland visitors can feel a true scientist exploring the field of chemistry, physics and biology.How the world is an interactive exhibit about electricity,magnetism, gravity, light and colours and other everyday phenomena not cease to be surprising.

Heineken Brewery in 782 Stadhouderskade is another emblematic symbol of Amsterdam as Carlsberg in Copenaghen or Guinness in Dublin.The former brewery has been transformed into a kind of museum of beer and visit with guided tour culminating with the inevitable bit of a mug.

The complex provides multimedia areas,souvenir shops and a complete history of that important Dutch brewery.(I wrote a post about that in De Pijp District where the Brewery is located if you are interested).

No many cities in the world can be compared like Amsterdam can boast of being the world capital of bicycles.Bicycle lanes appeared in the Dutch Capital over 50 years earlier than other European cities.Since 2005 there is a special map prepared by the municipality of Amsterdam for the use of bicycles in and around the city.

The places accessible and passable in safety and speed are shown in green,places a little less safe are shown in pink.There is a great bicycle culture in Amsterdam and Holland circulating in the capital there is a great respect and at least 650,000 bicycles are over 400 kilometres of cycle paths.

Famous French philosopher Montesquieu about Amsterdam said :"The streets of Amsterdam are beautiful, clean, wide. There are large channels with rows of trees. In the big city streets, the boats came in front of houses. I prefer Amsterdam to Venice since Amsterdam,you can get water without be deprived of their land. the houses are clean inside, outside and harmonious, like, the streets, straight, wide, all this makes Amsterdam one of the most beautiful cities in the world. "

That artist was a declared lover of the Dutch Capital,a great traveller and if he said all that,words of a man with a high sense of taste of the beauty,after such words,Amsterdam speaks for itself.

The city thanks to its cosmopolitan aspect offers several restaurants with most varied ethnic cuisine,in Amsterdam you can find everything to satisfy your gastronomic tastes,the areas around Dam Plaz,Damrak but also in Singel,Leidsplein and Rembrandtplein are full of choice.

Amsterdam International Schipol Airport  is one of the largest and busiest in the world,situated at about 15,0 kilometres  from the city centre,it is therefore easily accessible with an extensive network of bus routes linking the airport to Amsterdam and surrounding towns.

Public transport in Amsterdam,such as trams,buses and subways, are managed by GVB .Trams and buses are organised into a system of 18 local lines in service during the day and at night.

The Metro-Amsterdam is organised in four lines in a more urban construction: Ring Line line 50, green, Amstelveen Line 51, orange, North South Line 52, blue, Gaasperplas Line  53, red and Gein line line 54, yellow.

The transport system works very well and thee visitor can easily reach in a short time points of the city not so close,situated in different geographical points of the Dutch Capital.

Amsterdam is  a modern and vibrant city with a fascinating history,packed by excellent museums,outstanding attractions,an active cultural calendar and many activities to enjoy during a stay.

The cobbled streets are lined with trees,packed by bicycles,a captivating and stylish architecture with the opportunity to enjoy a boat cruise through its charming canals also make Amsterdam an incredible romantic destination.

Amsterdam is the city without prejudice,a historical  land of waters,trades,navigators and diamonds,the world capital of tolerance and a place in which talents as Rembrandt and Van Gogh expressed all their creativity,developing imaginative schools in which to create something of more than attractive to surprise people and visitors was and is something always present in the soul of that splendid city.

That city may appears at the eyes of the traveller as a place of art and respect for civil rights and essential freedoms,intense,lively and vibrant but at the same time,calm placid and friendly,which opens its arms to those who wants to visit and discover it.

Amsterdam is also a magic city with endless options to enjoy it every time and all year,in every corner there is always something to discover a place so special and always ready to delight the tastes of every tourist.

Francesco Mari



Recommended Hotels in Amsterdam 

Hotel The Toren 
Hotel Seven One Seven 
Hotel Banks Mansion
Hotel Estherea
Hotel Ambassade
Hotel Pulitzer 
Hotel Seven Bridges
Hotel Conservatorium
Hotel Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht
Hotel La Boheme 
Hotel De L´Europe
Hotel The Dylan 
Hotel Fita
Fusion Suites


www.iamsterdam.com 
www.amsterdam.info
www.thetoren.nl
717hotel.nl
www.estherea.nl
www.ambassade-hotel.nl
www.pulitzeramsterdam.com
www.sevenbridgeshotel.nl
conservatorium.designhotels.com
www.amsterdam.prinsengracht.andaz.hyatt.com/
www.leurope.nl
dylanamsterdam.com
www.la-boheme-amsterdam.com
www.fita.nl
www.fusionsuites.com
 www.youtube.com