Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. Numerous landmarks are well known over the world and made the city a very popular tourist destination. These include the unique Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the historic port.
The city got its name because of its location. An early settlement was created at the dam on the Amstel River. As its official name has connection with the river, the city got its best-known nickname because of the river and the canals. It is frequently called the “Venice of the North”.
In the 12th century, Amsterdam was a fishing village. During the Dutch Golden Age, the city gained importance, becoming one of the most important ports. Nine centuries later, today the city is home to over three quarters of a million people. The urban region has a population of nearly 1.5 million. Like many cities in the US, Amsterdam is part of a larger metro area, called Randstad. Beside Amsterdam, the other three largest cities of the country are in this area, such as Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. This way the combined population of this megalopolis is over 6.5 million, with residents of 175 nationalities.
The temperate climate the city has means that four distinct seasons are present. Most of the precipitation pours as light rain between October and March. In this period, cloudy days are characteristic. The temperatures are between 1 and 22 °C, meaning that winters are mild and summers are warm. In rare cases in December and January temperatures can drop sub zero and in July can reach even 27-28 °C.
The cityscape is uniform in the city center. Canals run through the city forming semicircles. The streets follow this shape and are connected by numerous bridges. There are three main canals in the city. Beside these, the Singel is a notable canal. This encircled Amsterdam in the 15th and 16th century, creating a moat. Over 1500 monumental sites are situated on the shore of these canals. Almost one hundred islands are formed and 1500 bridges were built to make the transportation in the city seamless.
Beside the canals, the city has another very important architectural attractiveness. The houses, palaces and other monuments were built in many different styles. This ensures a variety of the landscape.
At the Begijnhof court, you can find Amsterdam’s oldest building, the Houten Huys. Built in 1425, it is the older of the two still standing wooden buildings in the city. The gothic styled wooden buildings were demolished and Renaissance styled brick ones took their places. Like other major cities in Europe in the 17th century in Amsterdam, the baroque architecture became very popular. The Royal Palace and the Dam Square are the best-known examples of this style. In the following centuries, the dominant architectural styles were the neo-gothic, the Art-Nouveau and the Art Deco.
These beautiful buildings attract millions of tourists every year. Of course, the architectural landmarks weren’t for a city to become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe. The economy of the city is also playing a major role in this. In case of Amsterdam, the economical richness is on a high level. According to a recent study, it is the fifth best place in Europe for an international business. Because of the large number of companies wanted to move their headquarters to the city, a plan had to be made to avoid overcrowding downtown, so a new business oriented district was established. This is the Zuidas, which over a year became a tourist attraction because of futuristic buildings raised here, such as the ING Building.
Finances always played a major role in the city’s economy. In Amsterdam, you can find the oldest stock exchange in the world, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Today this is one of the largest bourses in Europe.
Tourism is another very important industry branch for Amsterdam. The city tries its best when it comes to treating visitors. This became clear over the years, making Amsterdam one of the busiest holiday locations in Europe. Annually, over four million tourists come to the Dutch capital. A well-developed infrastructure is mandatory if a city wants to ensure the relaxation of visitors. Amsterdam has everything necessary to salute this many visitors. In the city, 350 hotels with nearly 20,000 rooms and other hostels offer almost 50,000 beds. The occupation rate in 2006 was 78%, growing with more than 10% compared to the 2005, and the pricier four and five star hotels were very popular as well. Not only the hotels offering comfortable services are very popular, but the campsites around the city, too. Annually, from ten to sixty thousand visitors choose this form of vacation.
Those who love to shop and want to bring home something from every holiday won’t be disappointed in Amsterdam. Having large department stores opened even in the 18th and 19th centuries as well as smaller shops anyone can find something for his/her personal taste.
The Vondelpark and the surrounding area is one of the most popular places among both locals and visitors. Having around ten million visitors each year – tourists and locals combined – it is one of the busiest parks in Europe. With large green areas and numerous bike paths, it’s a real recreational park. In its proximity, you can find a film museum and an open-air theater. Offering everything from classic and world music, through pop and dance music to cabaret this theater is very popular. There is no entrance fee, but a donation of one euro is asked. Several horeca facilities operate in the park. The term horeca is the shortened form of Hotel/Restaurant/Café. Here you can ease you hunger and thirst.
In the streets, surrounding Vondelpark you can find numerous shops, which form two shopping streets. The Kalverstraat is the busiest street in Amsterdam. In this medieval city right in the heart of the city, you can find shops offering anything from handcrafted souvenirs to designers’ goods. Open-air markets offer a very different shopping experience, so you should consider visiting Albert Cuypmarkt, Westermarkt or Ten Katemarkt.
The city is home to over two dozen museums and five concert halls. The museums have an exhibition in every important field of science. You can also find a museum that has the shape of a sinking ship. Besides science, the main themes of exhibitions are paintings and history. The best-known museum has to be the Van Gogh Museum built to honor the famous Dutch painter.
Amsterdam is also known as the party capital of Europe, having many bars and clubs, with state of the art light and sound systems as well as die-hard partiers. Maybe the main attraction remains the famous and notorious DeWallen, better known as the red-light district.
It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a fancy hotel or just a place to raise your tent, for beautiful houses built in your favorite style or a club to spend your nights at with a great crowd, Amsterdam is one of the best places to visit.
