AboutAmsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the greatest small cities in the world. Fromits canals to world-famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam is one of the most romantic and beautifulcities in Europe. Amsterdam is a city of tolerance and diversity. It has allthe advantages of a big city: culture, entertainment, international restaurants, good transport - but is relatively small, quiet,and largely thanks to its canals, has a little road traffic. In Amsterdam yourdestination is never far away.

Basic facts:

Although the seat ofNetherlands government is in The Hague, Amsterdam is the nominal capital. It isalso the country's largest city, with a population of almost 750,000, and themost visited, with over 3,5 million foreign visitors a year.

The Netherlands is acountry situated in Western Europe, bordering Belgium to the south and Germanyto the east. To its north and west is the North Sea. Although the Netherlandsis the country's official name, people often call it Holland. The provinces ofNorth Holland and South Holland form only part of the Netherlands.

Amsterdam, probably themost planned city of northern Europe, has long been a well-known city. In the17th century Amsterdam was the centre of world economy, and nowadays the cityis known for its tolerant character

Amsterdam figures:
Population: 735,500
Country: The Netherlands
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Telephone area code: 020

Currency
The currency in the Netherlands is the Euro ( € , EUR), which is used in almostall countries within the European Union.

AmsterdamWeather and Climate:

In Amsterdam, there is noguarantee of good weather any time of the year. Typical weather in Amsterdamranges from a little around freezing with in winter, though with little snow,to beautiful sunny days with temperature around 25 degrees Celsius in thesummer. Amsterdammers will often carry an umbrella even on the hottest of Julydays, as summer rain in the morning sometimes precedes the arrival of brightsunshine later. 

Climate in theNetherlands

The warmest weather isfrom June to August, with temperatures between 21 - 26 degrees Celsius. Thereare rarely extreme temperatures. The air is relatively humid and fog is commonin autumn and spring. There are stronger winds from October to March.

History of Amsterdam

Amsterdambegan as a fishing village in the late 12th century. According to legend,Amsterdam was founded by two Frisianfishermen, who landed on the shores of the Amstel in a small boat with theirdog. The traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam is 27 October 1275, when the inhabitants living around theAmstel dam were granted freedom from paying the tolls associated with the locksand bridges of Holland. It was given city rights in 1300 or 1301. From the 14th century on, Amsterdamflourished, largely on the basis of trade with the cities of the Hanseatic League.

1200-1585: The Early History

Duringthe 14th, but especially the 15th century, Amsterdam underwent a rapiddevelopment, which laid the foundation for the Golden Age. Only very fewmedieval buildings survive today. Some examples: the Old and New Churches andthe Houten Huis (Wooden House) at the Begijnhof. Throughout the Middle Ageshouses were generally built of wood, a vulnerable type of constructionmaterial. The famous Houten Huis is no exception to this rule. Consequently,most of them were destroyed. Nevertheless, a surprisingly large number ofAmsterdam dwellings still have timber frames.

1585-1672: The Golden Age of Amsterdam

Theperiod 1585-1672, the Golden Age, was the hey-day of Amsterdam's commercialsuccess. At the time Amsterdam was the staple market of the world. During thisperiod the characteristic Amsterdam cityscape developed; the 1613 and 1663urban expansions still determine the city's characteristic appearance. Some ofthe most important historic buildings date back to this period, e.g. the townhall in the Dam Square (now the Royal Palace), the Westerkerk, Zuiderkerk, aswell as a large number of canal houses among which De Dolfijn (Dolphin), DeGecroonde Raep (Crowned Turnip), the Bartolotti Huis, the Huis met de Hoofden(House with the Heads), the Poppenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 95 (commissioned bythe Poppen family), the Trippenhuis (built for the Trip family), the VanRaey-huizen, Keizersgracht 672-674, and Sweedenrijk, Herengracht 462.

1672-1795: An Age of Gold and Silver

The year1672 was a year of disaster for the Dutch Republic with the French and Englishattacking simultaneously. The Golden Age had come to an end. Nevertheless,Amsterdam managed to consolidate its prosperity during the period 1672-1795 inspite of the predicament the Republic found itself in. The city remained amajor staple market and managed to retain its position as the financial centreof Europe. Whereas the Golden Age was primarily a period of pitch and tar, thenew era is better characterised as an age of gold and silver. The large numberof dwellings built at this time, both simple ones and rich canal houses,reflect the city’s prosperity. As a result the majority of the houses locatedin the city centre date back to the 18th rather than the 17th century. Someexamples: Huis Van Brienen, Herengracht 284, Huis De Vicq-De Steur, OZVoorburgwal 237, Zeevrugt and Saxenburg, Keizersgracht 224.

1795-1813: Recession and Decline

In 1795the government of the patrician oligarchies was overthrown and the old Republicceased to exist. Soon the French were to occupy the country. During the period1795-1813 Amsterdam suffered badly from the economic recession, a state ofaffairs reflected by the stagnation of the demographic development. Many houseswere vacant and some even collapsed for lack of maintenance. Fortunately somefacades and interiors dating back to the Empire period survive today.1813-1940: Recovery and Expansion beyond the Singelgracht

The period 1813-1940 ismarked by economic recovery and, from 1870 onwards, by expansion. Theincreasing wealth brought about a rapid population growth. This development wasprimarily the result of the Industrial Revolution which triggered off a NewGolden Age. The city now ventured into the area beyond the Singelgracht. Largepoorly built working-class neighbourhoods were built. The period 1920-1940 wasa time of economic recession. Therefore it is all the more remarkable that theso-called Ring 20-40 compares favourably to the 19th century jerry-building.This was also the period of large-scale damage to the historical city centre; canalswere filled in and new traffic breakthroughs were realised.

Events Highlights

A holiday can always add a festive note to your trip, particularly if itinvolves a parade or special observance somewhere in the country. In theNetherlands, expect banks, shops, and most museums to be closed, and public transportation to operate on limitedschedules.

· April - Koninginnedag,Queen's day, 30 April,former Queen Juliana's birthday, also the day Juliana transferred her titleto her daughter Beatrix

· June - The Amsterdam Roots Festival, last week of June,international music festival

· June - HollandFestival is an international festival for theater, music, dance,opera, film and art, throughout the month of June

· August - AmsterdamPride, first weekend of August, gay pride weekend

· August - Hartjesdag,3rd weekend in August

· August - Uitmarkt,last weekend in August, the start of the cultural season

· August - AmsterdamTournament, late August, International Football tournament hosted by AFC Ajax

· August - SailAmsterdam, a five-yearly event, when tall ships from all overthe world can be visited; next event 2010

· October - AmsterdamMarathon, mid-October

· October – The BokbierBeer Festival in the Beurs van Berlage (Old stock Exchange)

· October – Grachtenrace (Canal Race), 25km rowing race, 2ndSaturday in October

· November - Shadow Festival of Documentary Film

· November – December The International Documentary FilmFestival Amsterdam (IDFA)

· November - CannabisCup, mid-November annual cannabis competition, hosted by High Times

· December – Sinterklaas

Tourist Attractions:

Amsterdam isnoted for many outstanding museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the RembrandtHouse Museum, and its world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest,the home base of which is the Concertgebouw. The Van Gogh Museum houses thelargest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. Anne Frank House is also apopular tourist attraction.

Amsterdam is alsofamous for its red-lightdistrict, de Wallen.Window prostitution is legal inthe Netherlands at specific places. The red-light district is located in thecenter of the city along major canals and is clearly marked on maps.

Centred aroundthe Wallen, but also elsewhere in the city, coffeeshops sell cannabis.This is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of cannabis(up to 5 grams) are involved.

Amsterdam Transportation:

Getting to Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one ofEurope’s top destinations and can be reached easily by air, land or even sea.Cheap flights from within Europe and direct flights from outside Europe arereadily available, serving Amsterdam airport Schiphol - Europe’s fourth largest and located just a few kilometers from the citycenter.

Transport fromthe airport

ADirect Rail Linkconnects Schiphol International Airport to Amsterdam central station and is the fastestand most convenient way to get to the city center. Trains run every 10 minutes( airport train schedule) from platforms 1 and 2in the main arrival plaza.

Airport Shuttles run by Connexxion depart every 10 minutes withservice to more than 100 hotels throughout the city. Guests of major hotelsshould first check the shuttle area to see if their hotel provides acomplimentary service.

Taxis andLimousinesto the city center can be reserved through our partners at the Dutch Business Limousine company.

Getting AroundAmsterdam

Amsterdam is awonderfully walkable city with most major sites located in or near the citycenter. Public transportation is excellent and driving is strongly discouragedwithin the canal ring. Of course biking is the preferred Dutch way to traveland some would say the only way to truly experience the city.

PublicTransportation - GVB (www.gvb.nl) is the public transport company of Amsterdam providingintegrated metro, tram and bus service throughout Amsterdam and its surroundingareas.

Trams provide the best way to getaround Amsterdam (map) and run regularly until 12:15am.

City Buses are primarily used to reachoutlying suburbs and after the trams have stopped running. Night buses run from midnight until 7am with routes connectingto Central Station, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein.

The Metro (tube) is fast but is only usefulif you need to travel far outside the city center or to the Amsterdam Arena ( metro map).

Canal Boats

The Canal Bus (www.canal.nl) runs every 40minutes from 9:50 until 7:25 with 14 stops along three different routesthroughout the city. All of Amsterdam’s major attractions are on the route andhistorical commentary is provided along the way. The Museumboot (Museum Boat) is asimilar concept with stops at Central Station, Prinsengracht, Leidseplein,Herengracht, Muziektheater and the East Dock. Tickets includes half-price entryto most city museums.

Bicycles

Bicycling in Amsterdam is a way of life for most Dutch andstill the best way to get around. There are dedicated bike paths throughout thecity and few hills to conquer. A number of companies offer bicycle rentals .

Taxi

Taxi stands are availableat most tourist hubs including Leidseplein, Dam Square and Central Station. Hailing a taxi is quite difficult andvirtually impossible on weekends, but cab service is generally prompt if youcall ahead (city cab: 0900.677.7777). For a truly Dutch taxi twist, catch oneof the many bicycle taxis around the city. Thepedal powered taxis can carry up to two people and are actually cheaper thanconventional taxi.

Rent a car

Although driving inAmsterdam is not recommended, car rental services are readilyavailable at Schiphol Airport and in the city center along Overtoom Straat nearVondelpark. All major agencies are represented including Avis, Budget,Europcar, Hertz, National and Alamo. Driving and parking in the city can be a nightmare, but may beworth the hassle for those wishing to explore the countryside by car. Here isthe list of car parks.

Travel Tips

• Organized groups of travelers between 10 and 25 persons can take advantage of a group transport ticket.
• Head to the tourist office and pick up a one, two or three-day Amsterdam Card (Amsterdam Pass) for free unlimited travel on all public transport and including free entrance to most museums and attractions.
• Disabled travelers contact IHD (International Help to the Disabled, www.ihd-schiphol.nl) for airport arrival and departure assistance.

Entertainment and culture:

Amsterdam offers adiverse array of world-class entertainment, as for centuries has been one ofthe leading centres of culture in Europe. A variety ofperformances are staged in hundreds of venues throughout the city. There isalso plenty of low-cost entertainment from the multitude of street perfomers and live bands in barsand cafes.

Theatres

All year round,every night of the week, you can find quality, English-language theatre inAmsterdam. Most of the major theatres are centred around the Leidseplein, within an easy stroll of each other. The easiestway is to drop by the theatres' box offices, where you can browse programmes,ticket prices and availability.

Cinemas
Amsterdam has over 50 cinema venues, where films are shown in their originallanguage, with Dutch subtitles. The Tuschinski Theater deserves a special mention. Constructed in1921 as exotic mixture of Art Deco and Amsterdamse school style, it features aluxurious foyer, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cinemas inEurope.

Music
Amsterdam is burstling with live music, it is the city with a rich traditionin classical music and opera. In summer concerts can be enjoyedin one of the city's beautiful parks.

Ballet and dance
There are two world-class ballet companies in the Netherlands. The renownedDutch National Ballet is one of the resident groups in the Muziektheater,the repertoire encompasses both classical and modern dance. Another one, theNetherlands Dans Theater regularly performs in venues throughout the city.

Nightlife

As the evening falls,Amsterdam really starts to sparkle, especially on nice summer days. Around Leidseplein you will find the Stadsschouwburg (City theatre) andother theatres, lots of cafes, restaurants, cinemas, the casino, the Lidotheatre with live entertainment and those famed cultural and music centres, Paradisoand Melkweg. Both Paradiso, and De Melkweg offer an extremely varied music programme: rock,pop, dance, rap and world music, including big-name bands.

Shopping in Amsterdam:

Amsterdam is the city of antiques, books, diamonds, and curiosities. In general, shop-openinghours are 1-6pm on Mondays and 9/10am-6pm Tuesday to Friday. Most have latenight shopping on Thursday until 9pm, and close earlier on Saturdays, at 5pm.Some supermarkets , like Albert Heijnstay open until 8 or 10 pm. On Sundays, you can shop in the city center,Kalverstraat, Damrak, Leidsestraat, and near the Noorderkerk.

Department Stores and Malls
Amsterdam has great department stores and shopping malls. They offer uniquechoice of products with imports from Asia, Latin America and Africa. The bestchoice is offered by De Bijenkorf (The Bee Hive) located directly at the Damsquare. Except for one (Villa Arena), all department stores and shopping mallsin Amsterdam are located within a short walking distance from the Dam square.You may compare their actual choice within couple of hours. Shopping inAmsterdam may save you time and effort. If you like your shopping indoors, orif it happens to be raining you can always visit one of the shopping malls in Amsterdam: Magna Plaza (on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, again near the Dam square) orthe Kalvertoren(on the Kalverstraat).

Markets
You may find in Amsterdam lively and different markets, some of them have foodand general goods, some are specialized in all kind of things you might beinterested in – starting from biological food and antiques, ending on poststamps and art. All markets are located within walking distance from the centreof the city. Check our page about Amsterdam markets for a day of the week theyare open, opening hours and a location.

Bookshops
If you are a book lover, Amsterdam is your town. Amsterdam has wonderfulbookshops with unique books from all over the world. Most of the bookshops arelocated around or in proximity of the Spuiplein. Several bookshops are locatedon the Leliegracht (five bookshops on one side of the not very long street).The biggest bookshop in Amsterdam – Scheltema (Koningsplein 20) has four bigfloors full of books, most of them in English.

Tips for visitors:

Timing your visit

Any time can be the besttime to visit Amsterdam. The peak of the tourist season is July and August,when the weather is the finest. Weather, however, is never really extreme atany time of year, and if you're one of the growing numbers who favor off-seasontravel, you'll find the city every bit as attractive during these months. Notonly are airlines, hotels, and restaurants cheaper and less crowded during thistime (with more relaxed and cheerful service), but there are also some veryappealing events going on. For example, the bulb fields near Amsterdam arebursting with colour from mid-April to mid-May.

The cultural season is infull swing between September and May in Amsterdam, along with The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, andother nearby towns and cities.

Guided city tours

The daily bike tour goesthrough the city and countryside visiting sites like a windmill and a cheesefarm/clog factory. Another fancy way to explore the city is to jump on aSegway, a special electric human transporter run twice a day.

Amsterdam canal houses
Authentic and immensely beautiful and gable portraits and gifts with a face ofAmsterdam. If you are looking for a gift with a practical, cultural andsouvenir value, there are many household items decorated with gables.

Dutch language
Dutch is the national language of Holland. However, English is spoken byeveryone in Amsterdam. In addition, many Dutch people speak German and French.Dutch is the mother tongue of well over 21 million Dutch people and Flemishpeople (Dutch- speaking nationals of Belgium). Find a here few Dutch keysphrases:

Yes: Ja(Yah)
No: Nee (Nay)
Thanks: Bedankt (B'dunked)
Please: Graag (hkrahk)
Sorry: sorry (sorry, with rolled r)
Excuse me: pardon (parDON).
LessonOne = Les Een
Hello, I am Hans Brinker = Hallo,Ik ben Hans Brinker
Who are you? = Wie bent U?
Good morning = Goedemorgen
Good afternoon = Goedemiddag
Good evening = Goedenavond