General Information
Although the seat of Netherlands government is in The Hague, Amsterdam is the nominal capital. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of almost 750,000, and the most visited, with over 3,5 million foreign visitors a year.
The Netherlands is a country situated in Western Europe, bordering Belgium to the south and Germany to the east. To its north and west is the North Sea.
Although the Netherlands is the country's official name, people often call it Holland. The provinces of North Holland and South Holland form only part of the Netherlands.
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, which is used in almost all
countries within the European Union. Transport from the airport Train from
Schiphol
Train
The train is a very convenient way to get directly from the Schiphol airport
to the Amsterdam Central Station. A single journey costs €3.20 if you buy
from a vending machine, or €3.70 from the ticket office, as the transaction
cost of €0.50 is charged with each ticket. It is fairly advisable to have
Euro coins in €3.20 value to avoid queuing at the ticket counter. The
tickets sold at the counter are valid the same day by default, if not
requested otherwise. Open tickets must be marked in the stamper before
entering the platform. The trains for Amsterdam-Centraal departs from
platform 1 or 2.
Major Attractions
Van Gogh Museum
A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience of your visit to Amsterdam. The museum contains the largest collection of van Gogh's paintings in the world. The displays provide the opportunity to keep track of the artist's developments, or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19-th century. The museum also holds an extensive offer of exhibitions on various subjects from 19-th century art history.
Permanent collection
The collection features the works of Vincent van Gogh, and the works of
other artists. Van Gogh's work is organised chronologically into five
periods, each representing a different phase of his life and work: The
Netherlands, Paris, Arles, Saint-Remy and Auvers-sur-Oise. The images of
paintings can be viewed alphabetically, or listed by title on the museum's
web site: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl
How to get there
The Van Gogh Museum is situated in the Amsterdam's Museum Quarter, between
the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum. The museum entrance is at the
Paulus Potterstraat 7. It can be reached by tram number 2 and 5 from the
Central Station. The museum is accessible for disabled visitors.
Opening hours Museum
Daily 10am - 6pm.
Guided tours
Anyone can show people round the Van Gogh Museum. Making reservations is not
required, but the groups should not consist of more than 15 people.
Anne Frank House
For more than two years Anne Frank and her family lived in the annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne’s father, Otto Frank, also had his business. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer hid there with them. The doorway to the annex was concealed behind a moveable bookcase constructed especially for this purpose. The office personnel knew of the hiding place and helped the eight people by supplying them with food and news of the outside world. On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed. The people in hiding were deported to various concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived the war.
Nowadays, the rooms at the Anne Frank House, though empty, still breathe the atmosphere of that period of time. Quotations from the diary, historical documents, photographs, film images, and original objects that belonged to those in hiding and the helpers illustrate the events that took place here. Anne’s original diary and other notebooks are on display in the museum. In the multimedia space, visitors can go on a “virtual journey” through the Anne Frank House, accessing background information about the people in hiding and World War Two. A contemporary exhibition is presented in the exhibition hall.
How to get there
Tram 13, 14, or 17 to the Westermarkt stop Bus 21, 170, 171 or 172 to
the Westermarkt stop The Museum Boat stops directly in front of the Anne
Frank House.
15 minutes walking from the Central Train Station.
Opening hours Museum
April through August every day from 9 am till 9 p.m. The museum tends to
be more quiet during the evening.
Entrance fees
18 years and older: € 7,50
10-17 years old: € 3,50
up to 10 years old: free
Facilities
Museum Café and Museum Bookstore are on the premises. No cloakroom present.
Big rucksacks not allowed. The Anne Frank House is not easily accessible for
the physically disabled and only partly accessible for wheelchairs. Free
leaflets in 8 languages are available at the entrance of the museum. A visit
takes approximately 1 hour. Visitors are not allowed to take photographs or
to film in the Anne Frank House.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum (National Museum), set in its historic building, is the largest museum in the Netherlands. The museum is the largest in the size of its collections, its building, the budget and the number of staff employed. Each year, more than a million people visit the Rijksmuseum.
The Rijksmuseum is internationally renowned for its exhibitions and publications and not only are these high quality products, but are also areas in which the museum extends the boundaries of scholarship and encourages new insights.
The museum also devotes considerable resources to education and to the decor and layout of exhibitions. Leading designers are regularly commissioned to work on Rijksmuseum projects.
How to get there
The Rijksmuseum is a few minutes walk from the Van Gogh museum and the
Leidscheplein.
Opening hours Museum
The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
The entrance is from Stadhouderskade 42.
Madame Tussauds
Have your picture taken with Marilyn Monroe, Arnold Schwarznegger, Oprah Winfrey, a Dutch celebrity or prominent historical figures such as Rembrandt or Veneer. If you think you have what it takes to be a professional judge or a pop star, take to the stage at the interactive Idols experience or get into the groove in the funky Music Zone.
If you are into all things new age, go to the floor where Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut will welcome you. Also on the same floor you will meet Claas Janszoon, the world’s largest animatronic wax figure at 5 metres tall. For the last stop, go to the top of the building to take in the stunning views of Dam Square and the Royal Palace. Madame Tussauds is a fun family day out.
How to get there
Madame Tussauds is right on Dam Square.
Opening hours
Monday to Sunday 10.00 am – 6.30 pm (entrance closes - 5.30 pm)
Open in evenings until 24:00 (must reserve in advance).
Entrance fees
Adult €23,00
60+ €20,00
Children 5 - 15 €17,50
Children up to 5 Free
Red light district
From brothels to sex shops to museums, the Red Light District leaves nothing to the imagination. It is very likely that you will have heard about this neighbourhood and to be frank, everything you will have heard is probably true , but to really put rumours to rest, you have got to check it out for yourself.
The Rossebuurt, as the locals know it, is unlike any other place. Guaranteed. Certainly, the Red Light District that everyone knows about is the one where women, of all nationalities, parade their wares in red-fringed window parlours, many ready to offer more than a school boy peep-show in a private cabin. Another familiar image of the Red Light District is of packs of men, young and old , couples holding hands and pointing in shock of it all, giggling groups of women celebrating a hen night , and busloads of Japanese tourists toting cameras (except not in the direction of the female entertainers! Strictly banned!).
This is proof enough that the RLD deserves a visit, if not a little look in. Perhaps what few really notice is that the Rossebuurt (Dutch for ‘pink’ or ‘red’ neighbourhood) is in fact one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of the city with its long winding narrow, cobbled streets and utterly charming 14th century architecture, such as the gothic Oudekerk, or Old Church.
The Red Light District simply oozes charm and one cannot help but admire the old buildings that lean at odd-angles, and the tree-enshrouded canals. Music, especially during the summer season, invites you to linger just that little bit longer while the arrival of new classier eateries and great authentic restaurants such as Café Pacifico, one of Europe 's first Mexican restaurants, make it so appealing.
Recently resurfaced streets, restored façades and trendier clientele to the area are now transforming what was once a dark and seedy part of town. Amsterdam prides itself, and rightly so, on its wholly liberal and tolerant attitude, embracing the fact that people may be into prostitution, soft drugs and pornography-and this is only human.
So instead of criminalizing everything, this very upfront city wears its heart on its sleeve-what you see is generally what you get. Enjoy the honesty of it all, as you won’t find it anywhere else.
How to get there
There are in fact three Red Light Districts in Amsterdam: the main area
is in the Walletjes area (between Centraal Station and Nieuwmarkt), and the
other two, in Singel (between Raadhuistraat and Centraal Station) and de
Pijp (behind the Rijksmuseum).
Coffeeshops
In Amsterdam, coffeeshop means a place where cannabis is openly sold and smoked. Thought soft drugs have not been legalized in the Netherlands, it is tolerated when used discretely. Hard drugs are strictly prohibited. The coffeeshops can legally store up to 500grams of marijuana and can sell up to 5 grams to adults over 18.
There are many different kinds of coffeeshops in Amsterdam, some are relaxed, some more vivid, with psychedelic decor or loud music. Since people around enjoy, any aggression will not be accepted.
Also, it is not favourable just to hang around - a coffee, soft drinks and snacks are generally available, only few coffeeshops have an alcohol license. You can smoke from your own bag, you just have to buy something.
General rules that coffeeshops require to abide:
• Minimum age 18 years, identification duty
• No alcohol, no hard drugs
• No selling goods
• No mobile phones (in some)
• Aggression is not allowed
• No hanging around
Each coffeeshop offers several kinds of weed and
hash, usually there is a "menu" to choose from. The prices vary according to
the quality (about €5 per gram) - be careful, the local skunk is strong, you
can always ask the staff for the strength and the general effect. You may
also want to ask for a pipe to use, rolling papers and filter-tips are
available as well.
Shopping
Amsterdam is the city of antiques, books, diamonds, and curiosities. In
general, shop-opening hours are 1-6pm on Mondays and 9/10am-6pm Tuesday to
Friday. Most have late night shopping on Tuesday until 9pm, and close
earlier on Saturdays, at 5pm.
Some supermarkets, like Albert Heijn stay open until 8 or 10 pm. On Sundays, you can shop in the city center, Kalverstraat, Damrak, Leidsestraat, and near the Noorderkerk. Since many roads in the centre are closed to cars, it makes for pleasant shopping. You will still find busses, trams, taxis and bicycles though, so watch you step. There are several “shopping corridors” in the city and each one has it’s own charms and specialties.
First off:
Nieuwedijk-Kalverstraat, about 1 km full of shops. This pedestrian area,
there is no traffic other than a constant stream of tourists, students,
scholars, excursionists and locals. The Nieuwedijk is close to Central
Station and basically dedicated to clothing, sportswear, music and gift
shops with that special Amsterdam vibe. The road leads to Dam Square. Around
this square you will find the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk and Madame
Tussaud's.
On the other side of the square the shopping continues: you are now entering the Kalverstraat. More shoes, clothing, bags, gift shops, cards, perfume, and the occasional coffee shop, fast food restaurant and ice cream salon. You will find that nearly all mainstream brand names have one or more store on this road. Here you can also find Waterstones and American Book Center.
For a quiet drink away from all these shops you can make a sidestep onto Spui, where you will find many cafes, bars and restaurants and several fast-food chains. Parallel to the Nieuwedijk-Kalverstraat are the Damrak and Rokin. This is a normal road, so beware of bicycles! The Damrak is filled with restaurants, hotels, and exchange offices.
On the corner of the
Damrak and Dam Square you will also find the Bijenkorf (Beehive) a large and
somewhat upmarket department store. On the other side of the Dam Square,
it’s the Rokin. The luxurious old merchant buildings are now the home of
many of the antique shops, arts and diamond centers, and more restaurants.
If you like your shopping indoors, or if it happens to be raining you can always visit one of the mini malls in Amsterdam: Magna Plaza (on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, near the Dam square) or the Kalvertoren (on the Kalverstraat). At the end of the Kalverstraat on the Muntplein, you will find all sorts of tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and flowers on the Flowermarket. The bulbs are ready for export, so you can enjoy them at home too. If you cross the Muntplein and walk through the Regulier Breestraat, which consists of many restaurants, fast-food chains and gift shops, you’ll end up on the Rembrandtplein.
If you like a little more luxury, or actually a lot more the Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat, affectionately called P.C. Hooftstraat is where you can do some serious damage to your credit card. In this road in the Oud Zuid district of the city, near the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk museum, you will find the haute couture boutiques: Cartier, Gucci, Edgar Vos, Tommy Hillfinger and the very impressive Oger shop are all located here.
If all this is too much you
can always go for a walk in the Vondelpark which is situated directly at the
end of this road. Still to come Haarlemmerkwartier, Leidsestraat and
Leidseplein, ArenA and the different markets.
Markets
Albert Cuyp
The Albert Cuyp market is the best-known and busiest outdoor market in
Europe, that attracts thousends of visitors every day, and is really crowded
on Saturdays. The goods on sale at over 300 stalls range from fruit,
vegetables, cheese, fish, poultry, to clothes, with prices among the
cheapest in Amsterdam. The market is located in the Pijp district,
surrounded with many pleasant cafes and small shops.
Noordermarkt
In the cosy Jordaan quarter, near the Noorderkerk, the market held on
Saturday will satisfied the curiosity of any visitor: second-hand books and
clothes (looking for 60's outfits?), antiques, flowers, fresh food to buy or
to eat there (broodworst, spring rolls, or delicious Dutch cakes?) with an
area dedicated to all that is biological. Fabrics and general goods: every
Monday from 9:00 to 13:00 Flea market, second hands clothes, biological
goods: every Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00.