Amsterdam - Netherland

AMSTERDAM LOCAL HISTORY   
The city of Amsterdam started as a settlement around a dam in the Amstel River in about 1270. Due to its strategic location the city prospered, as it became the trading center between the Baltic countries to the north and southern Europe. In 1578, the Calvinists � led by William of Orange captured Amsterdam from the Spanish and along with seven other provinces formed the republic of Holland.

The citys Golden Age started in about 1580 when Amsterdams shipping trade dominated the world. This period of prosperity lasted until the 19th century when French forces occupied Holland and Amsterdam was blockaded by the British and had to almost abandon its dependence on the sea.

In the early 20th century Amsterdam prospered as a major industrial center with rail links to the rest of Europe. The Second World War was a particularly difficult time for the city as it endured the hardships of German occupation. The citys large Jewish population was particularly hard hit with only one in sixteen surviving the war.

In latter half of the century Amsterdam became the center of liberal Europe and relaxed many laws involving drugs and homosexuality. Today Amsterdam is a vibrant, exciting city that embraces all people and cultures and is the fourth most popular tourist destination in Europe.

AMSTERDAM ATTRACTIONS
Anne Franks House. This is probably the citys most famous landmark. This was the hiding place of a young Jewish girl and her family, which was made famous by her diaries. This is truly not to be missed, and it is popular with young and old, so go early or late to avoid the queues. Open daily from 9am to 7pm, 9pm in summer.

Rijksmuseum. This large museum houses some of the greatest Dutch paintings of the 17th century, including works by Rembrandt, Van Hals, Steen and Vermeer. It is advisable to buy at least one of the many guidebooks on sale for the museum, as it can be quite a confusing place. Open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Canal Trips: Amsterdam has an extensive canal network and it is definitely worth taking one of the canal boat tours to see the city from the water. The tours last around ninety minutes.

Van Gogh Museum: Vincent van Gogh is probably the most famous of all modern artists and the museum dedicated to his works is therefore very popular. Open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Concertgebouw: This is the home of the famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, renowned for its excellent acoustics. Even though it hosts the worlds best musicians, you can attend lunchtime concerts from September to May for free. Open from 10am to 7pm daily.

RED LIGHT DISTRICT

Prostitution is actually legal in many parts of Europe, but nowhere in the world is prostitution a major tourist attraction like it is here. Prostitution in Amsterdam is a curiosity for some, and one of the reasons to visit for others. The Red Light District is exactly what you probably think it is, but it’s also mostly safe and clean and should be a stop on almost every visitor’s itinerary. It’s hard to avoid, actually, being so close to the train station and in the city’s oldest and most historic neighborhood.

Just for a quick orientation: Yes, prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, and in Amsterdam one of the ways to get involved is to stroll through the Red Light District. In this part of town, working girls rent small rooms with enormous windows along the canals and side streets to flirt with passers-by under the glow of what are literally red lights. Their quick and unromantic services reportedly start in the €50 range and go up from there.

Brothels Those interested in participating in the prostitution scene, but who don’t want to negotiate with a girl while standing on a busy sidewalk might be happy to know there are also legal brothels here too. Only one of them is actually in the Red Light District, but the others aren’t too far away. In the Netherlands these places are called privehuizen, which means private houses. They are low-key brothels, mostly in residential neighborhoods, and they usually charge by the hour instead of for a quickie, and the hourly price is surprisingly low.

Sex clubs There are no sex clubs located directly in the Red Light District, but these notorious places are strongly associated with the RLD scene. The sex clubs work in a similar way to the private-house brothels, but instead of a discreet lounge and waiting area, customers mix with each other and the girls in a bar setting. There are a few things to be cautious of with these sex clubs, so do a bit of research before you rush on over.

Live sex shows If you’re in the mood, there are also three clubs with live sex shows mixed in between some of the regular businesses. This is the most liberal part of a liberal country so these things don’t phase the locals. The sex clubs here are almost as famous as the girls in the windows, and for a hefty admission price a visitor can witness things they could only imagine seeing in most other cities on earth. This sort of erotic entertainment is particularly big with groups of young European men on weekend bachelor parties. As racy as things get inside the clubs, there is nothing terribly offensive on the outside so passing out front is not risky.

Not just prostitutes But there is no need to feel like a pervert if you want to stroll through the area. The Red Light District is also home to many bars, restaurants, night clubs, coffeeshops, hotels, and hostels so there is much more going on than just a bit of prostitution. As you might expect, this is the wild part of town, but there are also famous churches, a farmers market, and homes of thousands of residents.

There is no need to feel any shame walking through this area, and in fact, you’ll likely be weaving your way through groups of locals and even groups of elderly tourists of both sexes as well. Everyone, except perhaps young children, can visit the Red Light District when in Amsterdam without feeling embarrassed.

A few cautions There are some warnings about this area though. You’ll notice groups of police officers in the area nearly every minute of every day, but unfortunately this area still has a bit of a crime problem. Bicycles get stolen all over town and this is where the thieves often go to sell them for a quick €20. If someone approaches you with a bike for sale here there is a 100% chance it’s recently been stolen and also your money will soon be used to buy hard drugs for the thief.

And speaking of hard drugs, depending on what you look like, you might have questionable characters offering to sell you cocaine or heroine or other hard drugs as you pass near them. As tempting as this may be to some people, you’ll never actually get what they are promising, so trying to buy hard drugs here is a terrible idea in every way.

The Red Light District will be shrinking In September 2007 the city of Amsterdam announced it had struck a deal to buy 18 buildings that are home to 51 windows, which is about a third of the current total. The windows will be turned into new shops and residences as a way to help weed out some of the criminal elements in the neighborhood.

In December 2007, the city announced plans for shutting down many of the sex-related businesses as well as bars and hotels in the Red Light District. Look here for the full story on Amsterdam’s Red Light District being scaled down.

AMSTERDAM CUISINE
Amsterdam offers a wide selection of places to eat and drink with more than one thousand restaurants in the city. Eating out is seen as an activity in its self in Amsterdam, which means that it is generally unhurried. Dutch cuisine is simple and traditional as a result there are few restaurants that serve Dutch food. Pancakes are a traditional Dutch food and can be found in many restaurants.

Besides traditional Dutch fare, Amsterdam, being the cosmopolitan city that it is has many excellent foreign food restaurants it is said that the best Indonesian food outside Indonesia can be found in Holland.

AMSTERDAM RESTAURANTS
The Pancake Bakery - Prinsengracht 191 (Westerkerk). A popular, inexpensive place with a friendly atmosphere to enjoy the traditional Dutch pancakes.

De Belhamel - Brouwersgracht 60. With a great view over one of the cities main canals, this art deco styled French restaurant is one of the best of its kind in the city.

Orient - Van Baerlestraat 21. One of the highly recommended Indonesian restaurants of Amsterdam where the practice is to serve many small dishes together known as a Rijstafel (rice table) restaurant.

Roses Cantina - Reguliersdwarstraat 38 (Flower Market). This bustling Mexican restaurant is renowned for its hearty portions and as good a Margarita on the rocks as you will get anywhere in Mexico.

De Blonde Hollander - Leidsekruisstraat 28 (Leidseplein). One of the few restaurants that serve authentic Dutch food as you would eat in someones home.

Simpel - by Willem Smit from Netherlands - 2005-07-17
I would like to recommend restaurant Simpel which is a stylish restaurant with a very good atmosphere. Fantastic place with good food for a fair price! I had a wonderful dinner on Thursday and enjoyed so much that I came back the next day. There was a DJ playing that night so we stayed all night. We've been there from 19.00 til 03.00 and loved every minute of it! Go there, you'll love it!

The Anne Frank House is probably the most famous attraction in town for new visitors. This is the actual house where Anne Frank, her family, and four others spent two years in hiding before being betrayed and turned in to the Nazis. If you’ve read the famous diary much of this will be familiar to you, but even if you haven’t this can be a fascinating place to visit.

The section of the upstairs area where the family hid is surprisingly spacious, and thanks to them annexing the apartment next door to expand the museum, the facility is large enough to hold displays that tell not only the whole story of the Frank family, but also displays that highlight other forms of persecution and discrimination. There are no official tours, but the displays are logically laid out and written in English as well as Dutch.

Location The Anne Frank House is located along a scenic section of Prinsengracht, at #267, and is just across from part of the stylish Jordaan neighborhood. The interiors of the buildings are original, but on the outside the museum looks like a bank except for a few small signs. In fact, many people pass by it the first time without realizing it. If you see the line of people along Prinsengract, you’ve found it.

Price and tips for visitors Lines can get very long in summer in particular. As with so many attractions like this, visiting first thing when it opens or shortly before closing is usually the best way to beat the lines. It takes about an hour to see everything so you don’t have to allocate a huge part of your day for this, but it is worth checking out for sure. In summer they keep longer hours to accommodate the crowds. Normal admission is €7.50 but discounts are available for young people and students.

AMSTERDAM BARS & CLUBS
It Smalle - Egelantiersgracht 12 (Jordaan) 11:00-01:00. This establishment comes recommended as on of the few bars in the city that offer more than two choices as far as wine is concerned. It has a nice seating area outside alongside the canal and as the name suggests a cosy upstairs area inside.

Last Waterhole - Armsteeg 12 (Oudezijds). To be found in the Red Light District, this is the haunt of Amsterdam�s biker crowd. They are tame by normal standards and visitors are welcome at the pool tables or to join the jam sessions onstage.

Winston Kingdom - Warmoesstraat 123. A smaller venue featuring a variety of live music from R&B to Ghanaian percussion to punk and club. There is also a poetry night once a month on a Monday.

Escape - Rembrandtplein 11. Home to Amsterdam�s hottest Saturday night, Chemistry, often hosting Hollands top DJ, Dimitri. The venue is a large hangar with a capacity of 2000, although due to its popularity you will probably still have to queue.

West Pacific - Haarlemmerweg 8-10. This converted gas factory is regarded as the up-and-coming location in the city. It has an onsite cafe, a fireplace and is open late.

AMSTERDAM PARKS & GARDENS
Vondelpark Amsterdam is depressingly short of parks, and only this one is truly mentionable. Opened in 1865 it is located on a 45-hectare plot and is home to over one hundred species of trees and many indigenous and exotic plants. Attractions also include a rose garden and many childrens play areas.

AMSTERDAM SHOPPING
Amsterdam is host to many unusual specialty shops. An excellent feature of the shops in the city is that the majority are individually run and not part of chain stores. The general fashion district is to be found in the Nieuwendijk/Kalverstraat strip

Magna Plaza a massive five-story mall is also to be found here. The Jordaan is where most artists sell their wares. Most shops take Monday morning off with extended evening shopping on Thursdays. The majority of shops are closed on a Sunday.

AMSTERDAM CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Artis Zoo - Kerklaan 38-40 (Plantage). Open daily this complex is fantastic for kids. In addition to the animals there is a planetarium and an aquarium.

NEMO - This is a state of the art educational center for science and technology. It is housed in a futuristic looking building that resembles a ship. This is not only for children, adults are guaranteed to enjoy this outing and will definitely learn something new. Open Tuesday to Sunday, or daily in school holidays perfect for a rainy day.

Leidseplein - This is one of the most colourful squares in the city, perfect for a sunny day, you are sure to find jugglers, fire-eaters and performers here in the daytime.