Welcome

Welcome

Orientation

Introduction, Amsterdam in facts and figures

History, present day, future

Practical information

The 15 highlights

1
The beating heart of the city – Dam Square
Dam Square, the royal living room for the people of Amsterdam, brings together the most diverse activities.

2
Cheers! – raise a glass in the traditional tasting halls
Sampling locally brewed concoctions in a friendly setting.

3
Symbols of the canal city – Amsterdam’s bridges
Amsterdam has over 1500 bridges, four times as many as Venice.

4
A fresh perspective on city history – Amsterdam Museum
Visit the Amsterdam museum for a fascinating stroll through the centuries, housed in a former orphanage.

5
Fantastic glimpses – a boat tour of the canals
Seeing Amsterdam from the water is the best and most appropriate way to get to know the canal city better.

6
World-famous Red Light District – the Wallen
The oldest part of town and the world’s oldest profession – the two are inextricably intertwined in Amsterdam.

7
Hidden church – Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
The stately façade of the beautiful townhouse on the canal hides a secret: a house church for persecuted Catholics.

8
Shopping in style – the Nine Streets
Nine historical streets enclosed between the chique canals represent one of the most popular shopping areas.

9
Exquisite elegance on the canals – the Golden Bend
The most expensive townhouses along the canals form an honour guard to welcome visitors.

10
The Jewish past – Mokum Aleph
A walking tour of the few testimonies to Jewish life in downtown Amsterdam.

11
Redesigned promenade for the arts – Museumplein
Biggest square in the capital city and a cultural hot spot.

12
‘Green lungs’ of Amsterdam – Vondelpark
Cherished by many Amsterdam residents as the best city park.

13
Multicultural Amsterdam – De Pijp
The lively street scene in this former working-class neighbourhood reflects the many nationalities living there in close proximity.

14
Music and a passion for life – the Jordaan
Narrow alleyways, cosy street corners and loads of pubs and shops define the Jordaan, which may well be Amsterdam’s most enjoyable neighbourhood.

15
Hidden idyl – courtyards in the Jordaan
Where the poor and needy once sheltered, most inner courtyards now offer an oasis of peace and quiet.

Even more of Amsterdam

Buildings, streets, canals and squares

Museums

Parks and gardens

Excursions

The Bazaar in Beverwijk

Haarlem

Kennemer Dunes and Bloemendaal

Waterland

Staying in Amsterdam

Accommodations

Food and drinks

Shopping

Nightlife

Publication details

ANWB Extra routes

Deze symbolen in de tekst verwijzen naar een plattegrond

1 Dit symbool in de tekst verwijst naar één van de 15 hoogtepunten

Dit symbool in de tekst verwijst naar een Waar voor je geld!-tip

Welcome

You’ll quickly feel at home in Amsterdam. This image evokes that emotion for us: our favourite canal, the Prinsengracht, with its pointed and stepped gables leaning with age, creatively decorated houseboats lining the quays, the agitated ringing of bicycle bells as the inevitable confused pedestrians wander across a narrow bridge. And the assurance that the Westerkerk church tower with its heavy emperor’s crown at the top still stands tall and watches over everyone, even when we are not in town...

Orientation

Pocket-sized metropolis

Amsterdam, which has the largest historical inner city in Europe, is home to more than 7000 listed buildings from the 16th century to today, as well as over 80 museums and 100 art galleries. The best part is that most of these are situated in close proximity, the majority within the city’s main canals – which means that the city and its sights can easily be explored on foot. What other capital city can boast such convenience? World-famous monuments may not be prominent here, but Amsterdam makes up for it by presenting the entire city centre – the old inner city, the canals and the Jordaan district – as if it were a photographic record of the city’s history and architecture.

Urban landscape

The various layers of the capital city’s structure curl around each other in concentric circles, like the layers of an onion. The three rings of famous canals curve in half-moons around the old city centre, forming the canal district, added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2010. Before the rings could be connected to the IJ River, the city had run out of steam and funds. When the northern sections of the canals were built (as far as Leidsegracht), a new and despised neighbourhood was emerging in the west of the city: the Jordaan, now one of the city's most popular residential neighbourhoods.

Where the canal ring was originally planned to continue its glorious curve, the Plantage leisure area was later created, with a residential area for well-to-do citizens of the city springing up around it. Adjacent to the Plantage neighbourhood, the Entrepotdok, once a centre of port and shipyard activity, is now a successful urban renewal area.

Old city centre Map 2

The old city centre, bordered by Singel, Amstel, Oude Schans and the IJ River, was the heart of the city until the urban expansion in the 17th century. The street map still looks medieval, with its numerous stairways and alleys. Besides the countless sights worth seeing here, this district also includes Nieuwmarkt, Dam Square, the Old and New Churches, the Red Light District and Chinatown.

Canal ring E–G 2–6

The canal ring, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was built in two phases between Brouwersgracht and the Amstel River as part of the urban expansion during the Golden Age in the 17th century. It encircles the old city centre in a half-moon shape. The area is dominated by the decorative façades of richly varied canalside house, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Jordaan D/E 2–5

This coveted neighbourhood at the foot of the Westerkerk, enclosed between Singel, Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht, was once home to the middle class, craftsmen and free labourers. Many creative professionals and yuppies live and work here now, and countless little shops and boutiques can be found here. Picturesque Jordaan is lively, not least thanks to its markets, festivals and many friendly pubs and sidewalk cafés.

Museumkwartier and Spiegelkwartier D/E 6/7

The Spiegelkwartier area between Herengracht and the Rijksmuseum is dominated by galleries and art and antique dealers. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum are surrounded by spacious streets that open onto Museumplein, the biggest square in Amsterdam. Just a few streets away, P.C. Hooftstraat is one of the most elegant shopping areas in town.

De Pijp E–G 7/8

De Pijp is definitely the most colourful part of Amsterdam – and not just because of the many nationalities living here. The many exotic shops, fast food joints, restaurants and of course the international Albert Cuyp Market, the most famous street market in the country, define the street scene here.

Plantagebuurt H/J 5/6

The Plantage area in the east of the city includes the Hortus Botanicus gardens and Artis Zoo. The affluent neighbourhood has retained much of its charm.

New Eastern Islands Map 3

The construction of this new residential area has attracted extensive international attention. It became the most densely populated urban area in the Netherlands. This eastern port area, with the artificial islands of KNSM, Java, Borneo and Sporenburg, fell into decline in the late 1970s. Large-scale urban renewal was not launched until the early 1990s. Daring architecture is intermingled with low-rise flats containing affordable single-family dwellings, which are in short supply in Amsterdam.

The fringes of the city

Initial explorations of Amsterdam generally starts with the neighbourhoods described above, in and around the city centre. Once you’ve seen that, take a look on the fringes of the city, where Amsterdam will surprise you with modern architecture, spacious green areas, multicultural flair, colourful markets and less spectacular sights that are still well worth seeing.

Introduction, Amsterdam in facts and figures

City built on pilings

Arriving by train is the very best way to get your first impression of Amsterdam, since it follows exactly the same route taken by sailors entering Amsterdam for the first time, centuries ago. Curving around a final bend, the train chugs towards the world’s biggest structure built on pilings, sometimes appearing to float just a few metres above the water’s surface, before gliding slowly into the imposing Central Station. Once the sole domain of water and sky, the station now separates the city from the IJ, an inland body of water cut off from the IJsselmeer lake by locks. The station, a historical monument in its own right, is built atop pilings driven into the peaty ground – as is the rest of the city. Central Station serves a similar function to a medieval city gate, spewing forth hundreds of thousands of travellers day in and day out.

Wooden pilings were once driven some ten metres into the ground, but wood has been replaced by concrete these days. Holes of between 20 and 60 metres deep are drilled, so the concrete pilings can rest on a hard layer of sand. A narrow house needed several hundred pilings to stand on, but there are nearly 9000 under Central Station – and the Palace on Dam Square stands on 13,659 pilings.

Live and let live, so far

Since Amsterdam was established, over 700 years ago, people have flocked from all corners of the globe to settle here. The much-vaunted values of freedom and tolerance attracted humanist philosophers and scholars from abroad, as well as refugees and immigrants. Over time, the city became a melting pot of cultures. In previous centuries, it was the Flemish, the Huguenots and the Jews – mainly religious refugees – who came to Amsterdam. In the twentieth century, the influx of newcomers primarily came from the former colonies, supplemented by guest labourers from southern Europe and northern Africa.

These days, one in two Amsterdam residents can trace their origins back to foreign countries. Moroccans, Turks, Britons, Surinamese, Germans, Chinese, Ghanaians and more: all imported their own cultural identity. The city has 178 nationalities in all, more than any other metropolis. This unique demographic mixture has made Amsterdam a vibrant cosmopolitan city, but has also led to pernicious problems in the past decade, not least fear, tensions and frustration. Calls for a more reserved immigration policy and a harder line on newcomers have been swelling in recent years. In that respect, Dutch national politics were gripped for over a year by the influence of PVV, a populist anti-Islam political party. The financial crisis and European issues have now caused a shift in political focus.

Living history

Besides the city’s 790,000 inhabitants, Amsterdam also accommodates millions of visitors every year from the Netherlands and abroad, although most only stay for a short visit. They are treated to the largest historical city centre in Europe, with over 7000 monumental structures spanning five centuries. No need for Amsterdam to be modest: no other city in the world has as many sights to see per square metre as the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is occasionally accused of lacking majestic monuments, but a city that has something beautiful to discover every few metres doesn’t need to aspire to such large-scale grandiosity. The beauty here is in the details, and there are so many to see! Amsterdam’s secret is that its cultural legacy goes hand in hand with ordinary life.

Historic monument preservation and pragmatism

The idyllic canal ring is the main feature that attracts tourists to the city. The slightly off-kilter townhouses, some seeming to lean dangerously forward, appeal to everyone’s imagination. Carillons and bells in the many church towers ring out their resounding melodies, and even an occasional pop tune. Until Napoleon introduced the system of numbered street addresses, the stones of the façade listed the occupant and his profession. The little courtyards all have their own intimate, cocooned existence. The houseboats, originally intended to relieve housing pressure and provide a freer life, are exclusive and enjoyable residences on the water. Amsterdam’s considerable cultural heritage is carefully and lovingly maintained. Monument preservation is a functional, practical and pragmatic undertaking here: a church lacking both attendees and funds should preferably be converted into unique and modern office units rather than torn down to make way for a new office building. The façades of dilapidated old buildings are restored to pristine condition, while completely new buildings rise behind them.

Friendly and cheeky

Besides the historic beauty around every corner, Amsterdam’s friendly city life also draws visitors like a magnet. The people are known for their openness and hospitality, and frequently speak several languages competently. A frequent joke that compares the people of Amsterdam to Rotterdam’s inhabitants says that the latter are hard-working pragmatists who earn the money that the former, the hedonists, are all too happy to spend. The people living in the capital are reputed to be stubborn and quite cheeky. These qualities are expressed to the fullest in municipal politics. Participation and contradiction are cherished here; opinions and challenges are considered necessary leavening here, both exalted and embraced. Almost no political decision is reached without having gone through extensive debate and heated discussion by large swaths of the population.

Amsterdam’s inhabitants are not difficult for the sake of being difficult; they simply have little sympathy for authoritarian administrations. Above all, they want to feel that their interests are being represented properly. If that is not the case, the locals are all too ready to make their concerns known. The municipal authorities are eventually forced to make concessions. For instance, the noisy protests by the Provo movement and the squatters in the 1960s and '70s led to municipal housing policies that were much less profit-driven.

Consequently, almost all of the city centre and the older neighbourhoods have been addressed in urban renewal projects over the past decades. This is not to say that everyone is happy with where they live. Many older houses have been completely renovated and converted into pricey flats, especially in the old city centre, the Jordaan neighbourhood and (more recently) De Pijp; living in those areas now appears to be a privilege reserved for the happy few. Less well-to-do locals have been pushed out of these areas, frequently spending years on waiting lists for popular neighbourhoods or heading off to more affordable (and greener) surrounding towns like Almere, Purmerend and Zaanstad.

Big-city problems

More and more inhabitants are banding together to put a stop to increasing air traffic over the city. Whether they have any chance of making a difference in the long run is very much in doubt. Amsterdam benefits directly from having a national airport in close proximity – Schiphol is the city’s biggest employer – but the airport’s growth also has its downsides.

Back on the ground, another threat is causing concern among locals and visitors: drug-related crime. The tolerant policies that Amsterdam and the Netherlands had adopted for years led to a huge influx of addicts from abroad. These policies were adapted in response to pressure from neighbouring countries. Many of the short-sighted international politicians – especially those in France and Germany – overlooked the sophisticated support programmes available here, not to mention the fact that the municipal government does not automatically consider addicts to be criminals, instead treating them as people with a disorder who need professional help. Thanks to an open offensive against drug-related problems, the support programmes were accepted by the target group, making it possible for such initiatives to have a real impact. For instance, the number of AIDS cases among drug addicts is the lowest in Europe. More stringent drug policies have knocked Amsterdam from its pedestal as the European mecca for drug users, causing a noticeable drop in the influx of drug tourists.

Death knell for drug tourism?

The Netherlands has had extremely progressive policies on drugs since the 1970s, making a distinction between hard drugs and soft drugs. Soft drugs like marijuana and hashish can be sold in coffee shops and used by anyone. On the streets, possession of up to 5 grams is permitted without penalty; it’s considered a maximum amount for personal use.

In contrast, police crack down sharply on possession and sale of hard drugs. The coffee shops provide special menus listing the soft drugs sold on the premises. Besides the smokable wares, these shops often also serve space cake and bonbons which contain a soft drug. Tea made with hash is often also available.

From the government’s point of view, the decision to allow coffee shops to open and to tolerate their operations was a way of declaring war on the elusive street trade. However, that aim was only partly successful. The number of coffee shops has dropped drastically, since many had become popular hangouts for young foreign tourists. People living near coffee shops were bothered by groups of young people hanging around aimlessly. Other countries regularly exert pressure, calling for the introduction of stricter measures to replace parts of the Dutch policy of tolerance. With the introduction of the weed pass, the conflict has entered its next stage. This ID would prevent non-residents from buying soft drugs in a coffee shop. Cities in the south of the Netherlands introduced the weed pass in 2012. Amsterdam was scheduled to join the initiative in 2013, but is still hesitant. The municipal authorities fear an increase in street trade, not to mention a decline in tourism. Of the more than 6 million international visitors who come to Amsterdam each year, up to 25% visit a coffee shop at least once.

A vibrant city working to build a future

The people of Amsterdam have learned to deal with drugs and other big-city problems. The liberal attitude keeps the city from becoming patronisingly prudish, while the leeway offered for experimentation creates an interesting tension in which politics, culture and the arts can flourish. The capital city does its best to live up to its name and fame as the country’s most important centre of culture and tourism.

Other Dutch cities try to surpass Amsterdam’s reputation, Rotterdam in particular. And Rotterdam has in fact earned international renown, outstripping Amsterdam in several areas, such as film and modern architecture. The capital hasn’t been sitting idly by, however; Amsterdam has developed a number of large-scale, futuristic urban renewal programmes and building projects. The Zuidas, a development along the southern stretch of the A10 ring road that separates the old city from the post-war neighbourhoods near Amstelveen, is rapidly becoming the most expensive and most striking business district in the country. Its architectural allure and concentration of international headquarters could be compared to the London Docklands and La Défense in Paris. Before the financial crisis in 2009 gripped the whole world in its iron fist, the prestigious and imposing bank buildings were widely praised. Now that financial institutions are in the doghouse, some people’s opinions have reversed completely, leading to accusations of ‘shameless ostentation’.

Such qualifiers are rarely heard regarding another ambitious project: the redevelopment of the long-abandoned banks of the IJ River. Old waterfront warehouses that had been empty for years now house luxury flats, shops, restaurants and theatres. Striking new buildings soar high between the renovated complexes. The most eye-catching structure, for now that is, is the EYE film institute on the north banks, a prominent white building that opened in 2012.

A great deal of time and energy is being invested in infrastructure improvements, creating comfortable connections between the inner city and the outer suburbs. Such large-scale projects sometimes pose a difficult undertaking for an elected city council, subject to elections and political vulnerabilities. The North-South Line, a metro connection between Amsterdam North and the Zuidas business district via Central Station, faced technical flaws and careless errors that led to subsidence under historical buildings, sparking off unrest and dissatisfaction in the local community. Despite an initial budget of 1.5 billion euros, project costs have now 3 billion and completion has gradually been postponed from 2011 to 2017. On the other bank of the IJ, plans for redevelopment and expansion are underway in the traditional working-class neighbourhood of Amsterdam North.

Despite setbacks and economic malaise, Amsterdam is still very much alive and kicking, continuing to work toward the future.

Facts and figures

Population: Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands. 790,000 people live there, 1.5 million in the greater Amsterdam area and 2.5 million in Amsterdam and surroundings. With inhabitants from 178 different nationalities, Amsterdam is one of the most diverse cities in the world, beating even New York. 50% of its inhabitants are immigrants, compared to a little less than 20% for the Netherlands as a whole. Surinamese are the largest group (about 69,000), followed by Moroccans (about 68,000), Turks (about 40,000) and Antilleans (about 12,000). The city is home to about 112,000 American and European immigrants. 88% of all Amsterdam’s inhabitants have Dutch nationality, some in conjunction with another nationality.

Religion: 56% of Amsterdammers state they have no religious beliefs, 17% are Christian (10% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant) and more than 14% are Muslim. 1% of the city's population are Jewish. The Christian population is declining and the Muslim population is growing slightly. The large influx of Ghanaians and Nigerians led to the founding of many African churches in the city. Buddhism, Confucianism and Hinduism are also represented.

Area: 219.3 km2, of which 76.3% land and 23.7 % water. Based on the land area alone, the population density is 4591 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Government and policy: Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands, though the government is based in The Hague. The city is run by a mayor, who is appointed by the Queen and the government, and an elected municipal council (the next elections are scheduled for 2014). The seven districts have fairly autonomous elected district councils. The current mayor is former government minister Eberhard van der Laan (PvdA – Labour Party). He succeeded Job Cohen, also from the PvdA, in 2010.

Economy: Schiphol Airport, 12 km southwest of the city centre, handles 50 million passengers a year, making it the fourth largest airport in Europe and the largest employer for the city, surpassing even the port. The port of Amsterdam is the fifth largest in Europe, just behind Rotterdam, which is the second largest in the world and the economic powerhouse of the Netherlands. Amsterdam, however, is the country’s financial centre. Tourism accounts for about 5 million euros in revenue and is a mainstay of Amsterdam’s economy. Six million foreign tourists (averaging two nights stay) and 16 million day-trippers visit every year.

On the right track

Businesses and local governments have partnered under the banner of Amsterdam Smart City. The goal is to become Europe’s most energy-efficient city. Innovative technology is being deployed, attempts are underway to achieve a move toward behavioural change in the population, and economic investments must be sustainable. The hope is that measures will ultimately lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

The community project Our Energy, for example, aims for prolonged, renewable and relatively inexpensive energy (from windmills) in Amsterdam North. Residents can join a co-op and become co-owners of the turbines as well as consumers of renewable energy. Seven windmills should soon provide for 20% of households in Amsterdam North.

In the Klimaatstraat Utrechtsestraat initiative, businessmen and entrepreneurs have joined with the municipality of Amsterdam to ensure that Utrechtsestraat flourishes economically and in terms of environmental awareness, becoming become a prominent street in Europe.

Water, fire and plague

The city crest shows a shield supported by two lions and has three St. Andrew’s crosses topped by an imperial crown. Below are the three words, Heroic – Resolute – Merciful. There are several theories as to the precise meaning of the crest. One theory suggests that the three central crosses represent the plagues that constantly threatened Amsterdam during the Middle Ages: flood, disease and fire. In 1489, the German king, who later became Emperor Maximilian I, granted the city the right to add his crown to the crest, possibly in thanks for the financial support offered to him by the wealthy inhabitants of the city. That same imperial crown adorns the head of the Westerkerk church tower.

History, present and future

The Counts of Holland

In the 13th century, the Amstel River was dammed and a settlement built, to which Count Floris V of Holland granted the right and privilege to raise tolls in 1275. Amsterdam received its city charter shortly after 1300. Trade and shipping burgeoned and a stone wall fortified with towers was added around 1400.

Burgundian period

Circa 1500, the city fell into the hands of the Hapsburg dynasty and King Maximilian, who would later become the Holy Roman Emperor, granted Amsterdam the right to add his crown to the city coat of arms. His successors Charles V, and later Philip II, ruthlessly suppressed the rise of Protestantism. This culminated in a revolt, led by Prince William of Orange, of Dutch Protestants against the Spanish occupiers, resulting in the “Eighty Years’ War”. In 1578, Amsterdam sided with Prince William and officially became Protestant.

The Unified Netherlands

Amsterdam’s tolerance made it a haven for persecuted minorities. Large parts of the Jewish populations of Spain and Portugal settled here. They were joined by thousands of wealthy Protestants who fled the fall of Antwerp, taking their skills, capital and contacts with them. Between 1570 and 1640 Amsterdam grew from 30,000 to 140,000 inhabitants. Planned expansion of the city began in 1613 with the construction of the first three canals of the canal district: the Gentlemen’s (Herengracht), Emperor’s (Keizergracht) and Prince’s (Prinsengracht) canals.

Golden Age

In the meantime, Holland had achieved mastery of the seas and become the foremost trading nation of the 17th century. The East and West India trading companies brought in great wealth. Much of that capital was invested in the arts and in the construction of Amsterdam’s characteristic canal houses, creating a unique blossoming of artistic expression by artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. With the 'Peace of Munster' in 1648, hostilities with Spain ceased. The power and prosperity of Amsterdam were symbolised by the building of the great City Hall (now the Royal Palace) on Dam Square.

Decline

In the 18th century the Netherlands’ finances were drained by a series of naval wars with Britain and the threat of invasion from France. Its financial reserves shrank rapidly. The Dutch warships were destroyed in 1784 by the English. Napoleon’s naval blockade of Britain at the beginning of the 19th century was a severe blow to Amsterdam, which had still been prosperous up to that point.

French period

Inspired by the French Revolution, Dutch radicals raised calls for freedom, equality and fraternity, founding the Batavian Republic with French military aid. This ended when Napoleon sent his brother to Amsterdam as regent. He reigned as King Louis Napoleon until 1813, converting the City Hall on Dam Square into his royal palace. By this point, the population had dropped from over 200,000 at the end of the 17th century to a mere 140,000.

Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Netherlands and Belgium were one unified kingdom until Belgium’s independence in 1830. The new North Sea Canal made Amsterdam the foremost port for inland shipping and brought new prosperity, better living conditions and significant population growth.

A century of changes

New residential neighbourhoods sprang up around the old city centre thanks to national politics and rent-controlled housing. These areas – generally built in the striking style of the Amsterdam School – were home to the city’s less affluent citizens. The Second World War brought Nazi German occupation. During that dark period in history, Amsterdam lost 10% of its population: 75,000 of the 80,000 Jews living in Amsterdam. With the capitulation of the German Wehrmacht on the 5th of May 1945, the occupation of the Netherlands was at an end. The Dutch East Indies gained their independence in 1949. The '50s saw economic growth and increased prosperity. In the '60s and '70s, the 'Provo' movement and rioting by students and squatters created great disorder. After Surinam’s declaration of independence in 1975, approximately 100,000 Surinamese came to the Netherlands, many settling in Amsterdam.

Start of the 21st century

New suburbs are rising on the shores of the IJ River and the Markermeer lake. The main areas of city development are the banks of the IJ River, the North-South metro line and the Zuidas business district. The redevelopment of Amsterdam North is the next ambitious project. The aim is to improve this district, located between the centre and the Waterland green zone and separated from the rest of the city by the IJ, by means of new building projects and better bus and metro connections.

UNESCO added Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal district to the World Cultural Heritage list in 2010. The 400th anniversary of the canal district will be celebrated in 2013, and several major museums will be reopening.

Practical information

Travelling to Amsterdam

By train

Amsterdam Central Station ( F/G 2/3) handles nearly a quarter of a million travellers every day. Trains come in from every corner of the country. Travellers from Belgium arrive via Antwerp or Maastricht. The other main international connections are Brussels/Paris and Cologne/Frankfurt/Basel.

The train is the best way to travel in the Netherlands. Not only do you avoid traffic congestion and parking problems, but many of the sights worth seeing can be reached from Central Station on foot. The disadvantages of train travel here include delays (statistically speaking, there is a 5-8% chance that you’ll encounter a delay of more than 5 minutes) and the relatively high cost of non-discount tickets. If you’re travelling in a group, taking the car quickly becomes more cost-effective, even if you factor in parking. In that case, check out the P+R options shown below. Information: www.ns.nl.

By car

If you prefer to travel to Amsterdam by car rather than train, you’ll encounter few obstacles outside the city, other than the usual traffic congestion. The A10 motorway around the city provides access to all of Amsterdam. It’s highly inadvisable to try to drive into the city centre; high-stress traffic, infuriating one-way roads and crowded downtown parking facilities are no fun. You’re better off parking the car at one of the big P+R parking lots (Park & Ride) on the fringes of the city. Train, tram, metro or bus will take you comfortably into the centre. You can park your car in a P+R garage for up to 24 hours for only € 8. That amount includes a return ticket for public transport for up to five people occupying the vehicle. The P+R system may change in 2013.

Please note! When you enter the garage with your parking slip, make sure you report to the P+R desk! That is where you receive the free public transport chip cards and arrange for the discount P+R parking rates; normal parking charges in these garages are between € 1.50 and € 3 an hour. It’s also important that you remember to check in and out again with the chip card when you use public transport. If you can’t prove that you travelled by public transport, you will have to pay normal parking charges.

There are seven P+R parking lots along the A10 ring road around Amsterdam, including the Arena stadium (Transferium) in the southeast, the Olympic Stadium in the southwest, Sloterdijk train station in the northwest and Zeeburg in the east. Special reduced parking charges are not available at the stadium parking lots if events or sporting matches are being hosted. Information: www.bereikbaar.amsterdam.nl.

Parking in the city: parking downtown costs € 5 an hour; the zone around that costs € 4 an hour, dropping to € 3 or € 2.50 as you move out towards the A10 ring road. Parking is free almost everywhere from midnight to 09:00 and on Sunday mornings. Most areas outside the canal ring offer free parking all day on Sunday Most parking garages in the city centre cost between € 4 and € 5 an hour, compared to € 3 or € 4 an hour outside the canal ring. Forget to pay or come back too late? You’re likely to get a ticket, which costs more than € 50. If you have 5 unpaid fines, you’ll get a yellow wheel clamp on your front tyre. To get it off, call +31 20 520 33 22. Amsterdam parking officers will come and remove the clamp after you pay a minimum fine of € 103.60 (only payable by PIN card or credit card). 24 hours after the wheel is clamped, the car will be towed to the impound; costs of retrieving a towed vehicle can quickly run up to hundreds of euros. Information: www.parkerenindestad.nl, www.stadstoezicht.amsterdam.nl, www.bereikbaar.amsterdam.nl.

By plane

If you’re coming in from abroad or picking up international guests, you’ll probably be visiting Schiphol Airport.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ( map 4) is 17 kilometres by road to the southwest of Dam Square. Information: tel. +31 20 794 08 00 or www.schiphol.nl.

Transport into town: besides driving a (rental) car, you can travel to Amsterdam by train, bus or taxi. Information: tel. 0900 92 92 or www.9292ov.nl

Train: the easiest and fastest way to reach the city centre. Trains depart from Schiphol for Amsterdam Central Station every 10 to 20 minutes. Even between 01:00 and 06:00, trains still run once an hour. The trip takes 14 to 20 minutes. A one-way ticket costs € 3.80; a return ticket is € 7.60. Information: www.ns.nl

Bus: the Connexxion Schiphol Hotel Shuttle runs at least twice an hour between 06:00 and 21:00 and serves dozens of hotels in downtown Amsterdam (trip takes 50 min., leaves from the A7 stop by the arrivals hall, tel. +31 38 339 47 41, www.schipholhotelshuttle.nl, € 16). Interliner buses 197 and 370 drive directly to the city centre. Bus 370 goes to Amsterdam Southeast. Information: tel. +31 20 405 65 65 or www.9292ov.nl

Taxi: the drive takes approximately 20 minutes and costs about € 42. Information: tel. +31 20 653 10 00.

Travelling in Amsterdam

Tram, bus, ferry and metro

Amsterdam has a good public transport network: 16 tram lines, more than 50 bus lines, 11 night buses, 4 metro lines (partly overlapping) and 5 ferry lines across the IJ River.

An overview map showing all the lines is available for € 1 from the ticket office of the GVB municipal transport company, located in the Noord-Zuid Hollandsch Koffiehuis across from Central Station (Mon-Fri 07:00-21:00, Sat/Sun 10:00-18:00). Maps are also available on www.gvb.nl and can be downloaded and printed out.

Tickets: the public transport chip card is valid on all forms of public transport. If you expect to use public transport extensively, you may want to consider buying a day ticket. The GVB calls them hour tickets, because they are valid for 24, 48, 72 hours and so on, up to 7 days; they cost € 7.50, € 12, € 16 etc., up to € 31. These cards are also based on the public transport chip card system, so you still need to check in AND check out. The ‘hour tickets’ are sold at the GVB Tickets & Info service desks (across from CS and in various train and metro stations), VVV offices, hotels and campgrounds; the 24-hour ticket can also be purchased from the driver or conductor.

Trams and buses run between 06:00 and 00:30. Night buses run between 00:30 and 07:00.

Amsterdam also offers regular transport by water. Besides the free GVB ferryboats across the IJ River, the Canal Bus also offers a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ boat service. If you buy a day ticket for € 22, you can get on and off the canal boats as many times as you like for 24 hours, using the four Canal Bus lines that travel through the ring canals, past Central Station, around Artis Zoo and through the Singel canal (www.canal.nl).

North-South Line

Convinced that public transport could be even better, the city council pushed ahead plans from circa 1970 that had been shelved due to major pressure from residents. The North-South Line is being built to provide better connections throughout the city, especially to Amsterdam North. Sadly, implementation, costs and timeline have all mushroomed. The new line will not open before 2017, while it was originally planned for 2011. The method used to excavate the tunnels led to leakages and subsidence of historical buildings.

Taxi

There are about 3500 registered taxis in Amsterdam. Since taxi rides have always been relatively expensive in the Netherlands, the government liberalised the market in 2000. The introduction of a free market was intended to lead to more competition, followed by improved quality and lower prices. More taxis were added, but quality continued to decline and prices rose sharply. Fights occasionally broke out between taxi drivers at busy taxi stops at Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein and Central Station. The Wild West image that the chauffeurs earned for themselves scared customers away, causing the number of fares to drop and the prices to continue rising. Taxi drivers regularly refuse to accept short-distance fares. Rudeness and uncouth behaviour are no exception, not to mention a less than thorough knowledge of the city streets. And drivers who do know their way around may well prefer to take the long route so they can jack up the price.

Bicycle

Visitors from rural areas may find it difficult to cycle in Amsterdam due to the hectic pace of complex traffic. You have to keep an eye on trams, cars, cyclists who ignore all the rules and – especially in the city centre – tourists who aren’t used to bicycles and may stand gawking in the middle of the street or cross suddenly without looking. The antisocial (‘free-spirited’) behaviour of some of Amsterdam’s cyclists is monitored more closely by the police these days, but increased enforcement doesn’t seem to make much difference.

You can rent a bike from shops like MacBike on the east side of Central Station, Stationsplein 5, tel. +31 20 6248391, www.macbike.nl, daily 09:00-17:45. A bike with coaster brakes costs € 9.50 a day, € 14 for two days. MacBike also has shops at Weteringschans near Leidseplein and at Marnixstraat 220. Various other bike rental shops offering similar rates are located throughout the city centre. Remember to take along an ID, deposit and/or credit card.

Tours of the city

Hop-on, hop-off bus/boat: travel to the main sights of the city for 24 hours for about € 25 (admission fee not included) by taking a tourist bus or using the Canal Bus. Tickets available from Tours & Tickets (Damrak 34) or online (http://www.tours-tickets.com/home).

Tour boat: the Canal Bus offers a regular scheduled boat service through the canals; see the section on public transport. Many companies offer canal cruises. A range of options is offered all year round; a boat tour usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. You can board the boats out front of Central Station or at Rokin, Leidseplein or Stadhouderskade. A daytime canal cruise costs between € 10 and € 15. One-hour or two-hour ‘candlelight tours’ can also be booked in the evenings (€ 12.50 - € 30). A couple of shipping lines offer ‘normal’ tours as well as special or thematic tours, including Lovers (www.lovers.nl), Kooij (www.rederijkooij.nl) and Holland International (www.hir.nl).

Tours: the VVV tourist information office can tell you about Amsterdam’s many walking tours, with or without a guide, and the other guided tours offered in the city. Here are a few suggestions.

Informal walking tours in small groups are provided by Mee-in-Mokum. An enthusiastic and authentic Amsterdam local takes about eight people along and tells his personal tale. There are four different routes, each taking about 2.5 hours including a stop for coffee. Tue-Sun 11:00, leaving from Museumcafé Mokum (in the Amsterdam Historic Museum). Price € 7.50 p.p. Information: http://www.gildeamsterdam.nl/

Architectour offers guided tours highlighting architecture and urban development. Information: tel. +31 20 625 91 23.

Former Dutch actor Rob van Hulst started giving walking tours of the red light district over 20 years ago. His events management agency has grown since then. It still offers the walking tour of the Red Light District, but the agency offers many other excursions in the surrounding area. Information: www.robvanhulst.nl

Amsterdam card

The iAmsterdam City Card was designed especially for tourists. It offers special discounts and comes in one-day, two-day and three-day versions (€ 40, € 50, € 60). The chip card is available at the VVV offices and the AUB. Admission to over 30 museums is free with the City Card, as is access to public transport. The card also includes a free canal cruise.
Several other facilities and attractions, various restaurants, a range of guided walking tours and a couple of city tour buses offer 25% discounts with the card.

See www.iamsterdamcard.com

The All Amsterdam Transport Pass (€ 30.50) is valid for a whole day and is offers free unlimited access to the tram, bus, metro and night bus throughout Amsterdam, as well as all four lines of the Canal Bus. The pass also includes discounts for a select number of museums, restaurants and attractions. Sold at Canal Bus ticket offices, VVV offices, hotels and the GVB office across from Central Station. For more details, see the GVB site (www.gvb.nl) and the Canal Bus site (www.canal.nl).

Festivals and celebrations

Chinese New Year: beginning of February. In Amsterdam’s Chinatown, exuberant celebrations start at 11 AM in honour of the Chinese New Year.

5daysoff: March, www.5daysoff.nl. A five-day international festival of electronic music in Melkweg, Paradiso and other venues.

King's Day: 27 April. A huge, colourful party to celebrate the birthday of Kimg Willem-Alexander: everything and everybody goes orange. The inner city turns in a gigantic flea market.

Liberation Day: 5th of May, also known as Liberation Day. Street parties, markets, concerts, flea markets. The liberation of the Netherlands from German occupation in 1945 is joyfully remembered.

www.bevrijdingsfestivals.nl

GRID: from halfway through May to the beginning of June in even years (2014, 2016), www.gridphotofestival.com. International photography festival with famous artists and rising talents in the Port Halls in east Amsterdam (Cruquisweg). The OFF GRID Festival is the parallel programme (exhibitions and more) that takes place in galleries, museums and cultural institutes.

Holland Festival: June, www.hollandfestival.nl. The most important theatre, opera, music and dance festival of the Netherlands. Four weeks of top performances in the Stadsschouwburg municipal theatre, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ and other venues, with an emphasis on new works.

Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre: June-August, www.openluchttheater.nl. Three months of almost daily performances: theatre, film and music, including children’s programmes.

Amsterdam Roots Festival: beginning of July, www.amsterdamroots.nl. Four days of world music in the Oosterpark, Bimhuis, Melkweg and other locations.

Julidans: July, www.julidans.com. International festival of contemporary dance, two weeks, in Melkweg, the Stadsschouwburg municipal theatre and others.

Over het IJ Festival: July, www.overhetij.nl. Two-week theatre festival with spectacular performances on the former NDSM wharf, including lots of pantomime shows and musicals.

Robeco Zomerconcerten: July/Aug, www.robecozomerconcerten.nl. The premier summer concert event in the Concertgebouw, sponsored by the fund management group since 1990. Classical music and jazz.

Gay Pride: first weekend in August. www.amsterdamgaypride.nl. LGBT pride festival with street and dance parties, culminating in the spectacular Canal Parade on Saturday.

De Parade: August, www.deparade.nl. For two and a half weeks the Martin Luther King park hosts this theatre festival in a carnival setting, featuring loads of small-scale performances. Includes live music, dance and cabaret shows.

Grachtenfestival: mid-August, www.grachtenfestival.nl. Ten days, 170 concerts, mainly classical, admission entirely free. Held on the canals, in houses, terraces and gardens, in the Amstel Hotel and the heritage shipyards of Amsterdam.

Uitmarkt: last weekend in August. www.uitmarkt.nl. Dynamic cultural 'market' where hundreds of thousands come to see and hear a preview of the theatre, music and dance scheduled in the coming cultural season. Central focus is on the Museumplein square.

Jordaanfestival: weekend in mid-September, www.jordaanfestival.nl. Festival of the Amsterdam 'levenslied', dramatic and sentimental songs in the style of Johnny Jordaan, Tante Leen and Willy Alberti.

IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam): second half of November. Internationally renowned documentary festival in various film theatres, including the EYE film institute.

Lost & Found

Police: Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 52, tel. +31 20 251 02 22, Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00.

GVB municipal transport (bus, tram, metro): Arlandaweg 100, tel. 0900 80 11, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:30.

Train: NS Service Desk, Central Station, tel. 0900 321 21 00.

Lost & Found items are sent to the Central Bureau in Utrecht after five days.

Health and medical care

Emergency medical care: the Amsterdam Central Doctors Service can help you contact general physicians, dentists and pharmacies, tel. 0900 15 15. One of the hospitals that has an Accidents & Emergency ward is the OLVG, Oosterpark 9, tel. +31 20 599 91 11. For treatment by a general practitioner (GP) between 17:00 and 08:00 and on weekends and holidays, please call the Amsterdam GP Service, tel. 088 003 06 00.

Information

In Amsterdam

VVV Amsterdam tourist information: tel. +31 20 201 88 00, Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00; www.iamsterdam.com/nl, info@atcb.nl

Offices: Stationsplein 10 G 3, across from Central Station in the Noord-Zuid Hollandsch Koffiehuis, daily 09:00-19:00/18:00/17:00, Sun 10:00-17:00; Stadhouderskade 550 D 6, across from no. 78 in the kiosk of Amsterdam Canal Cruises, daily 09:00-17:00; Schiphol Airport, Arrivals 2, daily 07:00-22:00; Leidseplein-AUB Ticketshop (agency) D 6, Leidseplein 26, Stadsschouwburg terrace side, Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00; Het Muziektheater (agency) C/D 4, Amstel 3, Mon-Fri 12:00-18:00 or until start of show, Sat, Sun and holidays 12:00-15:00 or until start of show.

Amsterdams Uit Buro (AUB): Leidseplein 26 (in the Stadsschouwburg municipal theatre), tel. +31 20 795 99 50 until 16:00; www.aub.nl, www.amsterdamsuitburo.nl, Mon-Sat 10:00-19:30, Sun 12:00-18:00. Biggest ticket sales office in Amsterdam, including last-minute tickets; the iAmsterdam Card is also sold here (see page 22) and the Museum Card (see page 76). A VVV tourist information agency offering brochures is located here.

Internet links

www.iamsterdam.com: Exceptionally useful site operated by the Amsterdam VVV tourist information office, offering a wealth of information on every possible aspect of city life, from sightseeing and events or shopping and entertainment to hotels (which can be booked directly from the site), as well as background information on a wide range of topics. See the Living tab on the English version of the site for more details. These pages are intended not only for tourists, but also for international expats living in Amsterdam, so they also include gay & lesbian suggestions, tips on heading out on the town with kids, and information for business travellers.

www.amsterdam.nl: The very user-friendly site of the municipality of Amsterdam. It provides a vast amount of information on all sorts of topics, including city parking and current tourism-related announcements. The goodies are a nice extra feature, offering webcams, photos, maps and links.

www.simplyamsterdam.nl / www.amsterdamhotspots.nl: Two alternative English-language sites for ‘independent’ tourists, including search functions, events calendars and everything a tourist in Amsterdam should know, or should want to know. Also has extensive tips on restaurants and nightlife.

www.amsterdam.info: Informative site for tourists (and expats) in many different languages. Covers a wide range of topics and has a map that can be printed out in sections. Many topics include a link to the latest relevant info.

www.underwateramsterdam.com: Independent English-language site run by Pip Farquharson, a Brit living locally; her city guide is especially fun, offering personal tips in nearly twenty categories.

www.spottedbylocals.com/amsterdam: Amsterdam locals offer their personal tips in eleven categories, including handy map search. In English, also available as app and as PDF.

www.gayamsterdam.com: English-language site with information for gays (but hardly any for lesbians): hotels, restaurants, neighbourhoods, clubs, discos, bars, etc., including handy maps.

www.arcam.nl: The Architecture Centre of Amsterdam has a site that includes an architecture guide, offering various search options. Arcam also has a smartphone app with augmented reality.

www.gvb.nl: Everything you might need to know about public transport in the city: timetables for all the buses, trams, metros and night buses, how to pay with the public transport chip card, and so on. You can view and print out various maps, including a map of the whole municipal public transport network, a metro map and the stylised ‘combino map’.

www.amsterdamsuitburo.nl: Excellent search engine operated by the Amsterdams Uitburo (see page 19) that literally maps all the cultural events in the city. Last-minute offers for major discounts are posted daily at noon. Also includes links to entertainment sites for the rest of the Netherlands.

Safety and emergencies

Amsterdam is just as safe (or unsafe) as any other city in the world that attracts lots of tourists. Keep a close eye on your belongings in crowded areas, especially in train stations, the VVV office, Leidseplein, the major museums, in the tram and in the busy shopping streets. Driving a car? You should know better than to leave visible valuables in your car. Don’t forget the car radio! (Take it out or remove the detachable front panel.)

Important phone numbers

Police, fire department, ambulance: tel. 112, Amsterdam Tourist Assistance Service (ATAS; helps foreign victims of crime): tel. +31 20 625 32 46, Roadside assistance: tel. +31 88 269 28 88. Emergency credit card blocking service: International Card Services (includes MasterCard and Visa) tel. +31 20 660 06 11, Bank card blocking service: each bank has its own phone numbers; check the website of your bank or visit www.pasblokkeren.nl

Children and families

Parents don’t have to worry that their kids will be bored in the ‘great theatre’ of Amsterdam. Take a boat tour of the canals, pilot your own pedal boat (page 39), climb towers (page 68), see elephants and lions at Artis Zoo (page 58), go skating in Vondelpark (page 63) – it’s all possible in downtown Amsterdam. The Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest), a municipal forest to the south of the city (see page 81), has options for children to go horseback riding, visit the Ridammerhoeve organic goat farm and pet, comb and feed some of their 150 goats (Nieuwe Meerlaan 4, www.geitenboerderij.nl, Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00) and eat pancakes – an enjoyable outing that easily fills the day and fills their stomachs. Another kid-friendly attraction for children up to about 12 years old is the TunFun indoor play park (page 77), where they can go wild in a multilevel underground playground while parents enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack and watch from the sidelines.

Museum fun: These museums are fun for kids, and not just when it’s raining outside! Some museums have special sections targeting kids, including the NEMO science and technology museum, the Junior department of the Royal Tropical Museum (page 80), the Jewish Historical Museum (page 57) and the Amsterdam Museum (page 38). Other highlights include the wax statues at Madame Tussaud’s (page 32) and the Museum Tram Line (page 79) and Tram Museum. A tip for parents of boys and girls who love football: check out the imposing Amsterdam ArenA stadium and the Ajax Experience (page 78).

Accommodations: It’s generally not a problem to find a nice place for a family to stay. Various hotels, B&Bs, rooming houses and youth hostels offer rooms that can accommodate three, four or more people, and most hotels also have options for putting an extra bed in the room (often the cheapest solution). Budget-friendly options that are tons of fun for kids include campgrounds in or near the city, like Vliegenbos in Amsterdam North or the campground on the island of Zeeburg. De Badhoeve campground by the IJsselmeer lake is just a 15-minute bike ride from the city. You can even sleep on a farm not far from Amsterdam. There are several holiday farms that rent out rooms within a 15-kilometre radius (www.boerderijkamers.nl).

Out to dinner: Children are welcome in most restaurants, and almost all offer special children’s menus or smaller services, not to mention highchairs and play corners.

Opening hours

Stores in general: Mon-Sat 08:00/ 09:00/10:00-17:00/18:00. Supermarkets are generally open every day until 20:00 or 22:00. Quite a few shops and department stores have a special shopping evening on Thursdays, when they stay open until 21:00. Some of the shops are closed on Monday morning, but quite a few are open Sunday afternoon.

Banks: Mon 13:00-17:00, Tue-Fri 09:00-17:00.

Main post office: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-12:00.

Restaurants: Most restaurants are open seven days a week; if they close for a day, it’s generally on Sunday or occasionally on Monday.

Museums: Several museums are closed on Monday.

Smoking

Smoking was banned in all Dutch restaurants and cafés in July 2008. Some smaller cafés ignore the ban or have arranged for exemption. Smoking is also prohibited in stations and public buildings, except for in designated smoking areas.

Travelling with disabilities

People with disabilities certainly don’t have it easy in Amsterdam's city centre. The narrow, often cobbled streets, narrow pavements, countless traffic bollards and many cars and cyclists make this city nearly impossible to navigate by wheelchair. A canal cruise is a comfortable, quiet, alternative way for those with disabilities to see the city. Information on the accessibility of shops and cultural institutions, hotels and restaurants is provided by the AUB (see page 23). For information about restaurant accessibility, you can also visit www.iens.nl.

General information for the disabled is available through the Dutch Centre for Total Accessibility (www.nctt.nl, tel. +31 23 574 83 57). The Cliëntenbelang Amsterdam foundation has a separate website offering specific information: www.toegankelijkamsterdam.com. It also provides information on GeenBeperking's free Layar app.

Seasons in the city

Every corner of Amsterdam is crowded in summer. Cafés and restaurants are full, street performers can be found in every square and it is the season for festivals.

September and October have their own charm: the sunlight makes the canals glow golden and the theatre and concert seasons get underway. November shows the canals in a completely different light, often with a thin mist drifting above the water.

In winter, the trees lose their leaves to reveal the canal-side houses. Ice-skating is the national sport in winter and there are few places more romantic to join in than a frozen canal. Unfortunately, statistically only 10% of our winters are severe enough to provide the canals with enough days of below-zero weather to develop a strong-enough layer of ice. If a prolonged frost is expected, the municipal authorities close the Keizersgracht canal to boat traffic to give the ice a chance to solidify. Even so, skating rinks with artificial ice are put up in several places around Amsterdam in winter (see www.amsterdam.nl). To emphasise the city’s romantic character, the city centre is festively illuminated in December. Many Amsterdam hotels have interesting offers in winter.

International tourism flourishes again in spring, especially when the Keukenhof gardens are in bloom. Spring is the city’s peak season. The busiest day of the year is Queen’s Day on 30 April.

Sustainable travel

Protecting the environment, stimulating the local economy, meeting fun people and learning from each other – sustainable tourism plays an increasingly important role in society. In 2010, more than half of Dutch people could not articulate what sustainable tourism meant to them.
Various websites look at trends in sustainable tourism and how travellers can contribute to environmental conservation efforts. For example, take a look at http://www.anvr.nl/sustainable-tourism/ or http://www.eceat.nl/home_en.htm. To see where the city stands on sustainability, visit www.amsterdam.nl/sustainable. The www.iamsterdam.com website also showcases sustainable tourism, including information about hotels that have been awarded the Green Key eco-tourism label.

Transport by car is not ideal in the city. Leaving the car behind is better for Amsterdam’s environment and for your own peace and relaxation. Everything is within walking or cycling distance and the city has a comprehensive public transport system.

Sports, leisure and wellness

Running and cycling

Vondelpark (see page 64) is the perfect place for runners and skaters. Children can have fun cycling here too. If you really want to pick up speed, you can also visit the Amsterdam Forest to the southwest of the city (see page 81). This massive community forest covers 9.35 square kilometres and includes miniature golf, jogging tracks, horseback riding, canoe rentals and tennis and squash courts. Cyclists who really want to go all-out can take a trip around the De Ronde Hoep polder, along the Amstel River or through the picturesque Waterland region. The long cycle route along the forts of the Amsterdam Defence Line offers a rural tour around the city.

Ice-skating

If the canals freeze as well as they did in 2012, the city becomes a party with vending stalls on every corner. Normally, you’ll have to make do with skating rinks that pop up here and there (see www.amsterdam.nl), offering artificial ice and skate rentals.

Skating

Weekly Friday Night Skate starts in the Vondelpark (see page 62). Skaters gather opposite Vertigo café around 20:00 and depart half an hour later, but only if it’s not raining. The skating event takes a different 18-to-26-km route, which takes about 2 hours. The route is announced online a few days in advance at www.fridaynightskate.com. Rollerblades can be rented on site for € 15 and are due back the next day.

Wellness

Grand Hotel Amrâth: map 2, D 2, Prins Hendrikkade 108, tel. 020 552 00 00, www.amrathamsterdam.com, wellness facility open 07:00-23:00. What would large and luxury hotels like the Amrâth be without their wellness facilities? The Amrâth has a spacious wellness centre with several saunas and pools, a steam bath, beauty treatments and more.

Sauna Deco: map 2, A 1, Herengracht 115, tel. +31 20 623 82 15, www.saunadeco.nl, Mon 12:00-23:00, Tue 15:00-23:00, Wed-Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 13:00-19:00. When an art deco Paris department store from the 1920s was demolished in the 1970s, the salvage was installed in this office building designed by Berlage. In this unique environment, a sauna, Turkish bath and infrared booth await you. You can also book a massage or a beauty treatment in advance.

The 15 highlights

Every square kilometre of Amsterdam seems to be packed with monuments, so many that it has the biggest historic city centre in Europe: countless building façades, 160 canals, picturesque courtyards, nearly 2500 houseboats – a gorgeous backdrop for any holiday. But Amsterdam is no museum; it lives, breathes and vibrates – sometimes turbulent and intense, sometimes subdued and elegant, showing the stately wealth of days gone by.

1The beating heart of the city – Dam Square

Map: | 2, A/B 2/3, Orientation map: page 32
Transport: | Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25: Dam, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal

Dam Square was actually the location of the first bridge in Amsterdam.Now the great square is Amsterdam’s front room, a meeting place for all. The monumental buildings around it, the New Church, Royal Palace and Beurs van Berlage, embody its role as a place of political and ecclesiastical power and a place where business is done. It may not be the prettiest, but it certainly is, historically speaking, the most significant square in the city: rebellions, riots, coronation, executions and demonstrations – it all happened here. Even today, Dam Square is the stage for ceremonies, such as Memorial Day on the 4th of May.

The Dam’s name refers to its original function: some time between 1204 and 1275 the Amstel River was dammed here as part of the sea defences along the southern shore of the IJ and to bring an end to regular flooding. A wooden lock in the dam gave access to shipping. The dam was widened progressively until it eventually stopped serving as a lock. The square created through the process became the core of a settlement that would develop into the big city. There was a weighbridge here, as the Dam was also the first marketplace of the city, until 1808 when Napoleon's brother, King Louis Napoleon of the Netherlands, had it demolished because it spoiled his view from the Royal Palace.

Symbolic centre of the country

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Dam Square grew from a marketplace to an internationally renowned city square, a place of national significance and a household word for all Dutch people. In the last two centuries it has been the site of demonstration and coronations, but also simply a place to meet. Even if nothing major is happening, Dam Square is a good place to be. Every year, on the 4th of May, Memorial Day is held there in the presence of the Queen and Crown Prince. In memory of those who were killed in the Second World War, the National Monument was constructed there in 1956. This great monument on the Dam, a 22-metre-high pylon clad in travertine, has been a meeting place for young people since the 1960s.

Worldly power

The Royal Palace 1, constructed between 1648 and 1664, was a wonder of its age. This enormous structure (80 by 56 m) is supported by 13,659 underground pilings. Designed by Jacob van Campen, it is a masterpiece of classical architecture and was the largest town hall in Europe at the time. It only became a Royal Palace in 1808, when it was taken over by King Louis Napoleon. It continues to impress the Queen’s visitors to this day. The huge, Burgerzaal, with its soaring ceiling (nearly 30 meters high!) is open for viewing. Its costly, highly decorated interior was recently restored in its entirety: the palace is ready for the successor to the throne...

In front of the palace you will find tourists, street musicians, ice-cream salesmen and, in the words of a popular Dutch song, 'All the doves on the Dam, tralala…'

Ecclesiastical glory

The marvellous late Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) 2 dates from the 15th century and today serves both as an exhibition area and for the inauguration of heads of state. It has no tower. Despite many plans, nobody ever got round to building one. The partially baroque interior is worth seeing, above all the carved-oak pulpit and the magnificent 17th-century organ and stained-glass windows. Though church ceremonies are no longer held here, organ concerts are; the marriage of Prince William Alexander and Máxima took place here in 2002.

Commercial power

Built in 1898-1903 within sight of Dam Square, the Beurs van Berlage 3 separates the sheep from the goats; locals either love the building or despise it entirely. The architect, H. P. Berlage, broke away from the neo-Renaissance styles in vogue at the time and created a revolutionary structure with clear lines and robust, strict proportions made from simple materials that were clearly visible. It marked the start of modern architecture in the Netherlands. The décor of the interior, with its roof of glass and iron, is definitely worth seeing. The tower of the former 'mercantile exchange', which Berlage designed based on inspiration from his trip through Italy in 1881/1882, offers a view of the whole city. Today, the Beurs van Berlage is used for conferences, concerts and exhibitions. The high ceilings of the Berlagezaal are simply gorgeous.

How much furore Berlage's building unleashed is illustrated by the building at Beursplein 5, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange 4, situated between the Beurs van Berlage and De Bijenkorf and built in 1911-1914. Rather than following in the footsteps of Berlage's modernisations, architect J.Th.J. Cuypers (not the Cuypers who designed Central Station) opted to return to the traditional, historical styles of the 19th century.

Information and opening hours

Royal Palace: www.paleisamsterdam.nl, generally open daily 11:00-17:00, € 7.50.

New Church: www.nieuwekerk.nl, only open for exhibitions; see site for varying opening hours and admission fees and for the occasional organ recitals.

Beurs van Berlage: Damrak 243,

www.beursvanberlage.nl, tours tel. +31 20 620 81 12, concert tickets tel. +31 20 521 75 75, lovely café in the former front hall, Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-18:00).

Carriage ride through the city centre?

Tours depart from Dam Square: from € 35/20 min., www.amsterdamcarriages.nl.

Face to face with Robbie Williams

One of the waxworks operated by Madame Tussauds 5 is on the corner of Rokin (www.madametussauds.nl, daily 10:00-18:30, open till 20:30 during summer holidays, € 22, children € 17; tickets are cheaper online ). If you’ve always wanted to kick a ball around with Ronaldinho, lounge against Robbie Williams or have dinner with George Clooney, here’s your chance.

Shopping around the palace

Since it opened in 1870, the Bijenkorf 1 has grown from a small shop on Nieuwendijk to a chain of luxury department stores in twelve cities. Five stories and 20,000 m² of luxury shopping. The top floor houses the Bijenkorf Kitchen self-service restaurant, which offers a great view of the stock exchange and Beursplein (dishes range from € 4-15).Shopaholics should also check out Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk, the shopping streets to the north and south of Dam Square.

Culinary intermezzos

Weather permitting, the patio of the Nieuwe Kafé 1 (Eggertstraat 8/Dam, www.nieuwe-kafe.nl, daily 08:30-18:00) is the right place for a cup of coffee and watching the crowds in Dam Square. If you’ve worked up an appetite, check out the Drie Graefjes 2 (www.dedriegraefjes.nl, daily 09:00-18:00, grilled cheese sandwiches, English breakfast € 8, large salads € 11, tapas start at € 4.50) at Eggertstraat 1, just around the back of the New Church, offering comprehensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Lots of organic foods and juices. There’s also a branch at Rokin 128.

2Cheers! – raise a glass in the traditional tasting halls

Map: | 2, B/C 1–3, Orientation map: page 34
Transport: | Tram: 4, 9, 16, 24, 25: Dam Square

Genever (Dutch gin) distillers appeared in Amsterdam as early as the 16th century. Originating from distillers of medicinal corn brandy, they often had a ‘proeflokaal’ or tasting hall where customers could sample their wares. The custom is alive and well today, carrying on the tradition. At the end of the day, these venues are popular spots to pop in for a drink after work.

Though tasting the genever was originally free, today's tasting halls are much more like a pub where the bartender charges you by the glass. They serve genever the traditional way: in small tulip-shaped glasses filled right up to the brim. You drink genever by bending over and sipping it carefully from the glass. You can’t gulp it down; genever should be drunk with respect!

Old-fashioned hospitality

The city is full of tasting halls, cafés and pubs. The traditional pubs are known as 'brown cafés' because centuries of tobacco smoke have dyed their ceilings and walls deep brown. The smaller cafés are much more likely to offer international guests a taste of Amsterdam ‘gezelligheid’. This is where the locals go after a long day’s work for a beer, glass of wine or a genever. They hang out, play cards, throw darts; they make sweeping statements with utter gusto. An Amsterdam local in his favourite pub loves to chat, and outsiders are certainly not ignored. Tourists are sometimes surprised at how easily the locals will cheerfully switch to English or German with visitors who do not happen to speak Dutch.

Perfect happiness

The famous Wijnand Fockink 1 tasting hall is right by Dam Square at Pijlsteeg 43. Mr Wynand Fockink founded his liqueur distillery around 1679, later adding a tasting hall where customers could test his wares before buying. You can still taste it for yourself! Wijnand Fockink specialises in genevers and Old Dutch liqueurs such as Volmaakt Geluk (Perfect Happiness), Bruidstranen (Bride's Tears, a traditional wedding gift) and Hansje-in-de-Kelder (Hans in the Cellar), which is traditionally drunk to celebrate a pregnancy. You can see the distillers at work in Fockink’s distillery, De Liefde, and buy their products in the distillery’s bar and shop, which is also a good place to relax with a cool draught beer.

In the friendly tasting hall, amidst their collection of antique liqueur bottles, you are still expected to bend over to take the first sip. Escape from the bustle of the city in the quiet, hidden summer garden behind the distillery.

Amsterdam Elixir, with your coffee

On the corner of Zeedijk and St Olofspoort is the tiny tasting hall for the Van Wees distillery. De Ooievaar 2. This small distillery holds many secret recipes, like their special macaroon liqueur, scented with almonds and essence of peaches and able, according to Van Wees, to soften the bitterest memories.

Their Amsterdam Elixir is a very ancient liqueur, drunk as a tonic after a heavy meal to lighten the stomach and stimulate digestion. The herbal infusion includes coriander, cardamom and other herbs and rapidly relieves that sense of bloating. Goes just fine with a cup of coffee after a solid meal.

Information and opening hours

Wynand Fockink: www.wynand-fockink.nl, daily 15:00-21:00.

De Ooievaar: www.proeflokaaldeooievaar.nl, Sun-Thu 12:00-01:00, Fri, Sat 12:00-03:00.

If you have a taste for more...

De Vreng en Zonen 1 (Nieuwendijk 75, www.oudamsterdam.nl, Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-18:00) has a nearly inexhaustible selection of liqueurs, genevers and other drinks. Nevertheless, the shop sells loads of gift products. Not far away, at Martelaarsgracht 2, Café Karpershoek 3 (www.cafekarpers-hoek.nl, Mon-Thu 07:00-01:00, Fri, Sat 07:00-03:00, Sun (09:00-01:00) is one of Amsterdam's oldest pubs, established in 1606 as an inn for sailors from the Dutch East India Company. The sailors are long gone, as is the port, but there’s still sand on the floor, reminiscent of when it was needed to soak up the tobacco juice those salty devils used to spit. If you want, the publican also serves some small dishes, inside or on the small patio.

3Symbols of the canal city – Amsterdam’s bridges

Map: | 2, A–C 2–5, Orientation map: page 37
Transport: | Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 25: Dam, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal

In the 17th century, the canals spread like a spider web of commerce over the city, creating over 90 islands and crossed by hundreds of bridges. Amsterdam still has more than 1700 bridges, about four times as many as Venice. The city also has eight historic drawbridges. Our walking route will lead you over seven of them: from Dam Square, which was once Amsterdam’s oldest bridge, over smaller arched bridges, to the ‘Parisian’ elegance of the Blauwbrug.

Amsterdam is a city of bridges. The original settlement extended along both banks of the Amstel, so water played a major role in the history of the city from the beginning. The Amstel was the main shipping thoroughfare; the river was also a key part of the city’s defenses. Amsterdam lives on, by and almost under water: only careful drainage stops it from turning back into a swampland.

The art of building small bridges

Amsterdam’s first bridges were made of wood beams. Few of those early wooden bridges have survived, but their design persisted well into the 20th century in constructions of iron and later concrete. There are also many arched stone bridges: one or more arches of vaulted masonry carrying the weight of the roadway and allowing room for ships to sail under the road, often faced with quarried stone. After the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, designs and materials changed drastically. New techniques and the use of iron and steel allowed for lower, flatter bridges. Later in the 19th century, more and more arched bridges were replaced by flat equivalents. The architects of the Amsterdam School (1915-1930) used elaborate patterns of brickwork for many bridges in the south of the city.

Names and numbers

Amsterdam numbers its bridges. Number 1 is the bridge by the Munt Tower, followed by the bridges of the encircling canals, outwards throughout the city. There are 273 bridges in the city centre. The numbering system is currently in the 2300s, though many numbers have been skipped and the many small bridges in parks and allotments are not counted. Only a few of Amsterdam’s bridges are honoured with an official name.

A story of seven bridges …

The walk naturally starts on Dam Square 1. Not really a bridge… but it is the oldest crossing of the Amstel; this is where it all began in the 13th century (see page 30). Through the winding Damstraat, we reach Oudezijds Voorburgwal. At number 296 (take in the beautiful baroque entrance of the De Brakke Grond theatre) we find the Lommertbrug 2, a small iron footbridge. The bridge was named after the ‘lommerd’ or pawnshop that was established close by in 1614. From the bridge you can see the Old Church (see page 43) on your left and many baroque houses from the 17th century on your right.

Sint Agnietenstraat takes us to Oudezijds Achterburgwal, a pretty little canal surrounded by trees. Turn right and cross the triple-arched Sleutelbrug 3, a brick bridge numbered 201 in Amsterdam’s numbering and named for the former De Sleutel brewery. We briefly go left before turning right through the arched entrance of the Oudemanhuispoort 1. This covered passageway opens onto the University of Amsterdam' Law and Social Sciences faculties; a book market is held here on weekdays. At Kloveniersburgwal on the other side, the Aluminiumbrug 4 draws the eye. This steel and cast iron drawbridge from 1896 was the first to receive an aluminium bridge deck in 1956. Crossing the bridge, we enter the lively Staalstraat. The Staalmeesterbrug 5, the white wooden drawbridge over the Groenburgwal canal, offers a fine view of the Zuiderkerk and many lovely canal houses on the left, not to mention the Amstel River ahead on the right.

By the way: when you’re standing on the Blauwbrug, don’t just look right towards the Amstel River. Look to your left; the next bridge may well be the prettiest bridge in town: the Magere Brug or ‘Skinny Bridge’. The tall tale told about this wooden drawbridge has it that the bridge was built in 1670; some claim its construction was ordered by two wealthy sisters, the honourable Mager madams, so they could visit each other more easily – since they lived on opposite sides of the Amstel…

The next bridge, at the end of Staalstraat, takes us to Waterlooplein and the Stopera (see page 77). The pedestrian Ingenieur B. Bijvoetbrug 6 offers another impressive view of the Amstel and the skyline on the opposite side. On the corner are some benches where you can rest and enjoy the panorama or you can sit and drink a coffee at the waterside on the patio of Grand Café Amstelhoeck 1 and enjoy the lovely view of the river.

A classic among bridges

Past the Stopera on the right we find the Blauwbrug 7 (Blue Bridge), one of the ‘grand old ladies’ of Amsterdam’s bridges. The name recalls the blue wooden bridge that stood here in the early 17th century. The current bridge, quite unusual for Amsterdam, dates from 1883 and resembles the bridges over the Seine in Paris. During the coronation of Queen Beatrix in 1980, the Blauwbrug was the scene of a violent confrontation between squatters and the riot police. This Battle of the Blauwbrug is recalled in the title of the first of A.F.Th. van der Heijden’s renowned series of novels ‘De tandloze tijd’ (The Toothless Time) chronicling the Amsterdam squatters movement.

Following the Amstelstraat, or better yet the Amstel River itself, will lead you to Rembrandtplein and its many outdoor cafés.

Inviting sidewalk cafés

Grand Café Amstelhoeck: Zwanenburgwal 15, daily 09:00-01:00, main dishes € 14-22.

The outdoor seating area of Café de Doelen 2 – with the ‘oorlam’ gin ad over the door – on the corner of Kloveniersburgwal and Staalstraat, is a great spot to observe city life (Sun-Thu 10-01, Fri/Sat 09:00-03:00).

Fun, alternative shopping

Oudemanhuispoort: Mon-Sat book market 09:00-17:00).

The Staalstraat offers nice shops selling all kinds of fun things, including fashion, jewellery, sweets, fruits and vegetables. Antique-lovers can pay a visit to Antiek Charel 2 at no. 18 (Tue-Sat 11:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-17:00). At chocolaterie Puccini Bomboni 3 (no. 17, Sun, Mon 12:00-18:00, Tue-Sat 09:00-18:00), you can order a cup of hot chocolate and watch the treat be prepared. Next door is the pricey but excellent Lunchcafé Puccini 3 (no. 21:00, Mon-Fri 08:30-18:00, Sat, Sun 10:00-18:00, sandwiches from € 7, soup € 6, large salad from € 13). The Waterlooplein market 4 is still an important Amsterdam institution, even if the flea market has become a bit touristy. Collectibles, clothes, books, records, etc. all in one place. 09:00-18:00).

4A fresh perspective on city history – Amsterdam Museum

Map: | 2, A 3
Transport: | Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 14, 16, 24, 25: Spui, Rokin

The impressive Amsterdam Museum (called the Amsterdam Historic Museum until 2011) has been housed in the old city orphanage since 1975. The elegant façade, gateways, separate courtyards for boys and girls and the regents’ room all hark back to the building’s original function.

Amsterdam: once a small settlement on the Amstel, in the 17th century a centre of world trade and now a colourful metropolis that is home to 178 nationalities.

The Amsterdam Museum 1 tells the story of Amsterdam’s tolerance, its commercial vigour and the lively individuality of its people. It tells of a city that has a history of welcoming groups from all over the world, from Antwerp merchants and Sephardic Jews (from Spain and Portugal) in the 17th century, farmers from Friesland and Brabant two centuries later, and guest workers from Mediterranean lands in the 20th century. All these peoples helped shape the history of this unique metropolis. The Amsterdam Museum’s fascinating exhibit, spread through the rooms and courtyards of the orphanage, lets you follow in their footsteps through seven centuries of city history.

'Amsterdam DNA' – a walk through history

Since its remodelling in 2011, the museum is focused on one main exhibition, 'Amsterdam DNA'. Visitors can now familiarise themselves with a basic knowledge of Amsterdam history in 45 minutes. The multimedia exhibits are activated by your visitor’s ticket as the DNA tour whisks you through seven centuries of city history: 1000-1500: city on pilings, 1550-1600: revolt against monarch and church, 1600-1700: centre of the world, 1795-1815: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, 1817-1914: towards a modern city, 1940-1945: The Second World War, 1945- : capital of freedom.

Unique in the world

Between the buildings of the orphanage, a narrow bridge joins Kalverstraat to the Begijnhof. Here, exhibited on the street, are 15 colossal paintings. The covered passageway of the Schuttersgalerij displays group portraits of prominent members of the militia from the 17th century, as well as portraits honouring modern inhabitants of Amsterdam, such as the one of the Turkish teachers.

In some of the rooms you will find treasures from the Golden Age of Amsterdam, delicate glass and precious silverwork. In others you will find paintings of an anatomy lesson and of the modernising of the city in the 19th century: all aspects of Amsterdam. A subsequent room demonstrates what the city was like as shown through the legacies left behind by famous citizens of Amsterdam. Such generous donations of historical objects are how the museum’s now-famous collection developed. Do not miss seeing the extraordinary jewel-case of Madam Sophia Lopez-Suasso!

Children’s Museum: The Little Orphanage

While the grown-ups visit the main museum, children aged four and older can make their own voyage of discovery in The Little Orphanage. This child-centred exhibit of a day in the life of the 17th-century orphanage is designed to speak to all the senses: some objects whisper secrets excitedly and sometimes the children will have to hide from the guide… They can write in their own exercise book, milk a cow and share a bowl of food with three others and in many other ways experience the life of an orphan in this wonderfully interactive exhibition.

Information and opening hours

Amsterdam Museum: Sint Luciënsteeg 27, Kalverstraat 92, www.amsterdammuseum.nl, daily 10:00-17:00, € 10, children € 5.

Other attractions

The Begijnhof 2 (entrance on Spui or via Schuttersgalerij, 10:00-17:00) is like a city within a city, and the oldest, largest and most famous, courtyard community in Amsterdam. Since 1346, this place has been home to the Beguines, devout women who wanted to live in a less stringent, convent-like community. Narrow houses, including no. 34, Amsterdam’s oldest house built in 1460, form a green ‘village square’ framed by old trees. Other houses in the square date from the 17th century. Behind the discrete façade of houses at nos. 29 and 30 is the Beguines’ hidden church.

Oasis of calm

Museumcafé Mokum 1 (daily 10:00-17:00/ 17:45, dishes € 5.75-12.50), the museum’s café/restaurant is popular thanks to the outdoor seating area overlooking the inner courtyard with its colonnaded gallery.

5Fantastic glimpses – a boat tour of the canals

Map: | F–H 3–6
Transport: | Tram 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, Metro 51, 53, 54: Damrak, CS

More canals than in Venice and four times as many bridges as that city of lagoons... Seeing Amsterdam from the water is one of the most fascinating ways to discover the city. Glide serenely past the age-old beauty of the canal houses, shutting out the hustle and bustle of today’s metropolis. If you’re visiting Amsterdam for the first time, you certainly shouldn’t miss out on seeing it from this angle!

Walking from Stationsplein 1 or Damrak 2, you first pass the imposing St Nicholas Church 1 (see also page 48): As the patron saint of sailors, Saint Nicholas also watches over the passengers travelling the canals of Amsterdam on the tour boats...The 17th century Schreier Tower 2 was named after the sailors’ wives shrieking their farewells as their loved ones headed back out to sea. The futuristic new buildings that have sprung up over the last two decades on both banks of the IJ River add an impressive note. Malle Jaap is the nickname given to the defence tower on Oude Schans, dating back to 1516. The word ‘mal’ means crazy, used here because the bells of this Montelbaan tower 3 used to start playing all by themselves. The Oude Schans canal was excavated in the early 16th century as an outer moat encircling the city; it was called the Nieuwe Gracht or New Canal at the time. The dirt from the dig was used to build an embankment.

Armada of houseboats

Travelling along the Zwanenburgwal, you quickly reach the Amstel. The Parisian-style Blauwbrug 4 (see also page 37) and the Magere Brug 5 span the broad river. The famous white drawbridge is one of the symbols of Amsterdam. You’ll notice the many houseboats lining Prinsengracht – from dilapidated to amazingly luxurious... Living on the water was very popular in the 1960s due to the major housing shortage. The intersection with Reguliersgracht offers an enchanting view of several arched bridges, one after another. Skippers need to pilot carefully to navigate that narrow waterway.

The most expensive canal houses

The biggest, most beautiful and most expensive canal houses in the city are on the elegant Herengracht in the Golden Bend 6 (see page 52). This is where the wealthiest patricians and shipping magnates invested their fortunes in spacious tracts of land and highly respectable city residences. The gorgeous façades can easily be admired from the water. Many lean forward slightly. The tilt is not caused by subsidence; in the 17th and early 18th century, the custom of constructing houses over the building line was probably intended to protect the expensive façade from rain and make it easier to hoist large objects to the upper floors.

The Brouwersgracht canal gets its name from the many beer breweries that were once located here. When the canals are flushed – four times a week in summer, twice a week in winter – the old Haarlemmersluis locks 7 still play a major role. 240,000 m³ of fresh water from the IJmeer lake is forced through the canals at night, starting from Zeeburg and pushing the ‘dirty’ water back out into the IJ River via these locks.

A symbol of the city’s wealth

Back on the busy waterway of the IJ, the outlines of the port industry of Amsterdam can be seen to the west. Looking to the east, you can see the ultramodern Muziekgebouw 8 (see page 110) and the enormous Passenger Terminal Amsterdam 9. The city is one of the most important European ports of call for cruise ships. To see a ship of a different size altogether, visit the new Scheepvaartmuseum (see page 79) or Shipping Museum to see the SS Amsterdam, a replica of a 17th-century Dutch East India Company ship 10 and a symbol of the wealth and international renown that the shipping trade brought to Amsterdam.

Sailing the Amsterdam canals…

Boat tours: tour boats regularly depart from Central Station and Damrak, operated by various companies, including Holland International (www.hir.nl) and Lovers (www.lovers.nl). The many and varied options include normal daytime boat tours (about € 14), evening and dinner tours, candlelight tours and tours with jazz music.

A smaller boat tour company operating smaller boats is Boathouse 3 (Leliegracht 51, www.canalcruiseamsterdam.nl, boarding by the Anne Frank House).

If you’d rather put together your own canal cruise, you could opt for water taxis, the CanalBus (hop on/hop off, see also page 21) or a pedal boat (info: www.canal.nl).

By the way: CanalCompany has nine near-soundless electrical Canal Hoppers that can hold up to 12 people – besides rowing and canoeing, it’s the most eco-friendly way to cruise the canals (www.canal.nl, day ticket € 24 for two routes with 7 stops or € 17 for a boat tour on one of the routes).

6World-famous Red Light District – the Wallen

Map: | 2, B/C 1–3, Orientation map: page 45
Transport: | Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, Metro: 51, 53, 54. Central Station

The oldest part of town and the world’s oldest profession – the two are inextricably intertwined in Amsterdam. You’ll find a varied cross-section of the population here: native Amsterdammers, yuppified provincials, hookers, Chinese, petty criminals, artists... and thousands and thousands of tourists every day.

The Red Light District was romanticised for decades; people referred to the ‘windows’ and the ‘window girls’ with a nod and a wink. Many preferred to turn a blind eye to the fact that the closed curtains sometimes concealed international human trafficking, crime, oppression and ruthless exploitation. It wasn’t until tourism figures started falling that the city felt compelled to take action; strict rules were imposed, prostitution was subjected to regulation and exciting cultural projects were launched in the neighbourhood. Take a stroll through a neighbourhood that circumvents the normal, but has a firm grasp on life.

Start out right with the friendly old sailors’ tavern In ’t Aepjen 1, in a rare wooden building from the Middle Ages, diagonally across from the lovingly restored St Olof Chapel 1.

Amsterdam’s Chinatown

A bit farther along, Zeedijk is almost completely in Chinese hands. Chinese sailors came to Amsterdam in the early 20th century and never left. By the 1920s, the Chinese community had already reached nearly 10,000 people. And now their Chinatown looks like this: tiny restaurants displaying Peking duck in the windows, mini-marts filled with products from the Far East and a sweet scent in the air. On Saturday afternoon, the jet set of the greater Chinese community in the Netherlands cruise into the area in their posh cars to buy exclusive wares or enjoy a night out. To your right on Zeedijk, you’ll see the exotic-looking He Hwa 2 Buddhist temple. After several years of soil reclamation and construction, the temple was opened by Queen Beatrix in 2000. Diagonally across the road, Nam Kee 1 is one of the classics of Chinese cuisine. This white-tiled restaurant was immortalised in the romantic film Oysters at Nam Kee’s, based on the book by Kees van Beijnum.

Red Light District

Seven spires rise high into the air atop the towers of the massive Waag 3 on Nieuwmarkt. One of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam (1488), its interior rooms have remained almost completely intact since the 17th century. This former city gatehouse reopened after thorough restoration work. The downstairs hall offers a dining hall where you can eat in a romantic atmosphere lit by hundreds of candles. When the outdoor tables are set up in summer on the spacious city square, the cheerful locals have to share the patio with people from all over the world.

Keep to the right on Nieuwmarkt, heading past restaurants and shops, and take a right after 100 metres into Barndesteeg. Behind the long wall to the left, the nuns in the Bethaniënklooster 4 led lives of chaste contemplation, while the women across the way, hardly two metres from the convent, devoted their time to much more worldly affairs. Amsterdam is one of the highest-ranking prostitution cities in Europe, with an estimated 8000 prostitutes currently practising their trade (in relation to a population of over 790,000 inhabitants).

Take a left onto Oudezijds Achterburgwal and cross the idyllic Stoofbrug 5 to Stoofsteeg, which brings you right back into that sweltering hot atmosphere. It’s worth noting that the Red Light District generally stays snow-free throughout the winter. The many well-heated rooms with their large windows, not to mention the groups of overheated ‘window shoppers’ hanging around the windows, keep the average temperature in this area several degrees higher than in other parts of the city. Just so you know...

The Lord and the ladies

If you look to your right on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, you’ll see a quiet residential neighbourhood with lovely old canal houses, like no. 115. To the left, the Old Church 6 unites architectural styles encompassing over three centuries. It’s the oldest church in Amsterdam; the first stone was laid around 1300. It stands amidst the tangled alleys of the Red Light District like an oversized bastion. Originally a small Roman Catholic basilica, it took on its current impressive dimensions as early as the 16th century. The nave and transepts still form a fairly simple cross-shape. It was not called the Old Church until after the New Church (see page 31) was built; the name was adopted to underline the importance of the oldest church in the city. This long-running dispute was not settled until the 19th century, when the church on Dam Square was officially designated the coronation church, putting the Old Church in its place once and for all. The church hosts organ concerts and periodically opens its doors for special exhibitions.

By the way: Next to the Old Church, the PIC, the Prostitution Information Centre, is run by former prostitute Mariska Majoor. She or one of her colleagues tells tourists and professionals about the history and reality of prostitution. Interested in hearing more? Take a guided tour of the Red Light District (Enge Kerksteeg 3, tel. +31 6 13 57 27 99, www.pic-amsterdam.com, one-hour tour given in English, Sat 17:00, with another tour at 18:30 if it’s busy, and Wed 18:30 € 15, including Mini Museum).

The Mini Museum is also open to non-tour visitors (Sat 12:00-20:00, € 1.

The square around the Old Church is supposed to remain free of prostitution as much as possible. Up to now, the alleyways surrounding the church, which are among the main attractions of the capital city, have been one of the main centres of the Red Light District. The Project 1012 urban renewal programme, referencing the neighbourhood's postcode, states that a better class of restaurants and hotels should be established here. Other targets for 2013 include a reduction of the number of ‘windows’ from 482 to 290 and a drop in coffee shops from 76 to 50.

One of the oldest streets in the city

Walking past the Old Church, continue on towards Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder 7, one of the city’s clandestine churches (see page 46). After passing several lovely Renaissance buildings (Oudezijds Voorburgwal 14 and 18), follow the curve of Nieuwe Brugsteeg to the narrow, busy and famous Warmoesstraat. What was the city’s most elegant street in the Middle Ages now boasts unusual shops and interesting pubs. Art aficionados will want to check out W139 8 at Warmoesstraat 139 (daily 12:00-18:00), an exhibition space run by artists and volunteers that hosts between eight and ten exhibitions of modern art in various genres each year. Coffee-lovers should visit Geels & Co. 2, a very old coffee-roasting facility with museum (Sat 14:00-16:00) at Warmoesstraat 67 to satisfy their need for a very extraordinary cup of coffee.

Information and opening hours Temple He Hwa: Zeedijk 106-118, Tue-Sat 12:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-17:00).

Old Church: Oudekerksplein, www.oudekerk.nl, Mon-Sat 11:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-17:00, € 8, climbing the tower Apr-Sept Thu-Sat 13:00-17:00, € 7.

For body & soul

Pub In’t Aepjen: Zeedijk 1, Sun-Thu 12:00-01:00, Fri/Sat 12:00-03:00.

Tasty treats and delicious dishes

Nam Kee: Zeedijk 111/113, daily 12:00-23:00, menu € 9-12.

Geels & Co.: (no. 155 until 2013) www.geels.nl, Mon-Sat 09:30-18:00).

Tons of outdoor cafés on the Nieuwmarkt perfect for having a drink or snack and some people-watching, like at In de Waag (page 43, daily 9:00-01:00, main dishes € 18-28) and the fun eatery at Café Stevens 3 (Geldersekade 123, Mon-Thu 10:00-01:00, Fri/Sat 10:00-03:00, dishes from € 12).

Delicious bread, scones, quiches, savoury tarts and sweet cakes are sold at De Bakkerswinkel 4 on Warmoesstraat 69 (at Zeedijk 37 until 2013, Mon 10:00-17:30, Tue-Fri 08:00-17:30, Sat/Sun 09:00-18:00, full lunch starting from € 15, breakfast € 14). If you’d rather have takeaway, checkout the Meeneemwinkel (Warmoesstraat 133) by the same owners.

Out of the ordinary

Exceptional (and expensive) shoe brands are on display at LaBeuf Shoes 1 (Zeedijk 45 a, www.labeufshoes.eu, Tue-Sat 12:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00), including United Nude, Dutch Charme and Art. Love to cook Asian food? Don’t miss Toko Dun Yong 2 (Stormsteeg 9, Mon-Sat 09:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-18:00), which sells an abundance of Asian foods and ingredients.

Bloemsierkunst Jemi 3 (Warmoesstraat 83 a, Mon-Fri 09:00-17:30), the most frequently photographed flower shop in Amsterdam, is a great place to buy a bouquet of tulips for your girlfriend... or pick up some edible flowers!

And at Condomerie Het Gulden Vlies 4 (Warmoesstraat 141, Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00), the mother of all condom stores, you can admire and purchase the world's largest selection of condoms.

7Hidden church – Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder

Map: | 2, C 2, Orientation map: page 48
Transport: | Tram 4, 9, 16, 24, 25, 26: Central Station

At Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40, the hidden church known as Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Dear Lord in the Attic) sits behind the façade of a beautiful canal house. In the museum, you can trace the paths of Catholics worshiping in Protestant Amsterdam from the late 16th to late 18th centuries, when they were forced to profess their faith in secret. Remarkably, this attic church is still in its original state.

The Catholic city council was deposed in 1578. When Amsterdam converted to Protestantism under William of Orange, the Catholic Church had to go underground. Churches were founded wherever Catholics could meet more or less in secret – in hidden annexes at the back of the house or in attics. In Amsterdam, the Catholic Mass could no longer be said in public. This merchant house hid Catholic parishioners at mass for 225 years. The hidden church was established in the attic in 1663, which is how it got its name.

In secret

The Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder museum 1 is one of the oldest museums in the city (est. 1888), second only to the Rijksmuseum. The classic drawing room on the first floor is one of the best-preserved living quarters of the Golden Age and maintains a certain charm.

It all started in 1661 when wealthy stocking merchant Jan Hartman, originally from the German town of Coesfeld (past Winterswijk) purchased the building that would later become the museum. Dating from 1630, the canal house was divided into tiny rooms. Above his own personal residential quarters, he rebuilt three floors into a house church, a form of remodelling that was common at the time. As with many other things, the people of Amsterdam were pragmatic about religion as well. As long as a Catholic paid his taxes on time, no one cared how he worshiped. The hidden church was only accessible from the Heintje Hoekssteeg alleyway, because one of the conditions under which Catholic house churches were tolerated was that the entrance had to be hidden.

In complete openness

Later, after the deconsecration of the church in 1887, the museum could be entered through the main Oudezijds Voorburgwal entrance. That canal is situated in the heart of Amsterdam's Red Light District (see page 42). Since 2012, the entrance is no longer inside the Old House; rather, it has been moved to the neighbouring house across the alley, called the New House. A European grant has allowed the Old House to be thoroughly renovated and restored to its former glory. After the renovation of the adjacent building (completed in 2015), all visitor facilities have been moved to the New House. The two buildings are connected by a tunnel dug between them that is 9m wide, 20m long, and 5m deep. A creative solution!

The new exhibition will focus on the theme of the ‘hidden church’ in general, and of course on Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder in particular. The New House, rebuilt according to a design by Claus en Kaan, also has a museum café overlooking the Old House. The museum will remain open during the restoration and renovation. While you may not be able to see everything, you will get an insight into the restoration process of a canal house instead.

Living, working and making an impression

Above the entrance to the Old House, where Hartman had a wine import firm at the time, are the merchant family’s living quarters. The modestly furnished ‘Canal Room’ is at the front, with a box bed, tapestries and a stove: all replicas of 17th-century pieces. Up a staircase, you reach the family’s classical reception room, ‘The Sael’. The trompe l’oeil door on the window side provides symmetry, as was the fashion at the time. The self-invented coat-of-arms featuring the deer is an allusion to the name of this nouveau riche family, Hartman. Above the fireplace hangs the Hartman family’s pride and joy, a 17th-century Dutch copy of an oil painting by 16th-century Venetian painter Schiavone depicting Jesus in the temple. This lovely and formal room, where Hartman received his guests, is one of the city’s registered locations for wedding ceremonies, although it is not available for weddings during the restoration process.

The restored church attic

The higher you go into the house, the narrower and more confusing it gets. Through an inner window, you get a glimpse of the ‘in-between room’ where a parish priest lived in the late 19th century. A little further up, and you will finally reach the church itself. The long room has galleries on each side and had room to accommodate 150 worshipers. During the recent restoration, the original wall colours were reapplied. The limited space required the builders to use clever, lightweight constructions. What looks like marble, for example, is really painted wood, and there is a folding pulpit in the base of the altar so the altarpieces could be changed easily according to the celebrations of the liturgical calendar.

These days, he hall with its baroque decorations is only occasionally used as a church, sometimes for wedding ceremonies. In the winter, an ‘attic mass’ is held on the first Sunday of the month, although it may occasionally be cancelled during the restoration process. If you would like to attend Holy Mass, the priest of the neighbouring St Nicholas Church, visible through the windows, would be happy to be of service. It was the opening of that church in 1887 that made the hidden church redundant. The church was quickly acquired by a group of wealthy Catholics from Amsterdam who valued historical preservation and prevented the building from being demolished.

Beyond the Lady Chapel in the rear, the steep descent continues to the confession room, which was installed in 1740 and exhibits a rare simplicity. Until the restoration is complete, the tour ends in the kitchen behind the second house, which was inhabited until 1952. After that, the interior was restored to the style of the 17th century. The large fireplace in this inner room was central to the households of all the families who have lived there.

Information and opening hours

Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder Museum: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40, tel. +31 20 624 66 04, www.opsolder.nl, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun/holidays 13:00-17:00, € 8, children € 4.

125 years of the St Nicholas Church

Built in 1887 in neo-Renaissance style, the St Nicholas Church 2 (Prins Hendrikkade 73, Mon & Sat 12:00-15:00, Tue-Fri 11:00-16:00) has a dark, some-what mystical atmosphere and a beautiful dome. On Saturdays (in Oct-Dec, mid-Jan to June), you can hear Choral Evensong at 17:00; the vesper service is sometimes held on Sunday instead (www.muziekindenicolaas.nl). Free admission.

Favourite restaurant

Bar, restaurant, living room: Mata Hari 1 opened its doors in spring 2012. An oasis of calm in the lively Red Light District (Oudezijds Achterburgwal 22, matahari-amsterdam.nl, Sun-Thu 12:00-01:00, Fri/Sat 12:00-03:00, meals at night € 13.50-18.50, afternoon menu starts from € 5.50). With the bar downstairs and the restaurant upstairs, Mata Hari offers a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere serving delicious, good-quality Mediterranean cuisine. Excellent service! Tasty beers.

Do you prefer lager or ale, sir?

The business concept of De Prael 1 (Oudezijds Voorburgwal 30, www.deprael.nl, brewery open Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, daily tours, shop open Mon 12:30-17:00, Tue, Wed, Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-20:00, Sat 11:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-18:00): brewing beer with people who suffer from long-term psychiatric disorders. The result: 1000 litres of special beer a week, including Johnny, an airy blond beer, André, a golden springtime bock and Nelis, a robust bock beer. Just around the corner, check out tasting hall De Prael (Oudezijds Armsteeg 26, Tue-Sun 11:00-23:00, snacks from € 3, main dishes from € 11).

8Shopping in style – the Nine Streets

Map: | D/E 4/5, Orientation map: page 51
Transport: | Tram: 13, 14, 17: Westermarkt

3x3=9, as the Dutch children’s song goes – nine ancient alleys link the splendour of the Amsterdam canals, framing one of the most popular shopping areas of the city, definitely out of the ordinary. This former craftsman’s district boasts the best, most original and most beautiful shops in the city. The neighbourhood has a high concentration of friendly cafés and restaurants. Enjoy shopping in this cosy and pleasant environment.

Do the small, narrow streets somehow feel familiar? Maybe you remember them from Ocean’s Twelve? Do they make you think of George Clooney as master thief Ocean on Herengracht, constantly followed by the Europol agent played by Catherine Zeta-Jones? You’re right! The Nine Streets are a great historical backdrop – and not just for filming a movie.

Streets imbued with history

Roughly translated into English, the Nine Streets are called Roe Street, Heart Street and Inn Mill Alley, Old Mirror Street, Wolf Street, Bear Street, Cow Street, Hide Street, and Wide Heath Alley. These names hearken back to businesses and craftsmen that had been established here since the 17th century, mainly referencing professions that worked with skins and hides: bear, deer (harts), roe deer, wolf, and cowskin.

Marketing idea leads to resounding success

Looking for a good excuse to go shopping? Harrie in Koffiehuis De Hoek 1, on the corner of Prinsengracht and Reestraat is the right address. You may even see a familiar face over your fried eggs, pancakes, freshly squeezed orange juice, or a great cup of coffee. Dutch football icon and Ajax player/expert/consultant/critic Johan Cruyff might drop by, or the staff of the nearby Hotel Pulitzer, or even the builders from the road works around the corner. It’s a great spot to figure out what you want to do for the rest of the day. Dutch designer fashions? Shoes for fashion freaks? A table from the 1950s? Handmade furniture? A large piece of well-aged cheese? Some divine chocolates? Of course! All these and more are available in the Nine Streets district. As an added bonus, you get to see the historical houses of the craftsmen.

In the 1960s, many small businesses and artisans left the canal rings area. The buildings they left vacant were converted into modern, luxury apartments. The people who moved in usually have plenty of money and aren’t afraid to spend it... No wonder several interesting cafés, shops, and restaurants opened here. The ‘Nine Streets’ marketing concept was created in the 1990s and really caught on. Of course, this isn’t the only city with a broad range of specialty shops, but you would have to search far and wide for an exclusive shopping district in a more beautiful neighbourhood and with more shops in such close proximity.

Lovely wares and crooked buildings

Heading for the Brilmuseum 1, you should look out for the cyclists, but don’t let their insistent bike bells distract you from the beautifully decorated houses as you take in the cosy neighbourhood – isn’t it just too cute how the residents and shopkeepers huddle outside to catch the first rays of sun?– and make sure to pop into lots of those adorable specialty shops.

Everything on offer is tempting: beautiful papers in Cortina Papier 1, cool secondhand and King Louie vintage fashion in Exota at no. 10 2 (for women and children) and no. 13 3 (for men and women), trendy and exclusive shoes at Hester van Eeghen 4, and Mexican jewellery at meCHICas 5, one of the finest shops in the city.

If you can tear your eyes away from all that, there’s still more to see. The narrow houses – built that way because Amsterdam taxed residents on width only, not depth – are gently inclined towards each other, almost as though they seeking companionship. The reason for the houses’ forward tilt is explained by the hoist beams jutting from the façades of most buildings; with the aid of this sturdy beam, anything conceivable is hoisted up and in through the windows, since the stairs inside are usually too narrow. To prevent damage to the façade or to the cargo being hoisted, the houses were built at a slight angle, with the façade tilted forward a few degrees across the building line. There are, however, more possible explanations for the sloping façades.

Intricate façades and expert lingerie

If you wander back toward Prinsengracht on the parallel streets (Oude Spiegelstraat, Wolvenstraat and Berenstraat), you’ll encounter a number of other specialty shops like Urban Picnic 6, a lifestyle shop and lunchroom combination, Laura Dols 7 with trendy and vintage 50s-style clothing and outrageously expensive evening dresses, or Mendo 8, an architecture and art bookshop, gallery and graphic design agency. If you lean back and peer upward once more, you may gain a deeper understanding of Amsterdam façades. The spout gable, neck gable, stepped gable and cornice are prominent features in these streets. If you keep window-shopping in the meantime, the exclusive lingerie on offer in the Marlies Dekkers shop 9 will teach you a great deal about the finer art of lingerie.

Pasta or Prada?

Before you think of taking on the last three of the Nine Streets, you may want to rest those tired feet. That’s never a problem in the Nine Streets. Goodies 2 offers tasty pasta dishes and Chocolaterie Pompadour 3 sells the world’s most delicious chocolates. Refreshed and revived, there are many more delights to discover, like the wonderfully kitsch concept store, The Darling 10, which also has a café, and Dominio con Amore11 with elegant Italian shoes and bags, and the Kaaskamer van Amsterdam 12, a mecca for cheese and wine lovers, trendy vintage clothes at Zipper 13, and so much more…

The cultural history of eyeglasses

Brilmuseum: Gasthuismolensteeg 7, www.brilmuseumamsterdam.nl, Wed-Fri 11:30-17:30, Sat 11:30-17:00.

Bon appetit!

Koffiehuis De Hoek: Prinsengracht 341/Reestraat, www.koffiehuisamsterdam.nl, Tue-Fri 07:30-16:00, Sat 09:00-15:30, sandwiches from € 2.50, pancakes, fried eggs, omelette from € 5.

Goodies: Huidenstraat 9, www.goforthegoodies.nl, Sun-Wed 12:00-22:00, Thu-Sat 12:00-22:30, main dishes € 14-16.

Chocolaterie Pompadour: Huidenstraat 12, Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-18:00. With tearoom.

Japanese eatery & sushi bar

In Hartenstraat (no. 17) we recommend Kagetsu 4 (www.kagetsu.nl, daily 12:00-23:00, 2 sushis from € 5), a great way to finish the day.

Shopping marathon

Cortina Paper: Reestraat 22, www.cortinapapier.nl.

Exota: Hartenstraat 10 & 13, www.exota.com.

Hester van Eeghen: Hartenstraat 1, www.hestervaneeghen.com.

meCHICas: Gasthuismolensteeg 11, www.mechicas.com.

Urban Picnic: Oude Spiegelstraat 4.

Laura Dols: Wolvenstraat 7, www.lauradols.nl.

Mendo: Berenstraat 11, www.mendo.nl.

Marlies Dekkers: Berenstraat 18, www.marliesdekkers.nl.

The Darling: Runstraat 4, www.thedarling.nl.

Dominio con Amore: Runstraat 15, www.dominio.nl.

De Kaaskamer van Amsterdam: Runstraat 7, www.kaaskamer.nl.

Zipper: Huidenstraat 7, www.zipper-store.nl.

9Exquisite elegance on the canals – the Golden Bend

Map: | E/F 5/6
Transport: | Tram: 1, 2, 5, 16, 24, 25: Herengracht, Vijzelstraat, Muntplein

The most expensive canal houses in Amsterdam are located on either side of Herengracht’s Golden Bend. Power is what these houses shout, and dignity and elegance – precisely the effect that the city fathers had in mind. The houses on the Golden Bend are in use and cannot be visited. However, three canal houses a little further down have been combined as a museum. They display how the patricians lived in these Golden Age mansions, including the lush gardens in the back.

After the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the canals of Amsterdam are perhaps the most important tourist attraction in Europe. The importance of this unique ensemble was highlighted by UNESCO in 2010 when they added the canal ring to the list of World Cultural Heritage sites.

Like a spider’s web

The idyllic canals attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. A glance at the map shows that the canals look like a cobweb, with thread-like canals connected by the cross streets and bridges.

The three beautiful main canals of Amsterdam, the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht, curve like a crescent around the old city centre. Until the end of the 16th century, these were bordered on the west by a medieval moat (Singel). In the 17th century, to accommodate the rapidly growing population, the city made plans for this prestigious property between the Amstel and IJ Rivers, as part of urban expansion. Then, as now, Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht addresses are the most coveted residential addresses in the city. The cleaning and maintenance of the canal ring costs the city a fortune every year.

A walk along the canals in the evening, when the bridges and houses are illuminated, is distinctly romantic. The canal architecture of the 17th century is shown off as if it were an open-air museum. The total route along the Amsterdam canals is about 30 kilometres long, too far to walk in a single day. If you decide to choose just one section, we suggest you make it the Golden Bend on Herengracht, probably the most beautiful part of the entire network.

The city’s most expensive canal

In the Golden Bend (Herengracht numbers 456-485) between Leidsegracht and Vijzelstraat, is where you’ll can find the most magnificent mansions. These city palaces with their and gorgeous, spacious gardens – an incredible luxury where housing is so scarce – were inhabited by shipping magnates, rich merchants and the Heren Regeerders, the Lords Regents of the city council after whom the canal was named. This part of town was also very expensive; lots cost between 4800 and 8200 florins up front (approximately 5 to 8 million euros in today’s money). It was the extremely wealthy financial and political elite who built houses here.

Because tax was calculated on the basis of the width of a house and the number of windows it had, most houses in the poorer northern canals are only 4-6 metres wide, but may be as much as 25 metres deep. In the southern part of the city, it common for a buyer to purchase two adjacent lots and then build one house with big, ornamental eaves. In the social code of the day, a man living on Herengracht in a double-wide house was announcing that he had made it in life.

Now almost no one can afford to live on this part of the canal. The maintenance of these buildings is so excessively expensive that banks, insurance companies and financial and cultural institutions have taken up residence here. No matter how beautiful this part of town still is, it has lost part of its soul and liveliness.

Living in style

The leading architects who worked on the Golden Bend borrowed liberally from their French colleagues. Sandstone façades are dominated by a central door that is accessed via characteristic double stairways. The classical façade types (stepped gable, neck gable and bell gable) gave way to the tighter eaves or, again, were decorated with balustrades or statues.