Amsterdam
Amsterdam is just a short hop from the UK, and
its incongruous mix of sex and drugs, museums and
galleries, attracts a diverse range of visitors.
A cosmopolitan city, Amsterdam manages to combine
a historical façade with a youthful heart.
Amsterdam was founded on a dam on the river Amstel
in the thirteenth century, and swiftly rose in political
and economic prominence as nearby rival Antwerp declined.
The city went from strength to strength in the seventeenth
century, with an influx of citizens and a burgeoning
maritime trade. In a relatively short space of time,
Amsterdam became the fulcrum of a vast trading empire
that jostled with the international interests of the
British and French in Asia.
Amsterdam failed to maintain its economic and political
power into the twentieth century, but is still an
important European city and major tourist destination.
With its network of canals, relaxed drugs laws,
and world class museums (such as the Van Gogh
and Rijksmuseum), Amsterdam has plenty to offer.
With 165 canals, a cruise - either a highlights
tour or a fully catered experience - is a must.
Many good cafes and restaurants overlook the canals,
and the Historic Centre with its infamous red light
district is bisected by one of the major city waterways.
Amsterdam's main highlights are pretty much explorable
on foot, although with 400,000 bicycles and widespread
cycling lanes, pedal power can make a useful alternative
means of transport. The streets can get crowded,
particularly around Damrak and Dam Square - a central
meeting spot for locals and tourists alike. There
are always plenty of cafes - of the normal or of the
'smoking' kind' - that you can relax in after a bout
of sight-seeing.
Whether you're an art lover or not the Van Gogh
Museum will take your breath away. Housing dozens
of the trademark vibrant works, this is the definitive
Van Gogh collection. A short walk away is the equally
impressive Rijks Museum - a treasure house of
artifacts and featuring works by Dutch Masters such
as Rembrandt.
Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most popular
and moving destinations, although the queues and
the crowds can overwhelm at times. Preserved as it
was left after the war, the house is a monument to
the courage of one young girl and her family, who
hid in the house for two years from the Nazis, before
being betrayed and sent to the extermination camps.
Getting There
British
Airways, KLM,
British
Midland, and Easyjet
all fly direct to Amsterdam a number of times each
day, and there are usually good deals to be had, so
shop around.
Eurostar
can take you direct to Brussels, where Intercity Expresses
connect to Amsterdam. Travel time is a shade under
five hours.
Eurolines
Bus Services and Stena
Line ferry links (to the Hook of Holland)
are two lower cost options, although as you'd expect
travelling time is significantly longer than for air
travel.
PP
Travel offer short breaks to Amsterdam, Click
here for details.
More Information
Check out Visit
Amsterdam or Visit
Holland. For an 'alternative' viewpoint, visit
Cannabis
Cafe's site...
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