I, Amsterdam

Once upon a time there was a small fishing village on the banks of the river Amstel in a land that was below the sea level. Then in the 13th century, the enterprising inhabitants of the village built a dam on the river just before it entered the Ij making the mouth of the Amstel a natural harbor. With the obvious advantages of having a natural harbor at hand, the residents of the village ‘Amstelledamme’ were also granted freedom from paying a bridge toll Count Floris V. The certificate issued exactly on 27 October 1275 gives the first instance of the usage of the name “Amsterdam”. Taking this enterprising nature of the inhabitants into consideration it is little wonder how this small fishing village turned into one of the largest colonial powers in the next few centuries.

During the Dutch Golden Age (1585-1672), Amsterdam was considered the world’s most important port, a leading center of finance and diamond trade. From its humble origins, Amsterdam became a force to reckon with and a commercial empire reaching all the way to India and South East Asia in the 17th century. Today Amsterdam has become one of the favorite haunts of the adventure loving, liberal tourist and attracts people from all over the globe.

With its radical view on life and its liberal outlook on everything within it, Amsterdam is a delight to visit. The all night coffee houses giving company to the world’s best known red light district is a charming proposition few people can resist. Amsterdam is home to two of the world’s most renowned painters – Rembrandt and Vermeer and the cities several museums pay homage to the works of these and other remarkable artists like Vincent Van Gogh. Thousands of tourists to Amsterdam therefore, are art lovers who soak up the beauty of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” or Rembrandt’s portraits and depictions of biblical scenes.

A big draw for tourists to Amsterdam is its wide, well kept and serene canals, its windmills and the castles built by its various rulers. If none of these are what you want from a vacation, you could try taking a bicycle tour, go to a concerts or lung it out at an Ajax football game.

The Amsterdam Story

According to the legend, two Frisian fishermen and their dog, a Keeshond, found respite from a storm in the Zuiderzee on the banks of the river Amstel. The sea-sick dog threw up and later that night the fishermen dreamt of building a chapel for St. Olaf on the spot where they were sleeping. They built the chapel and marked the beginning of a whole new city in the world!

By the 13th century the small settlement had metamorphosed into a flourishing village whose inhabitants fished in the abundant waters of the Zuiderzee. As the village expanded, more huts had to be built. Since the village lay on marshy land, the huts were built on “Werden” – raised mounds of earth that kept the floor of the hut away from water. But the long term, viable solution came in the form of a dam, built by the villagers on the river Amstel just before it entered the Ij. This first dam was built in the place marked today as the Dam Square.

On October 27, 1275, the inhabitants of the village were also granted freedom by Count Floris V from paying Bridge Toll on Dutch Waterways allowing them to focus more closely on fishing and trade. “City rights” were conferred upon the village in 1300 and the small hamlet was named Amstelledamme – “Dam on the Amstel”. Later the name Amstelledamme gave way to Amsterdam and that’s how this once humble fishing village is known today.

In the 14th century, Amsterdam flourished as an important commercial power mostly due to its trading with the nations of the Hanseatic League. It also gained the status of a pilgrimage city after the 1345 Eucharistic Miracle occurred near the Kalverstraat. After the protestant faith became the more dominant religion in the 16th century, the Dutch led a rebellion against Phillip II of Spain resulting in the Eighty Years’ War and Dutch independence. One of the positive outcomes of this war, pushed forward by its leader, William the Silent, was the exemplary religious tolerance that the nation shows today.

The period from 1585 to 1672 is known as Amsterdam’s Golden Age when the city ruled the worldwide naval trading network. Expeditions to far off places on the globe were financed by Amsterdam’s rich merchants and all this while the city itself was experiencing several changes like the building of the canal system in the city. By the end of the century, Amsterdam was being counted as the most important port of Europe and a leading financial center of the world.

However, during the 17th and 18th centuries, the city’s fortunes dipped as it grappled with a huge influx of immigrants and a devastating bubonic plague during 1663 to 1666. By the time the sun rose on the 19th century, Amsterdam was loosing its sheen as a prosperous city. The Napoleonic Wars saw Amsterdam going to a new low but the institution of the Dutch Monarchy had a very positive impact on the situation.

The end of the 19th century and the onset of the Industrial Revolution brought about a period of renewed glory for Amsterdam and the city invested in the construction of museums, a new train station and the Concertgebouw. The construction of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the North Sea Canal also during this period, made trade and communication with the rest of Europe easier. Another wave of expansion just before the WWI saw the new suburbs rising across the river Amstel.

The war ravaged the city but Amsterdam arose from it only to face another war in just a few decades. The German occupation of Netherlands in 1940 faced the atrocities of a Nazi government and the persecution of its Jewish citizens – the most poignant remnant of which lies today in the Anne Frank Huis. The Second World War depleted the city’s resources and nearly broke its spirit. But the city arose again like a Phoenix and progressed to become one of the most peaceful, radical and invigorating places in Europe.

Today it is the 5th busiest tourist destination in the world and attracts tourists from all over the globe.

The Best Season

A city for all seasons, Amsterdam seems to give its best to tourists during summers, spring time as well as fall, though winter may be a tad bleak it still isn’t too cold to go out. As with other seasons, winter too, has its plus points here. Accommodation, the biggest problem in Amsterdam, is nearly done away with during winters because there aren’t many tourists.

Traditionally, April to July is the time when Amsterdam is placed top of most tourists’ lists. Summer is a pleasant affair with temperatures not straying beyond a comfortable 22 degrees C. Easter and the months of July and August see the largest stream of tourists gushing in and when it is ‘flower-power’ time from April to May, there are yet more people touching down at Schiphol.

Spring time sees some amount of rain but it is never worse than the October to mid May period when it rains the proverbial canines and felines and floods the canals. However, the spring damp isn’t so hard to face especially when the whole city celebrates it with delightful window boxes full of tulips and daffodils swaying in the breeze. In all, regardless of the seasons and their eccentricities, weather is never a big deterrent to the visiting Amsterdam and as they say “The best time to travel to Amsterdam is whenever you can!”

A Foot in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is well connected to most large cities on the continent as well as other prominent cities in the world and arriving by air is the best way to get in to the city. From outside the EU it is best to use a carrier that connects with Amsterdam’s largest airlines – KLM – and land straight at the “Hollow of Ships”, if you are lucky, on an airstrip that runs right above a busy highway…what a sight to soak in! Amsterdam Airport Schiphol connects passengers to the city through a very affordable train service.

Taking a road trip to Amsterdam is a great way to get in as the city is connected well to other cities by several motorways (highways). Driving is safe if time consuming and a lot of people do choose to drive to Amsterdam but be warned the roads are often quite congested and parking a car in Amsterdam is very expensive; if you find a place to park in the first place.

A large number of tourists prefer taking a train to get in as it is convenient and very economical. Also, most trains end up at the Amsterdam Centraal Station which usually is the final destination for a lot of tourists. If you are not planning to stay in one of the many hotels near the Centraal Station, take a train that goes to Duivendrecht, Bijlmer- ArenA, Amstel, and Muiderpoort in the southeastern part of the city or RAI, Zuid-WTC in the south or Lelylaan and Sloterdijk on the western side of the city.

One option of traveling to Amsterdam is by bus. Although most international operators have only one bus per day to the terminal at Amstel Station, the buses are comfortable. Boat service is available to tourist for traveling from UK to Amsterdam. The Maritime Passenger Terminal Amsterdam is close to the city center but is meant only for cruise ships. Ferries are available from several destinations in the United Kingdom for Amsterdam and even Rotterdam. Get more information here.

Leg it in Amsterdam

The first thing you’ll notice on landing in Amsterdam is the number of bicycles on the streets. At the last count there were about 700,000 bicycles in the city! That makes bicycles the obvious choice of transport for a tourist and plenty of bike rental shops in the city and around stations make it easy to rent one. Bicycles cost about € 9 to € 20 a day and come with add-ons like locks and child gear.

You can choose from several companies like Mac Bike, Bakfiets, Mike’s Bike Rental, DamStraat Rent-A-Bike, Orangebike, Rentals & Tours and StarBikes Rental. However, the cheapest mode of transport in Amsterdam is your own two feet! If you are staying in the central area of the city, most attractions would be accessible by foot. So, Walk it if the weather permits.

The city also has an excellent public transport system. Buses and trams are operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Connexxion and Arriva. There are four metro lines and three free ferries to carry passengers and bikers across the Ij to the northern part of the city. Water taxis and Water Buses as well as canal boats are other available options.

Remember to buy a Strippenkart before using any of the public transport options as these strip cards are valid for trains, buses, trams and the metro and can be bought (€ 1.60- € 19.20) from all railways stations, newspaper shops, post offices and even some grocery stores. Using a car within the city is usually not advisable or economical. Parking is scarce and expensive and several streets do not allow cars to enter.

Sleep Time

One of the biggest challenges for a tourist in Amsterdam is to find quality accommodation. The city, overflowing with canals and a huge river running right through the middle of it has precious little land to offer for constructing building. However, being a primarily tourism – driven economy, Amsterdam offers several types of hotels to suit every pocket.

Some of the most famed hotels are: the beautiful Art-deco American Hotel, Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam Hilton, Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and Marriot Hotel Amsterdam. A landmark hotel is the Victoria Hotel located right in front of the Amsterdam Centraal Station.

If you have Euros to burn, try a € 150 to € 260 room in the beautiful Seven Bridges Hotel located along the Reguliersgracht or the uber-luxe Hotel Okura Amsterdam that boasts of two Michelin awarded restaurants (€ 235 and € 2750). One of the oldest and grandest hotels in the city is the 5- star Hotel Pulitzer, housed in 25 historic buildings alongside two of the most breathtaking canals in Amsterdam – Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht (€329). To get a taste of real Dutch décor, history and hospitality try Hotel Brouwer, a canal-side hotel housed in a historic building constructed during the Dutch Golden Age(€55- €90).

Bed and breakfast accommodations are comfortable, offer privacy and good service. Try some of these:

The Blue Sheep: Located between the Herengracht and the Singel (€120), Maggy’s Bed & Breakfast (€200), The Barangay Bed & Breakfast, housed in a beautiful building constructed in 1777 (€138 - €162), Boogaard’s Bed & breakfast in the famous Jordaan Quarters (€100), Suite 259 close to Vondelpark will cost you steep at € 200 a night.

Hostel accommodations are also a popular option for budget tourists in Amsterdam. Hostels provide a safe, convenient and economical alternative to hotels and Bed & Breakfasts and give you a chance to meet a lot of new people. Try Euphemia Hotel built in an ex-monastery (€35 - €70) or the StayOkay Vondelpark near Leidseplein (€22 - €45). Other hostels worth exploring are The Golden Bear (€95), Amsterdam Cribs (€ 30), The Flying Pig (€20) and The Greenhouse Effect for (€40). For more choices follow this link.

If you are looking for specialty hotels try Hotel de Filosoof (€ 100 - € 120) or Lute Suites, perfect for honeymooners (€300 - €395). Got Euros to burn? Check out Hotel Seven One Seven (€ 425- € 680) or the modernistic Dylan Hotel (€ 295 – € 1500).

That Food Thingy!

Eating out in Amsterdam is a steal. The food is abundant and not all that expensive! Try some of these places once you are through with that little Greek Place near Dam Square that sells the most mouthwatering Dolmas or the Doner Kebap place right across the bridge from the Centraal Station:

Christophe: The place is run tight by the Michelin starred Chef Jean-Christophe Royer, fusing French cuisine with East Asian and coming up with the most exotic results. Reservations are required at this Leliegracht, chic and contemporary restaurant

Le Ciel Bleu: This famed restaurant at the Hotel Okura is the ultimate word in French Cuisine outside of France. Make reservations for Lobster Soufflé and sautéed Scampi.

De Silvere Spiegel: Fish is a specialty in this intimate, candle-lit restaurant that is housed in two beautifully restored town houses near Amsterdam Centraal. Must go place for its Zaandam mustard soup with bacon crackling and the smoked eel.

La Rive: La Rive is one of the country’s finest restaurants, thanks to Chef Edward Katz – one of Netherlands’ most acclaimed chefs. Try the North Sea Crab Salad and the poached rabbit to experience heaven on earth.

For the best wine in town go to Het Tuynhuys in Reguliersdwarsstraat and to sample the craziest Indonesian food go to Kantjil en de Tijger in Spuistraat. Another great Indonesian restaurant is the Blue Pepper in Nassaukade which ties for a great evening with Envy – a new creation by the Supper Club team.

People watch at The Gold Room at the Odeon Hotel and for visual and gastronomic pleasure try Rain on Rembrandtplein. If money is on your mind, try Café de Jaren, Café van Puffelen, De Keuken Van or the Pancake Bakery – the last being very popular with kids.

Amsterdam’s Jordaan area is worth exploring when you want the evasive combination of good food and affordability. A great Italian restaurant that offers authentic fare is Toscanini on Lindengracht where food is prepared in an open plan kitchen. Great for handmade pasta, risotto as well as traditional Italian dishes, this one doesn’t make you pray for an inheritance. Another one in the ‘easy on the wallet’ series is Le Marche on Kalverstraat. This one is convenient, serves mouthwatering freshly baked bread and humongous pizza slices.

Some of the best economy meals in Amsterdam can be had in one of the city’s many “Squat Restaurants” that run out of abandoned buildings. Most of these meals would cost you about € 5 and are healthy and filling.

The Razzle-Dazzle Amsterdam

Amsterdam has often been called the Venice of the North. With its delicate, narrow houses strung the sides of its canals like beads the claim isn’t ambitious. Being in Amsterdam is like being transported to another world, full of charming boat houses, quaint, filigreed bridges, tree lined roads its hip café culture and cyclists! The huge number of cyclists and the small number of cars on the streets makes it a quieter city compared to its counterparts elsewhere. But the most seductive feature of this beautiful city, for most tourists, is its coffee shops where you can buy marijuana AND smoke it and the city’s famous red light district where scantily clad girls beckon passers by with a smile and promises.

However, there is more to Amsterdam than canals, soft – drugs and the red light district. Beyond the famed night life, the pubs, brown cafes and coffee shops lies an Amsterdam that is the real treat for tourists. These are the places that bear testimony to this great city’s history, its culture and its evolution and none come above the Dam Square – right in the middle of the city and a few minutes away from Amsterdam Centraal. If you are living somewhere in the central part, chances are you would be a cucumber skin’s throw away from Dam Square! So make full use of the opportunity and spend time on the square which is a popular tourist rendezvous point and ‘the’ place in Amsterdam to sit around, smoke some and blissfully vegetate!

Don’t miss these Amsterdam beauties:

Oude Kerk – Situated, surprisingly, in the middle of Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District, Oude Kirk is a huge old protestant church with little houses hemmed to its sides. Especially photographic is the church’s Gothic-renaissance style octagonal bell tower that was once used by sailors to get their bearings.

Westerkirk – Westerkirk (left) is the other most popular church in Amsterdam. A Renaissance style building, Westerkirk holds the remains of Rembrandt and his son, Titus and was also the scene of Princess (now Queen) Beatrix and Prince Claus’ wedding in 1966. Get the best view of the city by taking the elevator to the top of the Westertoren.

Begijnhof – The Begijnhof is an enclosed courtyard dating from the early 14th century. An oasis of quiet right in the middle of the city, it was originally built as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes, a catholic sisterhood. Begijnhof has beautiful houses that overlook its well kept garden as well as Amsterdam’s oldest surviving house – Het Houten Huis dating from 1420.

Anne Frank Huis - Anne Frank House (Left) in the center of Amsterdam is the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II. The original of the diary is on display as part of the Anne Frank House's permanent exhibition.

Jordaan – A former working class area which has become one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city today, Jordaan is an experience in itself. Walk around Jordaan and sample its bars, restaurants and interesting little shops as well as the Noordermarkt that hosts a flea market

Rembrandtplein – This is the most happening entertainment Amsterdammers as well as tourists. Go here for its discos and nightclubs as well as the several major gay spots that surround the area.

Leidseplein – The Leidseplein is a pleasant enough small square, flanked on three sides by bars and with a large tree-shaded terrace in the middle. Watch out for street performers, sit down at one of the bars and people watch

Albert Cuyp Market – (Right) this is Amsterdam's most famous day market, with stalls lining both sides of the Albert Cuyp Street. You can buy a lot of affordable clothing here as well as fresh fruit, vegetables and fish

Artis Zoo – Artis, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, founded in 1838 is famous for its 19th-century atmosphere of the gardens, fascinating sculptures and historical buildings. Artis is spread in an area of 14 hectares and is home to around 700 species of animals. Great fun for kids and adults

Vondel Park – This is the largest park in the city and famous for its summertime Vondelpark open air theater. Try one of the several bars in the park or just spend a lazy sunny afternoon doing nothing at all!

Rembrandt’s House: Rembrandt’s house is home to over 250 of his etchings and some paintings of his pupils. The museum has recently been restored and is a great way to spend an afternoon.

Van Gogh Museum: The museum is home to over 200 paintings and 500 drawings of the great artist as part of a permanent exhibition. The paintings are presented unadorned, in chronological order according to the different periods and residences in Van Gogh's career. Race up to the second floor for the famous “Sunflowers”, they are irresistible.

Rijksmuseum: By far the largest museum in the Netherlands, housed in a monumental neo-renaissance building, The Rijksmuseum draws over one million visitors a year for its fine works from its 17th century collection and the best of the Dutch Golden Age including Rembrandts Night Watch, paintings by Frans Hals, Paulus Potter, Jacob van Ruysdael, Jan Steen, and Johannes Vermeer… a feast for the soul!

The Dutchman’s Gold mine

Shopping in Amsterdam

Traditionally, shops and markets are closed on Sundays and on Monday mornings. On all other days you can go splurge or just window shop between 10 am and 5 or 6 pm, though nowadays some stores stay up later than their official bed time and play ball even on Sundays. Here’s a Hot Tip for you: Thursdays are late night shopping days and you can make the most of it till about ten in the night!

You would find the best shops on the Leidsestraat between the Leidseplein and Spui, and the Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk, starting from the Munt Tower via the Dam to near the Central Station. There are large stores near the Munt Tower and at the Dam. There is a large supermarket behind the Palace at the Dam, open until 22:00 7 days a week.

You can get some trendy and very creative items in the Jordaan area and the streets around. Fish through all the small, interesting and quite colorful shops around here; you never know what you might end up with. The PC Hooftstraat and district, near the museums, contains many of the more chic shops.

There is an interesting daily clothes and second-hand market around the City Hall and Opera near Waterlooplein and a bustling cosmopolitan food and clothes market in the Albert Cuypstraat. The flower market on the Singel is not to be missed.

The Undiscovered Amsterdam

- Ij Brewery: housed in the only windmill left in the city and a must – see – and- get – drunk for the beer –oriented.

- Magere Brug: Of Amsterdam's 1280 or so bridges, the Magere Brug, or “Skinny Bridge” is the most famous. Wait a while to see the bridge open to let boats through... great fun to watch

- Amstelkring, Our Lord in the Attic: This concealed Catholic Church at the edge of the Red Light District is a reminder of the Alteration period in Holland. The building's lower floors became a museum in 1888 housing a collection of church artifacts and paintings.

Go Dutch… Or Free!

Not everything enjoyable in Amsterdam needs to cost money. If you pay heed to what the local Amsterdammers have to say you can do a whole lot of fun things, absolutely cash free. Take a look at these activities:

A free ferry running from behind Amsterdam Centraal will take you to the other side of the IJ …hop an and cross the famous river and go for a walk along the North Holland Canal. It is a beautiful experience

Walk up the roof of the New Metropolis and get one of the best views of Amsterdam from there – and it’s all for free

Visit the Historical Museum gallery or wander along the Flower Market on the Singel

Browse the Waterlooplein market; you never know what bargains would turn up

Go to a free lunch concert in the Concertgebouw near Museumplein

Take the tower up to the cafe in the Kalvertoren shopping mall; enjoy your coffee and admire the breathtaking view of the city

Go to the cafe in Metz and people-watch

Visit the West Indies House and walk around the ex-offices of the company that once owned New York!

The Barrel O’ Tips

General

Most businesses in Amsterdam don’t open until 10 am and cafes and bars shut shop after midnight

Although spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons of the year, rain comes unannounced at times during these months. So it’s best to carry an umbrella with you

Just about everyone in Amsterdam speaks English – thanks to all the tourism. So if you ever get lost or need directions, just ask

As with all big cities driven by tourism, Amsterdam too, has its shares of cheats. Although uncommon in bigger establishments, the trick of tendering wrong change is quite commonplace. To avoid this, when you hand in the money, mention its denomination and be alert to the change you are given

Don’t try to photograph the women in the red light district, De Wallen – you may be fined! Apart from that Amsterdam is one of the safest cities in the world, even late at night

Although you are not obliged to leave a tip at bars and restaurants, a 5% tip is acceptable

If you have hired a bike for going around the city, take good care of it as bike thefts are very common

Families

- Instead of booking two rooms in a hotel, try one of Amsterdam’s ultra-efficient, of course small, apartments. There are many options, especially in the central city and most are just a short walk from all attractions – Big Economy

- Food is not over-the-top expensive in Amsterdam, as in Paris. However, touring Amsterdam with family means there are going to be a few hungry kids in the group – keep dry snacks and chocolate/granola bars for those in-between times.

- A trip to the National Maritime Museum is a lot of fun for kids, though it is shut for renovations till 2010.

- Another fun place for the whole family to go to is the New Metropolis Museum

- Make some time for the De Mirandabad Swimming Pool on your trip

Couples

What do you do if it’s February, you are with your loved one and the land beneath your feet is called Amsterdam? You swing them off their feet with a private cruise on one of the canals. Hire a Saloon Boat for an evening and celebrate with champagne. Try – Rederij Lieve Amsterdam OR Amsterdam Boat

Amsterdam is synonymous with diamonds, so go ahead and gift the most romantic and enduring gifts to your loved one – a freshly cut diamond

- Can’t afford fresh cut diamonds? Shower your partner with fresh cut flowers! Bloemenmarkt (Left) is the place you should be headed to and little is the price you would pay to see your partner’s face light up with joy

Take a day off from sightseeing to go to Keukenhof – it is one of the most romantic experiences of a lifetime

Need more tips? Listen to them

Some of the best travel experts in the online world recommend the following for Amsterdam. Try them out!

The Guardian recommends getting bullied at dinner and coming away soul- satisfied at the tongue twister – Utrechtsedwarstafel

Fodors’ suggests getting a peak and more at the Joods Historiche Museum and a serious night out at Café Vertigo before leaving the city

Frommers.com says trying a Rijsttafel is one of the best experiences you would take back from Amsterdam.

Amsterdam virtual Tour

If you want to explore Amsterdam from your computer, you can do this downloading this files to use with Google Earth software:

Amsterdam virtual tour part 1 (kmz file)

Amsterdam virtual tour part 2 (kmz file)