Amsterdam Holland, the Netherlands' capital, is one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions. Amsterdam is also the country's main cultural center, with more than 40 museums, a lot of theatres, and a lot of universities, academies, and research groups. Furthermore, the city is well-known for its many well-preserved medieval residences. Built on piles driven through an upper layer of mud into the hard, sandy bottom up to 18 meters below, these well-preserved historic structures are laid out in a pattern of concentric segments in the form of a fan.
Boat On The Water Near Buildings in Netherlands' capital In all, 6,750 structures from the 16th to 18th century are crammed into a 2,000-acre region crisscrossed by 160 canals (grachten), which are home to a slew of houseboats. With numerous attractive bridges connecting the city's 90 islands, it's no surprise that Amsterdam is a fantastic city to explore on foot. Eight of them are antique wooden bascule bridges, including the Magere Brug (Mager Bridge), which is one of the most photographed in the city.
With our list of top attractions and interesting things to do in Amsterdam, you can discover the greatest locations to visit in this lively city.
Person Crossing The Amsterdam Bridge Amsterdam is a captivating, unique, and tolerant city laced with 17th-century canals, bustling with bicycles, and studded with towering old townhouses and fascinating museums. People in this city, which is the capital of the Netherlands, aren't afraid to be crazy. It's a fine line between being conservative and being crazy.
People Walking Beside River Under White Cloudy Sky during Visiting Amsterdam April-October (April-May for tulips and other flowers, April for National Museum Week, April 26th or 27th (not on a Sunday) for the outrageously over-the-top Orange Festival, Koningsdag)
December through February are the months to avoid. Even though winter is cold, the days are short and sometimes rainy and dismal. There is fantastic canal skating if it is cold enough, and if it isn't, Amsterdam has many indoor attractions such as museums and coffee shops.
This is a great city for walking or cycling since it has some fantastic museums, unique ethnic cuisine, endless picturesque canal vistas, and canal boats, as well as "coffee shops" that sell very little coffee and window displays that are half-naked and entirely human.
Traditional boats moored on canal against blue sky The Stadsschouwburg theatre is straight ahead, the American Hotel is to the left, and several restaurants and nightclubs are within easy walking distance. A popular nighttime gathering spot
Crown Raising Hands during Performance at Stadsschouwburg Theatre - The Oude Kerk, a 14th-century church and the oldest building in the city, is simple but well-detailed, making it easy to get around.
- The Royal Palace is a magnificent destination to marvel at.
- Visit the Rijksmuseum National Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, two of Amsterdam's best museums.
- The fascinating Anne Frank Huis, where the young heroine hid alongside Nazi refugees for years during WWII... and kept a diary detailing her experiences.
- On Wednesdays, concerts at the Concertgebouw are free.
- Free of charge the bohemian Jordaan area, with its tiny lanes, old buildings, and canals, great restaurants and cafes, eccentric small stores, and an amazing flea market, is one example of how the Dutch used to live.
- Free Begijnhof is a lovely 14th-century plaza concealed behind a simple wooden door.
- Free of charge there used to be a lot of weird red-light districts and coffee shops in Europe, but now they're big business in Colorado because it's legal.
- Free check out the Bloemenmarkt flowers on the Singel canal if you're looking for a burst of color, which may be precisely what you're looking for if you've just left a coffee shop!
- The Central Library is an Openbare Bibliotheek, which means it is free to use. Just 10 minutes from Centraal Station, this is a really handy facility with a café, restaurants, fantastic views, free internet workstations, and foreign publications. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
- Free NDSM wharf, an unusual avant-garde artist community housed in a decommissioned shipyard. You may get there for free by taking a boat from behind Centraal Station.
- Albert Cuypmarkt, a large and colorful street market with a wide range of unusual goods from textiles to food, is Free.
Because Amsterdam is filled with conservative, hardworking Dutch people, it's amazing to witness their historically tolerant and pragmatic attitude towards sex and drugs, which are considered twin evils in various areas of the globe.
However, neighboring Germany now has a very open attitude towards paid sex, with brothels of various kinds and sizes strewn freely around the nation, and certain states in America, led by bold Colorado, are experimenting with full-on cannabis legalization. The War on Drugs was a complete failure! Get out of here!
Bicycles Parked Beside Brown Wooden Fence Near A River The Cannabis College is a non-profit organization in Amsterdam that teaches tourists about cannabis products, their use and misuse, how to bong or vaporize, and coffee shop etiquette, among other things.
Library Inside View of Cannabis College The Rijksmuseum is a vast collection of rare art and artifacts. It was established in 1798. The museum has a million cultural artifacts from the 13th century to the present, as well as over 8,000 important paintings spread across 250 rooms.
With its mix of residential areas, vibrant markets, and expensive stores and restaurants, Jordaan is the most popular district in Amsterdam. There's also much to do in the neighborhood, from strolling along the lovely streets to visiting the numerous top-rated tourist sites.
The West Church (Westerkerk) in Amsterdam is one of the city's most visited churches. One of the most picturesque.
This lovely Renaissance church has numerous interior and exterior Gothic characteristics. Its 85-meter-high "Langer Jan" (Tall John) tower is the city's tallest.
Artis, Amsterdam's magnificent "royal zoo," is within a 5-minute walk from the botanical gardens. This world-class attraction is one of Europe's oldest zoos, founded in 1838. It features critters from all around the world in a shaded garden setting with ancient structures. It displays a coral reef system and an intriguing look beneath an Amsterdam canal.
Main Gate of Amsterdam Royal Zoo The Netherlands' main business and financial center Amsterdam is known to the thousands of visitors that come each year for its historical attractions, significant art collections, and the particular color and flavor of its ancient areas, which have been so carefully kept. For new and seasoned tourists alike, Amsterdam is a must-see destination. For a long time, Amsterdam has been a popular tourist destination, but the crowds are out of control. Over the last ten years, tourism has doubled.