Amsterdam

windmills

Windmills were not built in urban areas, since the buildings obstructed the wind. The Amsterdam windmills were all originally outside its city walls. There are a total of eight windmills in Amsterdam, and most of them are in Amsterdam West. However, the best one to visit might De Gooyer, which is not far from the city centre, and is being used as a brewery for you to enjoy. The only windmill fully open to the public is the Molen van Sloten in Sloten, a former village now part of West.

museums

Amsterdam has an amazing collection of museums, ranging from masterpieces of art to porn, vodka and cannabis. The most popular ones can get very crowded in the summer peak season, so it's worth exploring advance tickets or getting there off-peak eg. very early in the morning. Some of the quality museums that you can't miss:

Anne Frank House

— dedicated to Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who kept a diary while hiding from Nazi persecution in hidden rooms at the rear of the building known as the Achterhuis. It's an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank, but also highlights other forms of persecution and discrimination.

Rijksmuseum

— absolutely top-class museum that has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Some artists you can't overlook are Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. The must-sees are Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid. The museum also boasts a substantial collection of Asian art. The Rijksmuseum is under heavy construction until at least 2013. Until then, there is a limited collection on display called 'the Masterpieces', showing all the highlights that are absolutely worth a visit.

Van Gogh Museum

— even someone with little knowledge of art must have heard about Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art for its vivid colors and emotional impact. This museum has the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world.

The other museums are described in the district articles.

The Museum Card Museum Jaarkaart (http://www.museumjaarkaart.nl) costs €39.95 or €22.45 for those under 18 years old. It covers the cost of admission to over 400 museums across the Netherlands and you can buy it at most major museums. It is valid for an entire year, and you will need to write your name, birthday, and gender on it. If you are going to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, those are €12.50 and €14 each respectively, so this card can quickly pay for itself. The tickets to the major museums, including the audio guide, can be bought early from the tourist information desk at no extra cost. Alternatively, for short stays, you can consider buying the I amsterdam card (http://www.iamsterdam.com...), starting at €38 per day, which includes "free" access to Amsterdam museums, public transport and discount on many tourist attractions.

churches & synagogues

Since the Middle Ages and throughout the 17th century, the Netherlands was a country with a relatively high degree of freedom and tolerance towards other religions and cultures, especially compared to other countries in Europe. Between 1590 and 1800, the estimated foreign-born population was never less than 5 percent, many of them settling in Amsterdam. This led to a large diaspora of Jews, Huguenots French protestants, Flemish, Poles and other peoples in the city. Especially the Jewish have always had a large presence in Amsterdam, notably in the Old Jewish Quarter though this quarter has been in a status of decay since World War II. The most prominent synagogue is The Esnoga or The Portuguese Synagogue , built in 1675 in an austere Classicist style.

As the Dutch were a protestant nation, most of the churches are from this branch of Christianity. Some of the most notable churches:

Oude Kerk

1306 (http://www.oudekerk.nl/) Located on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, in the red-light district. The oldest of the five main churches in the historic centre. You can climb the tower from April to September on Saturday & Sunday, every half-hour. Also open in the winter by group appointment maximum 10 people cost €70 per hour. mailto:[email protected] for more information.

Nieuwe Kerk

15th century (http://www.nieuwekerk.nl/...) Located on Dam Square. Used for royal coronations, most recently the crowning of Queen Beatrix in 1980, and royal weddings, most recently the wedding of crown prince Willem-Alexander to princess Máxima in 2002. Today, the church is no longer used for services but is now a popular exhibition space.

Zuiderkerk

built 1603-1611 (http://www.zuiderkerk.ams...) Located on Zuiderkerkhof "Southern Graveyard" square. Now an information centre on housing and planning. You can visit the tower from April to September Monday to Saturday with guide only every half-hour, cost €6. Also open in the winter by group appointment maximum 15 people cost €70 per hr. mailto:[email protected] for more information.

Noorderkerk

built 1620-1623 (http://www.noorderkerk.or...) Located on Noordermarkt on the Prinsengracht.

Westerkerk

built 1620-1631 (http://www.westerkerk.nl/) Located on Westermarkt near the Anne Frank House. The church is open free for visitors from Monday to Friday, 11AM-3PM, from April to September. You can also climb the tower with guide only every half-hour, Mon to Saturday €6. The tower is also open in the winter by group appointment maximum 10 people cost €70 per hr. mailto:[email protected] for more information. In good weather you can see all of Amsterdam, and as far as the coast.

The late-medieval city also had smaller chapels such as the Sint Olofskapel circa 1440 on Zeedijk, and convent chapels such as the Agnietenkapel on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal 231 originally 1470, now the University of Amsterdam museum. Later churches included the Oosterkerk 1669 in the eastern islands, and the heavily restored Lutheran Church on the Singel 1671, now used by a hotel as a conference centre. Catholic churches were long forbidden, and built again only in the 19th-century: the most prominent is the Neo-Baroque Church of St. Nicholas 1887 opposite Central Station.

Also, investigate some of the "hidden churches" found in Amsterdam, mainly Catholic churches that remained in activity following the Reformation. A prominent hidden church is Amstelkring Museum Our Lord in the Attic Chapel (http://www.opsolder.nl/en...) Well worth the visit.

attractions and tours

The Heineken Experience.

Former Heineken Brewery , Stadhouderskade 78 (http://www.heinekenexperi...). Do not expect a beer museum but rather to be flooded with Heineken advertisements. M-Su 11AM-7PM, last entry 5:30PM

Vodka Museum Amsterdam

(http://www.vodkamuseum.com). The Vodka Museum Amsterdam is located in an old townhouse on Damrak 33, the main entrance of the city. The small, and modern museum is also a party and events venue. During a visit to the Vodka Museum you will receive a personal guide who will walk you through the 3-story museum. The museum tells the story of the history of vodka, the production process and the different types of vodka. At the end you get to drink some.

The Amsterdam Dungeon (http://www.the-dungeons.nl) is a horror tour through several dark chambers with live actors. It ends with a roller coaster raging through a real 13th century church.

Organised city tours

Several operators offer tours, visits to diamond factories, other guided visits, and canal cruises. Unless you really need a guide - for instance if you speak only Chinese - it is cheaper to visit everything yourself.

New Amsterdam Tours

(http://www.newamsterdamto...) offers a free three-hour guided tour tips accepted at the end of the tour of the major Amsterdam sites and history twice a day at 11AM and 1PM and once a day in Spanish at 11AM. Meet in front of the tourist information office across from Amsterdam Centraal Station, near the tour guide in a red "Free Tour" shirt. The company also offers a 2 hr guided tour through the Red Light District at 6:45PM that meets at the same location for €10 per person €8 for students.

Amsterdam City Tours

(http://www.amsterdamcityt...) is a tour company offering bus, bike, boat, and walking tours through some of the most fascinating places in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands. ☎ +31 299-770799 or see their website for more information.

Amsterdam City Guide

(http://www.Hostels-Amster...) Is Amsterdam City Guide with touristic articles, attractions, tips, tours services, concert tickets & accommodation. Customized Amsterdam maps are available as well and answers to most touristic questions.

Homomonument

(http://www.homomonument.com/) Is a memorial to gays and lesbians murdered in the Second World War, a call for vigilance against homophobia, and an inspiration for gays and lesbians the world over. Three equilateral triangles made of pink granite that are connected by an inlaid band of pink bricks. These three triangles represent the past, present and future. It is located between the Westerkerk (http://www.westerkerk.nl/and) the Keizersgracht canal

World of AJAX

(http://www.amsterdamarena...) AJAX offers multiple daily tours through the ArenA stadium and the 'world of AJAX'. See their website for more information, no reservation applicable.

zoo and botanical garden

For Artis Zoo and botanical gardens, head for Plantage.

architecture

Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centres in Europe, with about 7,000 registered historic buildings. The street pattern has been largely unchanged since the 19th century — there was no major bombing during World War II. The center consists of 90 islands linked by 400 bridges, some of them beautifully lit at night.

The inner part of the city centre, the Old Centre, dates from medieval times. The oldest streets are the Warmoesstraat and the Zeedijk located in the Nieuwmarkt area of the Old Centre. As buildings were made of wood in the Middle Ages, not much of this period's buildings have survived. Two medieval wooden houses did survive though, at Begijnhof 34 and Zeedijk 1. Other old houses are Warmoesstraat 83 built around 1400, Warmoesstraat 5 around 1500 and Begijnhof 2-3 around 1425. The Begijnhof is a late-medieval enclosed courtyard with the houses of beguines, Roman Catholic women living in a semi-religious community. Beguines are found in Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and north-western Germany. House number 34 at the Begijnhof is the oldest home in Amsterdam. Entry to the courtyard and surrounding gardens is free, but be careful not to disturb the local community still living here.

One of the most prominent features is the Canal Ring, a concentric ring of canals built in the 17th century. The merchant-based oligarchy that ruled the trading city of Amsterdam built canal houses and mansions in the most prestigious locations here, especially along the main canals. Typical for the country are its traditional white draw bridges. The best example has to be the Magere Brug in the Canal Ring, which is over 300 years old and nearly in its original capacity. It is a beautiful place to overlook the river and take in some traditional Dutch architecture.

The Jordaan was built around 1650 along with the Canal Ring, but not for the wealthy merchants. For a long time it was considered the typical working-class area of Amsterdam, and included some notorious slums. The name probably derives from the nickname 'Jordan' for the Prinsengracht. Apart from a few wider canals, the streets are narrow, in an incomplete grid pattern as the grid followed the lines of the former polders located here in medieval times. This district is the best example of "gentrification" in the Netherlands, as recently it turned into a hip boutique district.

There are several large warehouses for more specific uses. The biggest is the Admirality Arsenal 1656-1657, now the Maritime Museum Scheepvaartmuseum at Kattenburgerplein. Others include the former turf warehouses 1550 along the Nes, now the municipal pawn office; a similar warehouse at Waterlooplein 69-75 Arsenaal, 1610, now an architectural academy, and the warehouse of the West India Company 1642 at the corner of Prins Hendrikkade and 's-Gravenhekje. The city office for architectural heritage BMA (http://www.bma.amsterdam.nl/) has an excellent online introduction to the architectural history and the types of historical buildings available. The website includes a cycle route along important examples.

Windmills were not built in urban areas, since the buildings obstructed the wind. The Amsterdam windmills were all originally outside its city walls. There are a total of eight windmills in Amsterdam, and most of them are in West. However, the best one to visit is De Gooyer, which is not far from the city centre, and is being used as a brewery for you to enjoy. The only windmill fully open to the public is the Molen van Sloten in Sloten, a former village now part of West.