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There are some pleasant and authentic places to be found:
- The Hemp Hotel (Fredericksplein 15) calls itself
a "smoker hotel" and promotes products in everything
hemp. It has warm, colourful and themed rooms, including a
...yes, hemp-induced breakfast in the price (not the same
as hash).
- The Hilton (Apollolaan 138, 710 6000) is not an obvious
choice due to its location. However, if you are lucky enough
to book room 902, you can recreate John Lennon and Yoko Ono's
Bed-in they staged in 1969.
- How about the city's only floating hotel? The Amstel
Botel is moored at Oosterdokskade 2-4, 626 4247, and remember
to ask for a riverside room.
Start exploring
Firstly, get your bearings and experience one of the best
views of Amsterdam by taking a lift to the sixth floor of
the Metz department store for a coffee or broodje (sandwich).
Centraal Station is a good place to start and
where much of your time will be spent. It is also where work
started on the 170 canals that were dug in the 17th century
and defines the heart of Amsterdam: Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht
and Herengracht, one of the most famous canals.
The Amsterdam Culture Leisure Pass can also be bought
at the Amsterdam Tourist office (across from Centraal
Station), which gets you cut price access to museums.
Things to see and do
- Amsterdam has an exhaustive range of specialist shops dealing
in antiques and jewellery - best seen in the Jordaan
district - as well as some excellent markets. These include
the Waterlooplein Flea Market and the Floating Flower
Market on the Singel Canal.
- The Rijksmuseum (Stadhouderskade 42) houses Rembrandt's
masterpiece The Nightwatch, which is worth the entrance fee
alone, although it also includes the world's best collection
of 17th-century Dutch art. (In October 2003, the museum will
close for three years, although some rooms will remain open).
- A short walk away, the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat
7) should also not be missed as it holds the world's largest
collection of his work of around 200 paintings, 500 drawings
and Japanese prints. While you are in the area, learn all
about the diamond cutting trade by visiting one of the factories.
- Why not learn about the story of Dutch beer, which dates
back to 1864, at the Heineken Brewery Experience, located
not far from the Rijksmuseum. The daily tour ends up in the
See You Again bar, where you are invited to sample what you
have just learned.
- For a more sober tour, Amsterdam would not be complete
without a canal trip. Try Amsterdam Canal Cruises,
located opposite the Heineken Experience.
- One of the most popular and lengthy-queue attractions in
Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. Here you can visit
the house where for two years the young Frank wrote her diaries
under Nazi occupation during the second world war.
- Check out and choose from a selection of hash, grass, space
cakes and pre-rolled joints on the "menus" at one
of the 300 licensed coffee shops, where prices range
depending on your preferences to strength, rarity or how you
want to feel. Sadly, a ban is due to take effect in January
2004, where shops will be allowed to sell joints, but customers
will have to go outside to smoke due to new Dutch health laws
related to tobacco, not marijuana.
Like marijuana, prostitution is legal on premises
in the Netherlands, and is concentrated mainly in the Red
Light District. The easiest way in is to enter on Damstraat
and openly wander the streets for peep-shows, half-naked women
in windows (be careful with your camera, for pickpockets and
how you take your pictures), performance art and its many
Chinese restaurants. If the mood takes you further, head for
the famous Sex Museum (Damrak 18, open daily 10am),
which caters for all tastes. It has an extensive collection
of historical erotic art, objects and clothing, as well as
vibrating chairs where you can watch from a selection of pornographic
film clips.
- Like mayonnaise on your chips, Dutch meatballs or swallowing
herring in one? Amsterdam's many food stalls cater for your
preferences.
- For more sedate night time entertainment, visit the National
Ballet or the Stadsschouwburg, the oldest known
theatre in the Netherlands.
Travel Practicalities
People
If you find it hard to leave Amsterdam, this could be because
you have struck up conversation with the Amsterdammers. Almost
all locals are friendly and speak excellent English, although
Dutch is the dominant language. The Netherland's liberal attitude
also makes Amsterdam one of the gay and lesbian centres in
the world, with it also being the first European city to elect
a lesbian mayor, and the police and military openly recruiting
homosexuals. Amsterdam's Gay Pride Festival takes place at
the beginning of August each year.
Travel
Amsterdam is a small city and can be confusing to get around.
Instead of head-scratching, it's best to buy a map or guide
book. Cycling is a popular and inexpensive mode of
transport, generally seen as one of the less dangerous cities
in Europe due to its expansive cycle lanes. The city's efficient
tram system is also a handy way to see the city, and
to save time buy a strippenkaart ahead of your journey at
a newsstand or tobacconist. The No. 20, or Circletram, is
recommended, as the route takes you through the main sightseeing
routes.
When to go
Amsterdam's temperatures and climate are similar to England.
From November-February there are fewer tourists, while this
is also the best time to book hotels in advance for the summer
months. The celebrations around Queen's Day, at the
end of April, can be extremely busy, as with the Grachtenfestival
in the third week of August.
Average Temperatures: March-May (Spring): 47 ºF,
June-August (Summer): 62 ºF, September-November (Autumn):
51 ºF, December-February (Winter): 38 ºF
Currency
The currency of the Netherlands has been the Euro since 2002.
Euro exchange rates very daily.For up to date currency information, check the Currency
Converter.
Visas
A valid American, Canadian or EEC passport is all that is
needed for entry to the Netherlands (for a period of up to
three months), while no vaccinations are required.
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