The boroughs are responsible for many activities that had previously been run by the central city. Fourteen of those had their own district council (deelraad), elected by a popular vote. The fifteenth, Westpoort, covers the harbour of Amsterdam and has very few residents. Van Gogh lived in Amsterdam for a short while and there is a museum dedicated to his work.

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As Amsterdam’s most revered Catholic church, you can expect to be blown away when you head inside. Exquisite stained glass windows, detailed murals, dimmed lighting, and high ceilings are just some of the highlights of this structure. Another spot that’s sometimes surprisingly omitted from visitor’s itineraries is the Basilica of St. Nicholas. Buy your tickets on the day or beat the lines and snap yours up for €22.50 online ahead of time. Some of the artists you can expect to feature include the likes of Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol, and Lucio Fontana. The Stedelijk Museum’s 90,000-piece collection of paintings, sculptures, and furniture is sure to keep you enthralled.
Driving Innovation With The Virtual Bartender Voice Skill
- Whether you’re a movie guru or just enjoy visiting somewhere a little different, the Eye Filmmuseum is the center of Amsterdam’s film scene.
- After you’ve stocked up on bitter balls, you’ll have your pick for 19 other stands if you’re still feeling peckish.
- If you want to visit multiple attractions, you can save a lot of money by purchasing the I Amsterdam City Card.
- At the centre of the neighbourhood’s social life there was always the Saint Rita church.
- Just try to pace yourself because the city is brimming with craft beer bars and microbreweries that will beckon you for one more frothy fluitje.
Better yet, grab a coffee from any of the park’s cafes, bring some snacks, and have a lake-side picnic. From an often chaotic Amsterdam experience to something much more laid-back, the lush Vondelpark will be a place to catch your breath after a few hours of cycling or wandering the lively streets. The cast of Netflix’s Amsterdam Empire is led by award-winning actors Famke Janssen (X-Men, GoldenEye) and Jacob Derwig (Klem, Maxima) as Betty and Jack van Doorn, respectively.
Take A Canal Cruise

Equally, bars like Coco’s Outback, Club Smokey (with the adjacent Smokey Coffeeshop) and Prime are always popular. The Reguliersdwarsstraat which is home to Amsterdam’s best gay clubs and bars is next to Rembrandtplein, with Club Nyx (check out the club’s ‘3xNyx till 9am’ events if you really want to party!) and Café Exit hosting daily club nights and events. Leidseplein is one of the most well-known areas for a night out in Amsterdam.
- Housed in a converted church, Paradiso has hosted iconic acts like The Rolling Stones and Prince and continues to showcase a superb roster of international talent.
- Before moving to their current location in 1996, Ajax played their regular matches in the now demolished De Meer Stadion in the eastern part of the city232 or in the Olympic Stadium.
- We Are Amsterdam wants to be there for travellers that are looking to have a good time in Amsterdam.
- Only those provided with a safe haven, avoiding deportation and denunciation, or the very few who returned from the camps at the end of the war, managed to survive.
- Amsterdam has the biggest cruise port in the Netherlands with more than 150 cruise ships every year.
Cityscape And Architecture
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch (not to be mistaken with Deutsch – which is the German language). However, the Netherlands is a multicultural place and with people of almost 200 different nationalities residing in the country, there are a huge variety of languages spoken by the population. Hermitage Amsterdam (1.6 km)Peruse a breath-taking collection of rotating art and history exhibits at this museum. All guests can enjoy unwinding at the end of the day with a glass of wine in one of our bars, a soak in our spa, or with a plate of authentic local cuisine in one of our restaurants. There are many castles, palaces and fortresses in the Amsterdam Area that provide a window into the region’s regal past and will make you feel like the star of your own fairytale.

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Explore Madame Tussauds
More than 100,000 Dutch Jews were deported and murdered in Nazi concentration camps62, including 56,521 victims in Auschwitz and a further number of 34,082 accounted for in Sobibor. Around 60,000 Jewish inhabitants, including Jewish prewar refugees from Austria and Germany, were living in Amsterdam at the time of the Nazi occupation. Only those provided with a safe haven, avoiding deportation and denunciation, or the very few who returned from the camps at the end of the war, managed to survive. The bishop of Utrecht granted Amsterdam zone rights in either 1300 or 1306.47 The Mirakel van Amsterdam nl in 1345 rendered the city an important place of pilgrimage. During the heyday of the Stille Omgang, which became the expression of the pilgrimage after the Protestant Reformation,4849 up to 90,000 pilgrims came to Amsterdam.
Performing Arts
From here, you’ll be able to spot sites like the A’DAM Lookout and the Eye Filmmuseum. Amsterdam’s famous Foodhallen would give any food court a run for its money. First-time visitors should head straight to De Ballenbar, an ever-busy stand where a Michelin-star chef and his team prepare their own take on bitterballs, a type of Dutch meatball. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal station and is served by domestic and international intercity trains, such as Eurostar and EuroCity. Schiphol is the largest airport in the Netherlands, the third-largest in Europe, and the 14th-largest in the world in terms of passengers.
Head Out On A Guided Beer Or Prosecco Bike Tour
These companies acquired overseas possessions that later became Dutch colonies. From the moment you arrive in the airport, We Are Amsterdam is here to help you ensure that your whole time in Amsterdam is planned and executed with perfection and professionalism and that the trip is an enjoyable success for all. People often refer to the Netherlands as Holland (and in many languages the two are interchangeable – from Hungarian to Catalan!). This comes from the fact that, although Holland is just a part of the Netherlands it is the one that covers much of the coast and is home to the three largest cities in the country. Historically, therefore, the Dutch traders that had most contact with the outside world really did come from Holland and so this misconception spread.
The Red-Light District is Amsterdam’s most infamous neighbourhood and is home to a range of bars in addition to the iconic red windows and coffee shops that have become synonymous with this part of the city. The Red-Light District is one of the most popular places to go at night in Amsterdam for tourists visiting the city. Amsterdam has eight remaining windmills, and the easiest to visit is De Gooyer in the Oostelijke Eilanden (Eastern Islands) neighbourhood. And this isn’t just any windmill – for under the sails of this striking landmark is Brouwerij ‘t IJ, an award-winning artisan microbrewery with a large outdoor drinking terrace and 30-minute guided tasting tours. The brewery produces a range of organic standard and seasonal ales that you’ll find in many Amsterdam bars, though nothing tastes quite as good as beer brewed on the premises. Just try to pace yourself because the city is brimming with craft beer bars and microbreweries that will beckon you for one more frothy fluitje.
A Dutch Sharing Must Try Tips, Hidden Gems & Local Hotspots!

Since Amsterdam is a multicultural city, a lot of different ethnic restaurants can be found. Restaurants range from being rather luxurious and expensive to being ordinary and affordable. The two main nightlife areas for tourists are the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein. The Paradiso, Melkweg and Sugar Factory are cultural centres, which turn into discothèques on some nights. Created in the 17th century to keep the sea at bay, Amsterdam’s UNESCO-protected canal belt is the quintessential postcard-perfect vision of Amsterdam.
We Bike Amsterdam is a group of enthusiastic and local guides, united by a passion for Amsterdam and cycling. In 2013 we started this collective with the purpose to show people the real city of Amsterdam from a local perspective. Meeting people from all over the world and sharing our knowledge about the city is what we love to do. Visit picturesque villages, an old windmill and bike over dams and dykes. Learn about Holland ‘s history and how the Dutch manage to live below sea level.
Amsterdam has the cleanest tap water in Europe – it’s perfectly safe to drink (despite what unscrupulous restaurant owners will tell you!). After the sale of the wholesale business, the company expanded and set out to conquer the Netherlands. When son Ronald de Waal joined the company in 1977, expansion abroad soon followed. In Switzerland Hij Mannenmode took over ten menswear businesses, rapidly adding another 30 shops under the name ‘Hey’ over the years that followed.