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The Canals
Albert Cuyp
Anne Frank House
Dam Square
Royal Palace
Leidseplein
Red Light District
Reguliersdwarsstraat
Rembrandtplein
Vondelpark
Waterlooplein
Diamond Factories
The Canals
 The
canals of course are one of the major attractions of the 'Venice
of the North'. By daytime already very charming, by night they become
even more enchanting because a lot of the canal houses and bridges
are beautifully illuminated. The four main city center canals are
Prinsengracht, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Singel, and of course
there are numerous smaller canals, of which the Brouwersgracht,
the Bloemgracht and the Leliegracht are especially pleasant.
You can sample the canal views by taking a canal tour with one of
the shipping companies on the Damrak or Rokin. You could also try
the more adventurous pedal boats, rental outlets are at strategic
points in town, including the Anne Frank house and the Rijksmuseum.
Life on water is very different from life ashore, and if you care
to venture into the canals on your own you'll soon find out that
it's difficult to get your bearing while afloat. Bring a good map!
You can also order a water-taxi (Tel: 622 21 81) to get you from
A to B in a pleasant though more expensive way.
Albert Cuyp
 Amsterdam's
most famous day market, with stalls lining both sides of the Albert
Cuyp street. Like all other day markets, in part due to stronger
legislation regarding the sale of perishables, this icon of Amsterdam
street trade sees a shift towards the sale of cheap textiles. It
still retains some of its old charm though, and especially on a
sunny day the Albert Cuyp is a bustling multicultural street filled
with the famous Amsterdam humor. Don't miss the fish vendors, and
if you're lucky you might witness the unsurpassed act of a hawker
trying to sell you the latest in potato peelers.
Open: Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm (closes earlier in winter,
or due to bad weather).
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Anne Frank
House
 The
Anne Frank House is situated in the center Amsterdam: the hiding
place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II.
Anne Frank was a normal girl in exceptional circumstances. For more
than two years her diary described the events in her daily life.
In the original Anne Frank House the visitor is informed about what
happened during the period of hiding. The front part of the house
has being returned to the style and atmosphere it had during the
period of hiding. Due to conservation the rear part of the house
has remained entirely in its original condition.
Anne Frank's story is told using quotes from her diary, and each
room's function and atmosphere as described in the diary are reconstructed.
To reinforce the story, original objects, documents and photos from
the time can be seen.
The Anne Frank Foundation was founded in 1957 to save the Anne Frank
House from being demolished. In 1960 the house was opened as museum
and since then it has been visited by millions of people from all
four corners of the globe.
Address: Prinsengracht 263.
Open: Monday to Sunday, from 9 am to 7 pm (September-March) or till
9 pm (April-August).
Dam Square
 During
the sixties flower power in the Netherlands was symbolized by the
famous Damslapers, a 'bunch of hippies' camping out on Dam square.
Nowadays the square has lost a lot of its former easygoing charm
but it's still one of the focal points of the city. Not surprising,
as Dam square is the physical center of the city ever since the
dam was built to keep the Zuiderzee (Southern sea) out. In the midst
of the square is the Nationaal Monument, dedicated to the Dutch
soldiers and members of the resistance who died during World War
Two. The west side of the square is flanked by the Royal Palace.
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Royal Palace
 The
Royal Palace is located on the Dam in Amsterdam. It is not Queen
Beatrix's place of residence but she occasionally receives important
guests there. Then the red carpet is rolled out and the Dutch flag
flies above the Palace. When the important guests have departed,
then everyone can take a glimpse of the Palace.
The Royal Palace was built 350 years ago as the City Hall of Amsterdam.
In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte came to Amsterdam. He sought a new residence
in Amsterdam and saw the beautiful City Hall. The mayors had to
leave and the offices were converted into bedrooms, dining rooms
and ballrooms. After Napoleon's departure the building remained
as a Palace. However, you can still see the building's original
function in the Palace. There are magnificent paintings and delicate
sculptures, which point towards the governmental and administrative
functions the building previously had.
Leidseplein
 During
the sixties when Amsterdam was divided between Nozems (greasers)
and Provos (hippies) the Leidseplein was the major Nozem hangout,
and thus a very cool place. Nowadays the area has deteriorated a
bit, with an abundance of fast food, travel agencies, and money
changers. Nonetheless, the Leidseplein itself is a pleasant enough
small square, flanked on three sides by bars and with a large tree-shaded
terrace in the middle. During summer the square comes alive with
street performers, everything from jugglers and fire-eaters to percussionists,
mime players and clowns.
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Red Light
District
 This
area is famous for its window prostitution, which is legal in Holland.
The windows are illuminated by red lights, hence the name. Though
you might suspect otherwise this section of town isn't really that
seedy, and it's a very common sight to see a busload of tourists
take an organized tour of the district. Besides the windows the
area sports various 'erotic' bars and theaters.
Reguliersdwarsstraat
The Reguliersdwarsstraat is definitely the hippiest street in Amsterdam,
as far as nightlife is concerned. The street is a mixture of upmarket
gay bars, restaurants serving expensive French cuisine, and assorted
night clubs all catering to a slightly older crowd of media buffs,
businessmen and local celebrities.
Rembrandtplein
 This
is the major 'entertainment' area for rowdy Amsterdammers and out-of-towners.
Bars chock-a-block with people singing along to Dutch folk songs
at the top of their voices, and a few large disco's with heavy security
at the door. Because all bars and disco's close at the same moment,
sometimes things get out of hand a bit. Strangely enough the square
are surrounded by major gay spots like the iT, and just off the
square is the Halvemaansteeg, a small street packed with gay bars.
No problems here, so maybe Amsterdam really is a tolerant city.
Also nearby is Reguliersdwarsstraat, currently the hippiest nightlife
street of Amsterdam.
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Vondelpark
 The
largest park of the city, close to the Leidseplein and the big museums
and by far the most popular with visitors and locals alike, especially
during summer and on sunny winter days. As you would expect, the
park is always alive with skaters, joggers and all sorts of street
performers. In the summer the Vondelpark open air theater stages
regular performances, while you can quench your thirst in the nearby
Dora's Blikkenbar. There are several other bars in the park, all
of course with their own outside terrace, and Vertigo also offers
good food at reasonable prices. All in all a very pleasant place
to spend a lazy sunny afternoon.
Waterlooplein
 After
a temporary relocation the Waterlooplein in the center of the former
Jewish neighborhood is again host to Amsterdam's largest flea-market.
In the old days the merchants on this square used to sell everything
from bric-a-brac to genuine antiques, genuine junk, goods of dubious
origin and second-hand clothes. Since the reinstatement of the flea
market on its original location the merchandise has become more
geared towards visiting tourists with lots of second-hand apparel
and smoking paraphernalia, but for cheap clothes it's still hard
to beat.
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Diamond
Factories
 Amsterdam
is one of the world's most important diamond centers, where many
famous diamonds were cut and polished. When the diamond trade was
introduced to Amsterdam in the 16th century, this city developed
into one of the world's most important diamond centers. After the
Second World War almost nothing remained of this. During the War
more than 2000 Jewish diamond polishers disappeared from Amsterdam
into concentration camps in Germany and Poland. After the war the
diamond trade was in part returned to its former glory due to the
efforts of the diamond merchants and help from abroad. Nowadays
the diamond trade attracts millions of tourists and buyers from
around the world. Most diamond polishers as well as diamond traders
give demonstrations in diamond cutting. Many diamond shops can be
found in Amsterdam including Gassan Diamonds, Amsterdam Diamond
Center, Van Moppes Diamonds, Stoeltie Diamonds and Coster Diamonds.
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