Amsterdam - The Venice Of The Northern Europe
No trip to the Netherlands would be complete without visiting the capitol city Amsterdam
, which is located in the Northwest of the country. The name "Netherlands" means the low country and this name reflects the fact that much of it lies below sea level, necessitating the existence of the Dykes along the coast to hold the sea back from the reclaimed land.
The beautiful city of Amsterdam boasts the largest population of any of the country's cities. Since its beginnings as a small fishing village in the 12th century, it has grown in stature, size and importance, and was (during the Dutch Golden Age) one of the most important trade ports in the world.
Tourists flock to Amsterdam each and every year and the tourist trade is one of the biggest sectors of the national economy with just under 4 million visitors per year. Amsterdam has much to offer sightseers and you can find one of the best forms of vacation accommodation throughout the city by booking holiday apartments online. The advantages of booking a holiday apartment are that they are well positioned for city tours, you can come and go at your own convenience, and, if you are concerned about your holiday budget, you can self cater.
Amsterdam is famous for many things including the ancient network of canals, the so-called "brown cafes" where cannabis smoking is legalized and of course, the famous red light district. Here you can see the ladies of the night offering their wares from their show windows at street level and you can tour the area with friends and family in organized tours that dispel any notions of seediness.
The canals are picturesque and you can ride on the canal busses or take a sightseeing trip aboard one of the special tour boats, making Amsterdam famous as being the Venice of Northern Europe. It is also well known for its liberal views, as displayed by the existence of the red light district as a tourist attraction and the friendly brown cafes that can be visited simply for a simple unadorned coffee if the mood takes you.
Other tourist attractions of a less controversial nature include the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, and Hermitage Amsterdam. You can also visit the house where Anne Frank's family lived, which was made famous by the recordings of her diary during the Nazi occupation of this fabled city, when she hid from the invader's search for Jews to be deported to the concentration camps during the shame of the holocaust.
Amsterdam has some superb architecture and by booking a holiday apartment online, you will place yourself in a great position from which you can base your excursions across this beautiful city. Some of the most wonderful examples of Dutch Renaissance style buildings line the canals, and it is not unusual to see large items of furniture, such as pianos etc, being hoisted up from barges on the canal, onto the specially constructed winch posts, and into the buildings through one of their windows.
Amsterdam is a "must see" for any serious tourist in Europe. Parking can be a problem, but the city is one of the most bicycle friendly in world, making getting around not only cheap, but healthy too.
If you are flying to Amsterdam, Schipol Plaza at Amsterdam's world famous Schipol airport, is a shopper's delight and you can find all of the tourist information you need at the tourist information point, which is open daily from 7AM to 10PM. You can get a train directly from Schipol into the city and when you arrive, you will find a tourist information point on platform 2 inside Centraal station, with yet another just outside in front of the station on Stationsplen.
by: Gaizka Pujana
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