The Netherlands: Amsterdam
Areas in the city:
In a nutshell...
Among the diverse cultural attractions in Amsterdam, visits to Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh museum give a glimpse of the historical and artistic riches of the city. The capital is home to no fewer than 50 museums from the truly bizarre to the most classic collections of Dutch national heritage.
Vondel Park and the canals make up the backdrop of the city, ideal for family picnics and romantic strolls, with out for getting an essential visit to the flower market, the most famous in the world, near Muntplein. On bike or by foot, a stop at one of the city's numerous squares is a great way to get a feeling for the vibrancy of daily life in Amsterdam: in Rembrandtplein or Leidseplein, the most famous squares, you will find the well-known "brown café's".
To end the visit with a panoramic view of the city, make your way the Westerkerk and its bell tower, the tallest in Amsterdam, located in the heart of Jordaan, one of the fashionable quarters.
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Few hours in the West Canal Belt
"The whole world is built around Amsterdam." wrote the famous 17th century Dutch poet Joost vaan de Vondel. This era of great prosperity for the city saw the construction of the Grachtengordel (the Canal Belt): 5 seperate water ways that encircle the city center and are linked together by a series of streets and bridges. As property taxes are linked directly to the area of land, the facades of aristocratic homes along these streets have become narrower and narrower as the rooftops reach higher into the sky; this is an architecturally interesting walk to take, especially in the "9 streets" district. This is a pedistrian paradise filled with small restaurants and specialized boutiques. It doesn't get more authentic than this.
From CAFE VAN PUFFELEN to WOONBOOTMUSEUM
In the same street!
From WOONBOOTMUSEUM to HESTER VAN EEGHEN
Continue on Prinsengracht
Right at Berenstraat
Cross Berensluis
Left at Keizersgracht
Right on Reestraat
Continue down Hartenstraat
