The Netherlands, despite its small size, has all the advantages of the world's large nations. It's a generous, broad-minded and cultured country of peaceful canals and blossoming fields. Its windmills, cheeses, marinated fish, wooden shoes and blue and white porcelain are no secret to anyone. Still, at every crossroads, it offers surprising touches to vacation lovers. The west of the Netherlands constitutes an urban region called Randstad Holland that includes the cities of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Utrecht and Hilversum.
Amsterdam, the cultural capital of the country, is the most frequently visited city in the Netherlands. One of Europe's...
Auteur: Air Transat
The city centre includes the Dam square, with its neoclassical Royal Palace dating from the 17th century. This serves as a popular place to rendezvous and the starting point of many organized tours. Immersed until the 13th century, when the famous dike that diverted the Amstel was built, Dam Square has been the social centre of the city ever since its creation.
The former Heineken brewery is also open to visitors to demonstrate the secrets of producing this world-renowned beer. On the bank of the Prinsengracht, north of the Westerkerk, the famous Anne Frank spent the last years of her life in what is now known as the Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House). A small and disarmingly simple museum, Anne Frank's house evokes deep, overwhelming emotions in its many visitors.
West of the Centraal Station, Jordaan, a former working-class area that was developed around 1600, is now a charming and trendy neighbourhood. The district that artists, students and bohemians call home, Jordaan, is a fantastic spot for people who love to drink, dance and have a good time. In the relaxed atmosphere of its narrow streets are some of the friendliest cafés, pubs and secondhand shops in the city.
It is very easy to go from one attraction to another in random order since most tourist sites are located in the Centrum (downtown) area. The districts east of the Damrak, the Dam and the Rokin include some of the oldest and most picturesque areas in Amsterdam. Narrow, shaded canals; old, and sometimes decrepit houses; nightclubs with flashy signs; sex shops; bistros and cafés where the air is filled with the odour of marijuana until the wee hours of the morning.