Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM INTRODUCTION
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From a fishing village in the 13th century, Amsterdam grew into one of the richest, most powerful cities on the planet during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The port was one of the largest...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
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Traditional Dutch cooking, meanwhile, consists of hearty meat and fish dishes served with potatoes and salad, with soup usually served as a first course.
Starters are not part of the Dutch tradition,...
MUSEUMPLEIN
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Originally occupied by a candle factory and marshy meadows, the area was reclaimed after the completion of the Rijksmuseum in 1885, with a street plan based on the design of Pierre Cuypers, the...
RIJKSMUSEUM
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The building, in Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance style, with a wealth of decorations and sloping roofs, is the work of the Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, who also designed the Central Station. It was...
VAN GOGH MUSEUM
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The museum is housed in two adjacent buildings. The main building, in rigorous Rationalist style, was designed by Gerrit Rietveld and opened to the public in 1973. An underground passageway, with...
STEDELIJK MUSEUM
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A must for modern art lovers, the Stedelijk is housed in a particularly unusual building. The original structure, built at the end of the 19th century in Neo-Renaissance style, is joined by a huge...
CANALS
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Until the end of the 16th century, Amsterdam was an oval-shaped island, protected by brick walls, situated on the estuary of the Amstel River, which was blocked by a dam, and surrounded by the...
ANNE FRANK HOUSE
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The visit starts on the ground floor, in the stores where Anne’s father, Otto Frank, traded in spices and foodstuffs. The offices of the company were on the first floor, but the most...
DAM SQUARE
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The name Amsterdam is derived from a dam along the Amstel, the waterway that ran around the settlement that gradually developed into the city. The capital’s main square also takes its...
ROYAL PALACE
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In the 17th century, when the palace was built, the Netherlands was actually a republic, and it was to serve as the new City Hall, replacing an earlier Gothic building. It did not become a royal...
RED LIGHT DISTRICT
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Prostitution is legal here, and controlled by the authorities to guarantee the safety of both the women and their customers.
Marked by lighting decorations with red roses, the neighborhood forms the...
REMBRANDT HOUSE
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Born in Leiden, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam in 1631, where he soon earned a reputation as a talented portrait artist, able to bring an original touch to any subject.
In Amsterdam, he met and married...
PORT
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The Netherlands’ relationship with the sea has played a decisive role in the country’s history, shaping its very nature and landscape: much of its land has been snatched away from the...
HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE
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The bustling, multi-ethnic De Pijip neighborhood is not far from the Museumplein square. Originally created in the second half of the 19th century to provide accommodation for the workers of the...
