Amsterdam travel

Amsterdam is a water city. To appreciate the flavor of the water city, you must take an Amsterdam sightseeing cruise. A one-hour trip during the day is more suitable for boat cruising on the canal. From in front of Amsterdam Central Station, tour boats for each route depart every 15-30 minutes. You can often find scenery on a boat that you don't notice when walking on the street. When visiting the museum, it is very convenient to use the museum boat. This route visits major museums in the city, and you can get on and off the boat at any time. Tourists who are confident in their physical strength may wish to try taking a boat tour on the canal. At night in Amsterdam, lights are lit along the canals and bridges, which is full of romance.

Amsterdam is surrounded by canals, so you might as well rent a boat or take a cruise to explore it. If you like urban flavor, you can also use Dam Avenue as the starting point from the center of Amsterdam and visit the Royal Palace, New Church, National Monument and Madame Tussauds along Dam Avenue. You can also choose the "Tower of Tears" on Prins Hendrikkade street as the beginning of your tour of the old town, and follow the river to visit the Armsgreen Museum and the old church. The narrow strip extending north and south with the old church as the center is the famous "Red Light District". When the lights first come on, the red light district is filled with an endless flow of people, which becomes crazier as the night goes on.

Of course, you can’t miss the opportunity to “dialogue with masters across time and space” and take an art journey with Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Hals across the barriers of time and space. There are more than 60 art galleries and museums in Amsterdam. The more representative ones are concentrated in Museum Square. It includes the Rijksmuseum, which houses Rembrandt's "Night Watch" and works by other famous 17th-century Dutch painters such as Vermeer, as well as the National Van Gogh Museum, which has the largest collection of Van Gogh's works in the world, as well as Gauguin and Picasso collections. and the municipal museum of works by other famous Impressionist painters. In addition, not to be missed in Museum Square is the National Concert Hall, known as the palace of classical music. This is also the base of the Amsterdam National Orchestra, which was completed in 1888. This white building is marked by a golden harp on its roof. Its acoustics are excellent, ranking third in the world. Tickets are very cheap and anyone can easily get in and enjoy classical music. There is also a free lunch concert every Wednesday at noon, so why not take it easy and listen.

When you are tired, you can take a break in the nearby cafe and enjoy the leisurely Dutch style. The city center centered on the Dome Square is the liveliest place in the entire city, and not far away is the world-famous red light district. In 1994, Amsterdam and Beijing became sister cities.

Amsterdam looks old and very flavorful. All three- and four-story small buildings are carefully decorated in blue, green and red, and are so cute that they look fake. The doors of these toy-like buildings are so narrow that they can only accommodate one person. In ancient times, there was a strange law here. The bigger the door, the more taxes you had to pay. Helpless people had no choice but to make the door as small as possible, but make the windows very large, and lift furniture in and out through the windows. On the top of all small buildings, there are several protruding iron hooks to fix the ropes used for lifting items.

Dense waterways separate these lovely streets one by one. Flocks of seagulls fly in the waterways and buildings, bullying the ducks foraging in the water, just like Venice in the north. .

The water level of the canal is almost the same as the street level, and small and exquisite houseboats are moored on the shore. This is a scene in Amsterdam - people on the water. Most of the owners of these houseboats are artists and writers as well as some romantic young people.

Take a cruise along the canal and travel through the streets of Amsterdam. Passing before your eyes are ancient and quiet streets, simple buildings, colorful trams, bridges of different shapes, green Sea water, beautiful houseboats, attractive floating restaurants, floating bars, and floating cafes.

Windmills, wooden shoes, canals, small bridges, houseboats, pirates, beautiful buildings, attractive tulips, pastoral, pastoral, all of this constitutes what a beautiful fairy tale world! However, there are also many decidedly adult things in the Netherlands.

In Amsterdam, there are not many cafes and teahouses, but more bars. The size of the bar is generally small, no more than 20 square meters, with a bar counter,

a few bar stools, and a few small tables. Through the huge glass windows, you can clearly see the scene inside the bar. . Some of the drinkers were sitting at the bar, some at small tables, and some were standing. They were talking loudly, laughing and playing in groups of twos and threes. The jazz music was deafening, and they looked completely relaxed. These bars can place tables and stools along the street, attracting many pedestrians to stop. Spontaneous, free and tolerant are the adjectives that most often come to mind when people mention Amsterdam. There is no other reason. For centuries, Amsterdam has been like a magnet, constantly attracting persecuted people from all over Europe to seek asylum, especially were Jews or pagans from France or other Catholic countries.

Amsterdammers have embraced Catholicism and then Protestantism. This place has always been a melting pot of different nationalities. Due to their rich experience in negotiating with foreign countries and their frequent trade, Amsterdammers have long had a cosmopolitan attitude. Over the centuries, time has brought The Dutch are more broad-minded and have also formed a great tradition of tolerance of heresy. Therefore, Amsterdam is extremely attractive to many foreigners, immigrants and intellectuals, and everyone is eager to join this charming and diverse world. Some people liken Amsterdam to Noah's Ark for asylum seekers.

Drugs are absolutely prohibited in all countries in the world. Only the Netherlands allows smoking small amounts of marijuana and other drugs in specific places. If you see a coffee shop with a vegetable leaf logo on the street, don’t think it is a restaurant or coffee shop. This is a legal coffee shop where you can smoke drugs, but the amount of smoking is limited. At the same time, you must not Smoking cigarettes sold to you by strangers! Amsterdam Canal

Amsterdam Canal, Amsterdam is a water city with a network of crisscrossed rivers and criss-crossing rivers. There are 165 artificially dug or repaired canals of various sizes.

There are more than 2,000 "houseboats" moored on the river. Although they are houseboats, they have complete facilities. Only by taking a glass boat tour in Amsterdam can you truly appreciate the unique charm of the water city. The cruise ship travels through the famous river, lined with typical traditional Dutch residential buildings. The characteristic is that the front of the house and the windows are both slender. This is because the property tax at that time was levied based on the area of ??the facade, and the smart Dutch tried to reduce the front area as much as possible in order to save taxes. Because the facade is small, the decoration is all placed on the gables of the roof. If you look closely, you will find that the gables of each house are different. Due to the narrow door, large furniture items need to be put in through the window, so the room is equipped with protruding hooks. The famous canals in Amsterdam include the Emperor's Canal, the Prinsengracht Canal and the Gentlemen's Canal. Walking slowly along the canal will give you a comprehensive understanding of the city's various historical buildings. The canal belt here was built in the 17th century. It has 160 canals, 75 kilometers long, and is a berthing place for 2,500 residential ships. Amsterdam canalside street scene: The houses along the Amsterdam canal in the Netherlands were built in the mid-17th century. Most of them are red brick buildings with exquisite and elegant stepped spires. Bars, restaurants, and gift shops line the canal. The craft shop is filled with clogs and windmills. Some store fronts are also decorated with windmills. This "underwater city" formed by reclamation once used windmills to drain the accumulated water in the dam. The windmills created land for the Netherlands, so the Netherlands is also known as the "Land of Windmills."

Dam Square

Dam Square (Dam, also called Dome Square) is the central square of Amsterdam. It was named after the first dam on the Amstel River was built here in 1270.

The white national monument in the middle of the square was built in 1956 to commemorate the victims of World War II. Opposite is the Royal Palace of the Netherlands. Next to it is the cathedral, where the kings of the Netherlands were crowned and enthroned. The area around the square is Amsterdam's bustling business district.

The Royal Palace of the Netherlands

(Koninklijk Paleis) is the essence of the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. Originally built as a city hall, construction began in 1648 with 13,659 piles in the foundation. When Napoleon occupied France, it was used as the palace of Napoleon's brother. It was returned to the city government in 1813. Owned by the Crown in 1935. Now it is the guest house of the royal family.

Madame Toussaint’s Wax Museum is on the left side of the palace. It is a branch of the British Wax Museum. Mrs. Toussaint first built a wax museum in London, England. Now there are branches in New York, Las Vegas and Hong Kong in the United States. It mainly displays wax figures of celebrities.

Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum contains paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Almost all of Rembrandt's works from his peak period are collected here. In addition, there are precious sculptures, pottery, furniture, gold, silver and glass treasures from all over the world. Many treasures are cultural relics from China.

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum has a collection of more than 200 oil paintings and more than 600 paintings by the famous Dutch painter Van Gogh (Van Gogh 1853-1890) . In addition, there are works by Impressionist masters Monet and Gauguin.

The Van Gogh Museum is located near the Coster Diamond Factory. Admission to the Van Gogh Museum is more expensive. It houses many of Van Gogh's masterpieces, such as "Sunflowers", "Poppies", self-portraits with and without ears, and four oil paintings made in the last year of his life. ; But not all works, the incomparable "Starry Night" are not here. There are many other paintings on display in the museum, all representative works of the historical "Dutch School".

Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House (Anne Frank House). In 1942 during World War II, the German Jewish girl Anne hid in the house to escape the Nazi massacre. He stayed in this secret room for two years. Wrote the famous "Annie Anne's Diary", the best-selling diary in the world. It tells the story of the young author's family and relatives and friends hiding in an attic to avoid the Nazis during World War II. The diary has been translated into 55 languages ??and has sold more than 25 million copies.

Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum

The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum is built next to the canal harbor. It used to be the arsenal of the Dutch Navy. The museum displays historical materials on navigation and colonization during the Dutch Golden Age. Outside is an original replica of the Dutch East India Company's sailing ship "Amsterdam". The scenes arranged on the ship allow visitors to understand the sailing life at that time.

Diamond Processing Factory

Diamond Processing Factory, the diamond processing industry was introduced to the Netherlands in the 16th century and gradually developed into a world-famous diamond processing center. Amsterdam's famous diamond processing factories are open to the public, and professionals will introduce the diamond processing process and identification methods. Genuine diamond jewelry can be purchased at the attached store. The main diamond processing factories in the city include Gassan Diamonds, Van Moppes Diamonds, and Coster Diamonds.

Heineken Brewery

Heineken Brewery (Heineken), founded in 1864, is an internationally renowned beer brand. Visiting the brewery allows you to learn about the development history and production process of Heineken beer, and possibly taste fresh, pure Heineken beer.

Zandam Windmill Village

Zandam Windmill Village (De Zaanse Schans) is a famous folk park in the Netherlands. Ten kilometers away from Amsterdam. Three wooden windmills and more than a dozen traditional Dutch wooden buildings are preserved in the village to showcase the traditional folk culture of the Netherlands. There are live performances on the making of Dutch wooden shoes, blue and white porcelain and cheese, and Dutch souvenirs are also sold.

Marken

Marken is the most Dutch town. It used to be a small island, but a dike built in 1957 turned the island into a peninsula. The town is full of narrow alleys and green wooden houses. Today, women in the town often wear traditional Dutch clothing.

Volendam

Volendam, located 12 kilometers north of Amsterdam, is a typical Dutch fishing village.

Folk Village

Folk Village: The tourism industry in the Netherlands is very developed, and Amsterdam alone receives millions of tourists from all over the world every year. The world-famous Dutch windmills, wooden shoes, tulips, cheese, etc. are some of the major folk customs that attract tourists. In order to meet the needs of tourists from all over the world, the Dutch built a folk village near Amsterdam that integrates folk customs, which is very popular among tourists. The poorer the houses, the narrower their houses

Historically, the rich in Amsterdam were the first to build spacious and luxurious residences along the canals in the city center. So the middle class had to build slightly smaller houses on the other side of the canal. After the houses were built, they opened the Gentlemen's Canal along the houses. Those with less money had to live across the canal from the middle class, building narrower houses on the other side of the Canal des Gents. As a result, the poorer people had to build their houses on the other side of the third canal, the Kaiser's Canal. Therefore, taking Amsterdam's three main canals as boundaries, the width of the house shows corresponding changes due to the gap between rich and poor, which is very interesting.

Every house has a "hook"

The narrowest house in Amsterdam is only slightly wider than the door on the first floor. People are amazed and wonder what it is like to live in it. kind of situation. However, building such a narrow house was not the original intention of the locals. In Shuicheng, where land is at a premium, the amount of house tax depends directly on the width of the house, and people have unconsciously developed the habit of building narrow houses. But Amsterdammers have also come up with their own tricks. Their houses are often very deep, so you won’t feel particularly “suffocated” when living there.

Tilted Houses Become a World Heritage Site

Visitors often find it incredible to see the rickety houses in Amsterdam: those houses are only three or four stories high, but have a tilt of nearly 20 degrees. Is it intentional or is it something else? Is there a reason? Locals say that the houses here usually slope forward facing the canal, which reflects the good intentions of the ancestors when building the houses. This can protect the foundation of the house from rain and provide a broad space for lifting furniture. space, avoid hitting the wall and smashing the glass, and make the operation more convenient. Food

In Amsterdam, you can eat any kind of food in the world. Compared to many places in Europe, the prices are not very high and the quantity is usually sufficient. Most locals take dinner as their main meal, and there are all kinds of Italian, Spanish, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Indian and Turkish dishes. There is a Chinatown in Amsterdam, and there are all kinds of Chinese signs: restaurants, dim sum shops, roast duck shops, etc. The taste is relatively authentic. Amsterdam has a long and rich coffee tradition. In the past 10 to 15 years, the most popular one is Fuli Cafe. This type of coffee shop is completely different from the traditional brown coffee shop in terms of scale and interior decoration. Generally speaking, their designs are spacious and stylish, with a distinctly cosmopolitan atmosphere. In addition to the cafe, there is also PROEFLOKALEN - a tasting room where you can taste fine wines.

The Dutch eat lunch very casually, often just a sandwich and a salad, which is very simple; but there are also stores that provide a more complete set of lunches, such as café (pub) or coffee shop. And dinner is the focus of their meals.

Many good restaurants in the Netherlands are mostly full of people before seven o'clock. If you want to taste delicious food, you must make a reservation in advance. There are many good choices in the streets near Leidseplein, full of exotic flavors, which I believe can meet the different needs of tourists.

Specialty Food

Traditional Dutch meals contain potatoes, meat, and vegetables. The more distinctive delicacies include: stamppot (smoked sausage or pork with mashed potatoes and vegetables), hutspot (similar to stamppot, but with mashed potatoes, carrots and onions, and the main dish is stewed pork), erwtensoep (thick stewed pork) Pea soup with smoked sausage or bacon), asperges (asparagus with ham and cream), kroketten (fried meatballs with mustard sauce, a very popular snack in pubs), etc. However, some of these delicious Dutch delicacies are only available in winter, so ask beforehand.

Festivals

Amsterdam is a "festival city". In 2007, about 140 holiday celebrations were held in the city's headquarters.

Most celebrations take place during Queen's Day (Koninginnedag), Gay Pride and the Cultural Season (Uitmarkt). On April 30, Queen's Day, about 100,000 people took to the streets to celebrate. Free markets will be held in most urban areas and various concerts will be held, with crowds of people everywhere. During the first weekend of August, during Gay Pride, there will be a long fleet of boats on the city's canals carrying carnival crowds around, and the carnival will last throughout the weekend. The cultural season is usually held at the end of August and lasts for three days, with performances by various poets and musicians. Amsterdam is also famous for its vibrant and distinctive nightlife. The two main nightlife squares are Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.

There are many cafes in Amsterdam. They range in size from large to small. Dim lights and candlelight give the traditional brown cafe an antique feel. In the summer, many coffee shops will set up food stalls. The most common sight at this time is a square of food stalls and people enjoying beer or wine.

Amsterdam’s diverse culture means there are a variety of restaurants here. It can be found from small eateries to luxurious restaurants. Many of the Netherlands' most exclusive restaurants are also located here.

Amsterdam also has many discos. Most of the ballrooms are located near Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Large nightclubs such as Paradiso, Galaxy and Sugar Factory also have discotheques. But the typical representatives of dance halls are Escape and Club Home. In addition, Panama and The Powerzone are also famous.

Reguliersdwarsstraat is the city’s main gay street

The Red Light District, the Dutch are open-minded, and gambling, drug abuse, and prostitution that are prohibited in most countries are actually prohibited in the Netherlands. is legal. Amsterdam's red light district is filled with sex shops, sex performance venues and brothels. The most distinctive feature is the window display, in which prostitutes stand and pose like merchandise for clients to choose from. The live sex shows staged in the theater are unique in Europe. In addition, some nearby bars are also places for smoking soft drugs. Smoking marijuana and other soft drugs is legal in the Netherlands. This unique scenery attracts a large number of tourists, but most of them just come to see the Western scenery. Note that you are not allowed to take pictures of the window girls in the red light district.

De Wallen (also known as Walletjes or Rosse Buurt) is a designated area for legal prostitution and the largest and most famous red light district in Amsterdam. It consists of a network of roads and alleys within which are hundreds of small studio apartments rented by female sex workers, who provide their services behind windows or glass doors specially illuminated by red lights. The area also has many sex shops, sex theatres, peep shows, a sex museum, a cannabis museum, and many cannabis cafes offering a variety of cannabis products. Although 26% of tourists come to the area to "check it out", the number of brothels is still declining, prompting the Chamber of Commerce to issue a warning.