Amsterdam City Guide
- Official name: Amsterdam
- Capital: Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands .
- Language: Dutch
- Religion: Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Muslims.
Visa: citizens of European Union , United States , Australia , Canada New Zealand and Japan can use their ID and stay 3 months without any visa. Visitors from certain African, Asian, European and South American countries need a visa for a short stay of maximum 3 months.
- Currency : Euro.
Amsterdam Sights and Museums
- Museums
Amsterdam is noted for many outstanding museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum , Rembrandt House Museum , and its world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest, whose home base is the Concertgebouw. The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. An unlikely tourist treat is the moving story of Anne Frank at the Anne Frank House.
- Red-light District de Wallen
Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands . The red-light district is located in the center of the city along major canals and is clearly marked on maps.
- Coffee Shops
Centred around the Wallen, but also elsewhere in the city, coffee shops sell high quality cannabis (marijuana) products. This is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of the drug are involved.
Amsterdam Entertainment
- April - Koninginnedag, Queen's day, 30 April, the former Queen's (Juliana) birthday.
- June - The Amsterdam Roots Festival, last week of June. International music festival.
- June - Holland Festival is an international festival for theater, music, dance, opera, film and art, throughout the month of June.
- August - Amsterdam Pride, first weekend of August, gay pride weekend
- August - Hartjesdag, 3rd Weekend in August.
- August - Uitmarkt, last weekend in August, the start of the cultural season
- August - Amsterdam Tournament, late August, International Football-tournament hosted by AFC Ajax .
- October - Amsterdam Marathon, mid-October
- October – The Bokbier Beer Festival in the Beurs van Berlage (Old stock Exchange).
- October – Grachtenrace (Canal Race), 25km rowing race, 2nd Saturday in October.
- November – The International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam .
- November - Cannabis Cup, mid-November, annual cannabis competition hosted by High Times.
- November – The arrival of Sinterklaas
Amsterdam Transports
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. It is the biggest airport in the Netherlands .
Public transport in Amsterdam , operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Connexxion, Arriva and Nederlandse Spoorwegen consists of:
- national and international train connections
- 3 metro lines
- 16 tram lines
- an express tram line (IJtram)
- 55 local bus lines
- regional bus lines
- several ferries for pedestrians and cyclists across the IJ (free of charge)
- a Fast Flying Ferry towards Velsen-Zuid on the North Sea shore
- local night bus lines
|
