Amsterdam Awaits
"Live and let live"-that seems to be the
motto of prosperous, boisterous, endearing Amsterdam. From the racy
Red Light District to the brown cafes to the lively squares
to the fabulous museums, this city exudes a brash charm all its
own. First-time visitors should not be put off by the pseudo-hippie
reputation of Amsterdam over the years. The Amsterdam of the twenty-first
century is crisply sophisticated and positively charming.
Start with a tour of the canal houses, those architectural
gems dating from the 17th century, once homes of well-to-do merchants
and now again much sought after real estate. The best views are
seen from the canal itself or strolling along its banks. It's really
amazing when you think that much of Holland is under sea level,
and in Amsterdam these seventeenth-century architects came up with
an ingenious circle of canals to get around.
Notice the houseboats along the way (there are more
than 2,300 moored throughout the city's canals) as well as the narrow,
gabled houses in a variety of colors. Regular canal boat tours leave
from key locations around town including the Damrak and Prins Hendrikkade
near Centraal Station, on Rokin near Muntplein and near Leidenplein
(during winter months the tours leave every 45 minutes from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.).
The glass-topped "museum boats" are also
a great way to get around and view life in the historic center as
well as hop from sight to sight on a day pass. The neo-Gothic
Rijksmuseum (Stadthouderkade 42; 31.20.674.7000; www.rijksmuseum.nl),
just behind Museumplein, is a good first stop. It contains the world's
largest collection of Dutch masters including Rembrandt's famous
1642 "The Night Watch" as well as many other surprises.
You could get lost here viewing works of the Amsterdam Impressionist
movement, a meticulously crafted 17th-century dollhouse (which reveals
little-known details of domestic life from that time), as well as
the beautiful delftware of Holland.
Het Museumplein, the large plaza leading up to the
Rijksmuseum, is also home to the elegant modern art museum,
the Stedelijk Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 13; 31.20.573.2911;
www.stedelijk.nl)
where art lovers will find some American masters sprinkled in with
pop art, minimal art, color-field painting, nouveau realisme, and
more. Make time for the impressive Van Gogh Museum (Paulus
Potterstraat 7; 31.20.570.5200; www3.vangoghmuseum.nl),
refurbished just a few years ago, which houses more than 200 paintings.
Visitor information is available at Schiphol Plaza
in Schiphol Airport or at the Holland Tourism Information
office inside Centraal Station, the main train station. Regular
cultural updates and items of interest can be found on www.goholland.com.
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Contact Information
Netherlands Board of Tourism
355 Lexington Ave., 19th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (888) GOHOLLAND
Fax: (212) 370-9507
www.goholland.com
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