Geography Easy going, open minded and flowering with beautiful architecture, Amsterdam is both the largest city and capital of the Netherlands with a population of about one million. Located in the North Holland province at the country’s west, the city sits on the Amstel River (from which it takes its name) and the Ij Bay. The North Sea Channel provides it with access to the North Sea and to the Baltic, responsible in part for the Dutch Golden Age during which Amsterdam was once the world’s wealthiest city. Lying in a semi-circle branching out from Central Station around four planned canals, the old city with its museums, cafes and infamous red-light district attracts over 4 million tourists yearly. Your flight from airBaltic delivers you to Schiphol Airport, where many airlines offer cheap connecting flights to and from Europe and the Americas. Languages Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands, with Frisian found in the northern parts of the country. Travellers can expect to find German widely spoken, while French will be understood but not usually spoken. Everyone in Amsterdam (or nearly everyone) speaks English, and excellently at that. Visitors from around Europe and the Baltic will find this a relaxing advantage. See and Do Although they may leap immediately to mind, Amsterdam has much more to offer a city-break beyond its infamous red-light district and marijuana cafes. For starters, leave your hotel behind, rent a bicycle and pay a visit to the Van Gogh museum, which boasts the world’s largest collection of early paintings by Van Gogh, who was a one time resident of Amsterdam. Then be charmed at the Rijksmuseum, which gives homage to Rembrandt, the Netherland’s most treasured artist, along with the works of his followers. Travel next to the Anne Frank House and see where the widely read diary was originally written. For a bold collection of modern art, check out the Stedilijk Museum. Music lovers can adore the critically acclaimed acoustics at the Concertgebouw, court of Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
At the city’s heart is the de Wallen area (literally meaning the ”walls”) in which the red-light district may be found, along with many a bruine kroeg (brown cafe), where the lights are low and the atmosphere delightfully refined. As it is small and easy to get around, a bicycle rental is both an encouraged and entertaining way to see the city’s sights and fit in with the locals. |
