Amsterdam is one of the greatest small cities in the world. From its canals to world-famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
The number of canals have led Amsterdam to become known as “The Venice of the North”
Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village around the thirteenth century. Amsterdam developed round a dam in the Amstel river
Where Keukenhof is situated now, was a hunting area in the 15th century. Herbs for the kitchen of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren were also collected here; hence the name Keukenhof, which means 'Kitchen Garden'. We visited in May and the staff at Keukenhof were a little upset that, due to Global warming, most of the tulips had bloomed a month or so early, so apart from a few display beds, the crop had all died back. They still took our money though!
Amsterdam is very much a city of tolerance and diversity. It has all the advantages of a big city: culture, nightlife, international restaurants, good transport - but is quiet, and largely thanks to its canals, has little road traffic. In Amsterdam your destination is never far away, but get a bike for a more authentic experience.
The Red Light District is something of a sexual amusement park and often not taken too seriously by the many tourists who frequent it. The famous red window lights are striking against the quaint, old canal houses and even the fairy lights that line the bridges at night are coloured red.