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ART & CULTURE Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Frans Hals are the Old and Great Masters of Holland. As a result, Amsterdam has some of the finest art museums in Europe. As Amsterdam is the most liberal of cities, the museums are not purely of the conventional kind, but whatever your interests, you will be able to find it at one of the citys museums. The majority of museums are placed within a short range of one another, so you can easily walk from one to the next. Museums Many of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals?finest works are part of the national heritage and housed in the Rijksmuseum. Take your time in this beautiful museum, as it is huge and the exhibitions and surroundings need your attention for more then just an hour. Rembrandts paintings are also largely represented in the Rembrandthuis. The life and works of Van Gogh are presented in the Van Gogh Museum. For modern art you should definitely visit the exhibitions in the Stedelijk Museum. Nature & Science If you're interested in science and interactive entertainment, do not miss the newMetropolis, a place designed for children with a lot of hands-on exhibits and technology. The Scheepvaart Museum will appeal to anyone whos interested in maritime and nautical experiences. Nature lovers should visit the Hortus Botanicus, which has more then six thousand different kinds of plants. History In Amsterdam, there are a lot of historical museums. One of the best is the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, where you will learn about the citys developments from the thirteenth century to the present day. The popular Anne Frankhuis has recently been restored and is able to accommodate a lot more people then before. In the former Jewish quarter you will find the Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam, which deals with the history of the Resistance during the Second World War.
CINEMA Amsterdam has only a few cinemas, but they have a good combination of big Hollywood blockbusters and European movies. The cinemas can be divided into two main categories: popular cinemas (with big movie successes) and art houses (filmhuizen) where art films, documentaries and retrospectives are shown. Tuschinski is a beautiful cinema-house with original art-deco architecture and a beautiful theatre where you can imagine yourself watching an opera instead of a movie. The Movies, with its extravagant interior, is a great place to visit and view art films.
THEATER & DANCE Amsterdam has a lot of theatrical events, and more in English than in Dutch. The Parade is the prelude of the theatre season, and is a great event at the end of summer with lots of different little shows, food and drink. The most important theatre venues are Carr? once home to a circus, now a beautiful theatre at the Amstel canal and Stadsschouwburg (Municipal Theatre), with a wide variety of contemporary national and international productions. Amsterdams dance scene is quite lively. There are two main companies, Nederlands Dans Theater and Het Nationale Ballet. Besides these companies there are a lot of established dancers and companies worth watching.
MUSIC This city has a lively music scene, with lots of festivals and events and numerous concerts in different venues. What are you looking for? There is everything here from classic to rock. Tickets for concerts can be bought in advance at the AUB Ticketshop, located centrally at the Leidseplein. Classical The acoustics in the Concertgebouw offers a great sound and is therefore the favoured venue of many soloists and orchestras. It has its own Concertgebouw Orchestra which has a regular program. At the Beurs van Berlage there are a lot of classical concerts on a regular basis. If you're more into opera, you should go to the Opera Muziektheater (Stopera) at the Waterlooplein, where the Netherlands Opera is often to be seen, or go and see an opera at the Carr? Jazz-Blues Local groups and jam sessions can often be heard in the lively city during the night. International stars visit the city to play at different venues. The best place to catch jazz legends in intimate confines is the Casablanca or Bimhuis. Rock Big international stars like the Rolling Stones enjoy playing in venues like Paradiso and the Melkweg. Besides this there are a lot of rock festivals, eg. Drum Rhythm Festival, which takes place at the Westergasfabriek or the Amsterdam Pop Prijs/ Wanted R&B & Hip Hop Prijs Finals which is held at the Melkweg. House, Disco, World Music The VIP Club on Fridays and Paradisco on Saturday evenings in Paradiso are hip dance evenings where a lot of cool people are to be seen. A lot of techno, house and hip-hop music can be heard. The Melkweg has dance evenings with hard house and drum 'n' bass. The public is diverse, but mainly young and the atmosphere relaxed.
DISTRICTS Amsterdam can be divided into different areas, each with its own history and attractions. Try to go beyond the Grachtengordel, where every tourist tends to get stuck. There are lots of other things to see than just the tourist area. The Old Centre The Old Centre of Amsterdam can be described as being surrounded by the Central Station, the Singel, and the Kloveniersburgwal canals. The central points are the Dam Square, with the Koninklijk Paleis, Madame Tussaud, the Nieuwe Kerk and department stores such as Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza. the Red Light District Not far from Dam Square you will find the Red Light District, where you can window shop. Many people visit Amsterdam mainly to go and see this area for the window shopping, but this beautiful, old and historical area contains a lot of other attractions, like the Nieuwmarkt with the characteristic building De Waag, which dates from 1488, formerly built as a gatehouse for the city defences. Near the Nieuwmarkt you will find Amsterdams small Chinatown. The New Side This area starts at the west end of Central Station and ends up at the Spui. In between you will find Amsterdams Historisch Museum and the Begijnhof. This area is worth a relaxed stroll; at the Spui you will end up having a cup of coffee at one of the cafés on the square. Jordaan The Jordaan is a beautiful artistic area. Lots of galleries and cosy little restaurants are to be found here. Typical Amsterdammers live here; the area still doesn't see as many tourists as the other areas, although it has a very typical Amsterdam atmosphere. With a lot of greenery outside, it feels like a little village within a big city.
Waterlooplein, Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein The Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein are Amsterdams tourist centres, packed with outgoing people and cafés and bars. During the summer its packed with people sitting on the terraces watching others go by. The Waterlooplein is famous for its secondhand market where you will find plenty of bargains.
GARDENS & PARKS Amsterdam has some beautiful gardens and parks, the Vondelpark being the most famous park amongst tourists and Amsterdammers. Here you also find the Filmmuseum, which has a beautiful terrace where you can spend a whole afternoon sitting, relaxing and watching the strangest people going by. The Amstelpark is located a bit away from the centre, but is a good retreat with rose gardens and a Glass House. The Amsterdamse Bos is a busy park where you can be as sporty as you like. Fancy a swim? Go to the Bosbaan, used for boating and swimming. If you want a tour around Amsterdams private gardens, go and inform yourself at the VVV, where they can tell you whats going on in Amsterdam at the particular time you're there.
SPORTS Holland is well known for its passion for football, but besides football, the Dutch play a lot of other sports like hockey, skating and cycling. Amsterdam has many cycling lanes, although you have to watch the traffic, especially the trams that won't stop for you; in comparison to other cities though, the traffic is a lot more used to cyclists. The parks are excellent for outdoor sports: running, skating, cycling. A lot of sports centres are to be found as well, for fitness and sauna, swimming and bowling. |
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