What else is there to see and do?:
Amsterdam
by water
Amsterdam is famous for its canals and museums. Geniuses at the Tourist
Office came up with an idea which combined the two: the Museum Boat.
Thank heaven for its inventors! There could hardly be a better way of
discovering the "Dutch Venice". The boat’s time-table lets
you stop and get off as many times as you wish. Have fun!
The journey begins at the
Central Station. The boat stops every 15 to 30 minutes. The first stop
is the Prinsengracht. There, near the Westermarkt is the Anne Frankhuis
(Anne Frank House), where the Jewish teenager wrote her famous diary. In
the hiding place at the back of the house you can still feel the fears
and desperation of this Jewish family hunted by the Nazis.
Not far from the
Leidseplein is the Vondelpark, where open air concerts are held mostly
in summer. Or you can stroll to the Museumsplein. Here you can find the
colossal Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum all
close by.Our boat trip takes us along to the Herengracht. Here you get
another chance to stroll down the Kalverstraat and learn all about the
history of the city in the History Museum.
The next stop is the
Music Theatre. From here we come to the vast Stopera complex and – a
little further away in the Oosterpark – the Tropenmuseum. The trip
finally takes us towards the port in the maritime district. A visit to
the Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum (Netherlands Maritime Museum) will be
enjoyed by all, not just captains and seamen.
In the Jordaan
If you feel like
exploring more of the city on foot, take a stroll through one of the
most traditional districts in Amsterdam, the Jordaan. This district
spreads along the western half of the canal belt. Nobody knows for
certain but it is thought that the name of this district comes from the
French jardin. A lot of the streets are named after plants: there is the
Bloemgracht, the Flower Canal, and the Rozengracht, the Rose Canal. You
can find the Boomstraat (Tree Street) and Tuinstraat (Garden Street).
– Perhaps the "garden" theory is not so far off the mark.
The Jordaan came into
being at the beginning of the 17th century. First it was the
district of the "simple folk", workers and craftsmen lived
here. Over the centuries the district fell more and more into disrepair.
It was only in the 1960’s that the charm of the "Garden" was
re-discovered. The district was restored and cleaned up and today this
small corner of Amsterdam has a charm all of its own. Beautiful old
houses with lace curtains, modern boutiques and earthy genever tasting
bars invite you to stay for a while. Stroll through the narrow
alleyways, feast in one of the small restaurants or marvel at the curios
in the quaint little shops.
However in this district
yet another piece of “Old Amsterdam” comes to life: the so-called
“Hofjes”, idyllic courtyards with delightful little houses, which
were built from the 17th century onwards by wealthy citizens
for the old and needy. Have a quick look in some of these hidden gems!
In the Lindengracht, at no. 94–112, is the dreamy Lindenhofje and at
no. 149–163 the Suykerhofje. In the Dwarsstraat, at no. 3, an alleyway
leads into the Claes Claez or the Anslo Hofje with a restaurant in one
of the inner courtyards. Delightful little Hofjes can also be found in
the Palmgracht, at no. 28 in the Raepenhof and at no. 40 Bossehofje.
If you are feeling a
little tired after exploring the maze of courtyards and alleyways you
should have a rest in one of the many cafés. Stroll along the
Brouwersgracht, soak in the earthy atmosphere of the cosy old Café
Papeneiland and enjoy one of their exquisite coffees.
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