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Amsterdam is an incoherent city, hazy cafès filled with marijuana smoking young adults and legal prostitution lives alongside abiding citizens and some of the cleanest, friendliest streets you’ve seen in Europe (some might even say the World). Only Amsterdam can pull this off with chic attitude and stress-free. So ideals or prejudgements aside, this city has an appeal even for the most picky of travellers. So if you’re travelling in a group you can be sure Amsterdam is the spot that everyone will adore and want to return to, it’s just too bad there is no Trevi fountain here! This is the fourth most visited city in Europe, but saying that the crowds never become overbearing and you will hardly ever see a big line up to enter a museum. Amsterdam continually upgrades its city to remain attractive, it is also one of Europe’s foremost architecture and design cities, emphasising on past, such as the renewal of Central Station, and innovative contemporary architecture, such as the eye-catching Java, KNSM, Borneo and Sporenburg Islands.

Exploring Amsterdam is easy, do it the Dutch way and grab a rental bike. They are reasonably priced and you can find a bike rental outlet easily. Some of the more well-known outlets are Bike City, Holland Rent A Bike and Mac Bike. Canal buses also provide the visitor a unique experience, not quite like Venice but with the same thrill any normal city dwelling chap receives, along Amsterdam’s 17th century canals. They cruise along 3 routes with 14 stops near the main sites of the city. But it’s trams that are the most important mode of transport here; the tram network consists of 17 lines and most start at the Centraal Station spreading out to the East, South and West.

Amsterdam is a major cultural centre with an array of events, festivals and exhibitions all year round. The Museumplein Area is a magnet for museum lovers with some of the world’s most famous museums including the Van Gogh Museum where you can walk between more than 200 of the artists vibrantly coloured paintings; the Rijksmuseum containing the National Art Collection; and the Stedelijk Museum of Art which houses the largest collection outside Russia of the abstract paintings of Kasimir Malevich. Other interesting or historical sites worth paying a visit to are the Anne Frank House where the teenage Jewish girl hid from Nazis and wrote her famous diary; Amsterdam’s Historic Museum that covers 700 years of the city’s history; the fascinating Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum; and tongue-and-cheek Sex Museum. Your best bet to visiting these museums is to buy an Amsterdam Pass which includes a number of extra bonuses containing more than 30 free offers, 20 discounts for major tourist attractions, public transport and a free canal cruise. You can’t go wrong! Ordering a Pass is easy just contact the Amsterdam Tourist Office.

Hoping off the train at the Central Station, you will be immediately struck with stories of history. The beautiful Dutch Renaissance style Central Station building was constructed on an artificial island and completed in 1889. As you walk out of its front doors towards downtown, the station opens up to a lively square and just outside trams are ready to sweep you off to the various locations of Amsterdam. The historic centre recalls Amsterdam’s 17th century golden age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, where wealthy merchants constructed residences along neatly laid-out canals.

Dam Square has had a turbulent history, it has seen numerous revolts, riots, shootings and demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Dam Square was also once the central marketplace of Amsterdam where literally everything under the moon was sold. The National Monument on Dam Square was unveiled on 4 May 1956, erected in remembrance of those who died during World War II. Each year on 4 May many dignitaries, including representatives of the royal family, commemorate the victims of the Second World War here. When you walk in the direction of Spui, you will see the magnificent 19th-century monument, Magna Plaza, which used to be the city’s General Post Office. Now it is a beautiful shopping mall which houses more than 40 shops and two restaurants which are clustered around a spacious hall. The shops sell mainly fashion, deluxe articles and gifts. You will instantly see the Royal Palace on Dam Square where Queen Beatrice entertains her VIP guests. When the Queen is not entertaining the palace is open to tourists to take a look inside. The Royal Palace was built 350 years ago as Amsterdam’s City Hall but in 1808 when Louis Napoleon came to Amsterdam he found it to be a suitable place of residence, kicked the major out and had the offices changed into bedrooms, dining rooms and ballrooms.

A new generation of entrepreneurs has slowly revitalised the old neighbourhood of Jordaan, turning some of the areas characteristic houses into unusual stores, busy cafés, small galleries and inexpensive restaurants. The Jordaan district is a maze of alleyways and narrow canals that were established in the 17th century, as Amsterdam needed to expand. The district was constructed along the pattern of the paths and ditches already there, which proved to be an error, as it isolated the area from the rest of the city. The low rents, as well as the pleasant atmosphere of the quarter, attracted many artists and intellectuals at a later stage. One of the reasons for the growing fame of this area were the sentimental songs by a number of local singers, various local pubs still feature live singers who sing about the area. Many of the original inhabitants of the quarter have left and been replaced by students and young couples. The Westerkerk church, in Jordaan, with its Wester Tower is one of the best-known churches of Amsterdam, named by the point of the compass where it stands, not that of a saint. The church tower stands well over 85 meters tall and proudly bears the imperial crown with the city arms of Maximilian of Austria, it was a present from the Burgundy monarchs of Austria for Amsterdam’s support. This tower is the highest monument in Amsterdam and during summer you can climb to the top to view the splendid city below and on a clear day the surrounding flat lands.

Leidseplein Square and Rembrandt are the main entertainment areas of Amsterdam. These hot spots boast cafés, clubs, cinemas, bars, theatres, buskers, musicians, a casino and in winter a skating rink, that are all located right within easy walking distance. The area is packed to the brim with restaurants from around the world; especially noteworthy are the Asian restaurants such as Thai, Balinese or Indonesian. Elegant mansions stand along Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizergracht. In the course of the centuries these houses have had makeovers to meet the changing tastes. Quite a few houses are in Louis style; a style which was extremely popular in the 18th century. A section of the canal which runs from Leidsestraat to Vijzelstraat is known as the ‘Golden Bend’ where the most magnificent of all canal houses are located.

The Albert Cuyp market is the largest and busiest outdoor market in Europe and situated in the heart of the De Pijp working class district. The 270 stalls attract some 20,000 visitors per day and double over the weekends. De Pijp is an eclectic zone where a wide range of people call it home from night wanderers to writers, artists and squatters. The area has flourishing pubs and cultural facilities plus the beautiful Sarphati Park, a great place to relax in the sunshine. For a great many years the world’s most famous beer was brewed in De Pijp! These days, Heineken is produced in breweries outside Amsterdam and the former brewery has been turned into an interesting museum.

At the end of the 19th century the Museum Quarter was established on the spot which was previously known as Brewers’ Square. Museum Quarter, however, is a much more fitting name for this centre of arts and culture. Amsterdam’s main museums and galleries are all located at close proximity to each other in this quarter. The Museum Quarter also boasts some of Holland’s most upmarket shopping streets. The most exclusive of all is P.C. Hooftstraat where shop after shop offers collections of internationally renowned fashion designers, home furnishings and jewellery. If you are a lover of arts and antiques, nearby Spiegel Quarter is an absolute must. Vondel Park is Amsterdam’s best known park, for locals and tourists alike, full of gorgeous shady trees, ponds, entertaining jugglers and buskers, and paths for roller skating or biking.

The Red-Light district or Rosse Buurt is the oldest part of the city and certainly lives up to its name with abundant red lights burning brightly. It is a vibrant quarter of Amsterdam that has been attracting visitors from around the world for years to enjoy its surreal atmosphere, where women in lingerie sit in windows and sex shows are performed nightly for a ranting crowd. Some of Amsterdam’s most beautiful buildings can also be admired here; it is also a great place for unusual shops and interesting pubs and restaurants.

But the main reason for the young crowds in this little, big city is due to the fact that smoking marijuana is legal; up to a certain point. Be aware that you are not allowed to carry more than 5 grams of soft drugs, marijuana, on you at a time and harder drugs are still illegal as is buying it on the streets. The best way to enjoy your new found freedom is pull up at one of the millions of registered coffee houses throughout all the zones, purchase some cannabis and rolling paper and sip your coffee while sitting at an outdoor table watching the world pass by. It is truly amazing how tolerant the people of Holland are towards the use of soft drugs and the people who use them; based on pragmatism as well as a long history, they decided simply to control what they could not outlaw.

As one might guess, the nightlife in Amsterdam is very impressive! Clubs are open till the wee hours of the morning, as are many coffee houses and bars, and live music is abundant from thumping DJ’s to wickedly smooth Jazz and Blues. For some good tunes check out Bimhuis (Oude Schans 73-77), Amsterdam’s premier jazz club or De IJsbreker (Weesperzijde 23) for electronic music and avant-garde jazz. When you arrive in Amsterdam make sure to pick up a copy of the What’s on in Amsterdam magazine, aptly named it will fill you in on the places to be and the people you can meet and available at the Amsterdam Tourist Office. The Rembrandtplein is one of the main nightlife areas as well as the Leidseplein near the gorgeous Vondel Park, where you will find dozens of bars, nightclubs, cafés, dance clubs and movie theatres.

Just walking the streets at night can be a delight, trying some traditional food at a typical Dutch restaurant, picking up a snack of ‘'vlaams frites' (hot chips, usually served in paper cones with plastic forks and topped with mayonnaise, ketchup or peanut sauce) or grabbing a freshly brewed, proudly made Dutch beer at a corner pub. Amsterdam has absorbed culinary influences from far and wide, sometimes incorporating these flavours into traditional Dutch foods. Indonesian food is the most popular available in the city but you can find authentic places all the way from Argentina to China.

Amsterdam is also a great base to visit the spectacularly clean and lush surrounding countryside. This flat land has its particularities such as field after field of colourful, blossoming tulips; numerous, different sized churning wind mills; large, fresh, man-made lakes for swimming, dykes that sprout up alongside rivers to cease the high sea waters from flowing over into the farm lands and numerous protected National Parks full of wart hogs, shy deer and wild Icelandic horses. You can even make day trips to the historic Haarlem; Zandvoort on the North Sea coast; the pretty conservation village of Zaanse Schans; and the traditional lakeside villages of Volendam and Marken. While your out you will notice that the bicycle is not just used as a mode of quick transport in the city but a preference for the Netherlands people, many will ride to the next town to meet a friend, go pick up groceries or just pop out for a Sunday ride on their bike.

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