Amsterdam's Picture Perfect Spots

Our Local Expert Says:

Amsterdam's Quirkiest House

Description:

The narrowest house in Amsterdam is approximately 180cm wide, which is actually less than the height of the average Dutch person. Historically, property in Amsterdam was taxed based on the width, which is why many houses are so narrow and deep. To save floor space in these houses, the stairs were made even narrower, but can you imagine getting large pieces of furniture up the stairs? This was rather impossible, which is why most houses have a hook above the very top window; a pulley and rope are attached to this hook, and furniture is hoisted up through the window. But since Amsterdam is a windy city, it would be very likely that furniture would end up in a neighbor's house, which is why the facades of the houses lean forward, to accommodate for the swing; this was done intentionally. However, many of the houses in Amsterdam also lean side to side, which is actually bad. The ground the houses are built on is unstable, and a house that is leaning to the side has shifted and is often sinking.

Description:

In the 1200s the Amstel River flowed through the swampy lands, but was dammed at present day Dam Square and a city was born!  Amstel-dam became Amsterdam and the city flourished on the taxes it collected at the Dam.  It still flows through the heart of the city.  From the south the river runs past city hall, Waterlooplein and Muntplein, and the city's main canals branch off from the Amstel.  In the north it meets with the Ij River.

Our Local Expert Says:

Prettiest Bridge

Description:

In 1671 a small footbridge was built across the river Amstel. The bridge was made of wood and it could be raised. In the beginning the bridge was called the "chicken's bridge" because of its small construction. Later on, again due to the construction, it adopted the name "Skinny Bridge", being compared to a slender woman. It was rebuilt in 1871 and 1929, but it was once again made of wood and the construction was "skinny". Nowadays, at night the Magere Brug is lit up at night, beautifying the river Amstel in the dark.

Our Local Expert Says:

You may notice that not all the windows are red. The blue windows on Barndesteeg are windows for women who are women only from the waist up.

Description:

Quite possibly Amsterdam's most defining feature, the Red Light District is the place to see some truly unique things. If prostitutes in windows aren't enough, you can also find an Erotic Museum, which takes you through the history of prostitution, the Hash Marijuana and Hemp Museum, which tells you all you need to know about weed, and the Banana Bar, a bar where waitresses are highly skilled in the various ways of eating a banana. If you want to learn more about prostitution in the Netherlands, visit the Prostitute Information Centre, located next to the Oude Kerk. If this doesn't excite you, the Warmoestraat, which runs along the Red Light District, is full of coffeeshops, bars, hostels and gay S&M clubs. Walking through the Red Light District today you may notice that some windows contain out of place fashion exhibitions. This is a result of the city's efforts to "clean up" the streets.

Description:

At the head of the Gelderse Kade and alongside the Prins Hendrikkade stands the Schreierstoren. This massive semicircular brick tower is a left-over from the medieval town ramparts. As the story goes, the bargees stood there weeping over their men sailing for the East, hence its name of the Tower of Weeping. A more rational explanation for the tower's name is the appearance of the words 't Scrayhoeck and Scrayhorn in old texts describing the location of the tower, which was almost in the waters of river IJ that always threatened the land. The Schreierstoren now functions as a maritime antiquarian bookshop and a gay bar.

Our Local Expert Says:

Most Picturesque Square

Description:

Nieuwmarkt is a square that borders on many of Amsterdam's famous attractions, including the Red Light District and the Zeedijk (Amsterdam's Chinatown). The square is lined with café's, coffeeshops and bars and is a great place to grab a drink in the evening or a bite during the day. Many of the buildings around the square have interesting histories; the small café' "De Fontayn" on the Eastern side of the square was the city's most luxurious brothel in the 1800s.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best Shopping District

Description:

Many visitors to Amsterdam who truly enjoy shopping find the Kalverstraat and the tourist shops, but often miss Amsterdam's favorite place to shop: the nine little streets. Tucked into the canal belt just below the Anne Frank House, these blocks offer fun and authentic shopping, Amsterdam style. Whether you are looking for a shop offering second hand clothes and incense or selling designer bags and china, you will find it all among the shops in this district. Complete with a selection of cafes, restaurants and bar, this central shopping district is an often-missed Amsterdam gem.

Description:

Magna Plaza isn't actually a department store, but a mall, located amid the extravagant neo-Gothic architecture of the former central Post Office, which dates from 1908. The Plaza's four elegant, column-lined floors are decked with around 50 specialist stores of all kinds. Yet it's small enough to function almost like a department store does.

Description:

One of the Dam's heavier features is the solid, neoclassical facade of the Royal Palace (1648-55), also known as the Paleis op de Dam (Palace on the Dam). Jacob van Campen -- the Thomas Jefferson of the Dutch Republic -- designed it as a stadhuis (town hall) to replace the decayed old Gothic one that in 1652 did everyone a favor by burning down. Van Campen intended to showcase the city's burgeoning prosperity; so its interior is replete with white Italian marble, sculptures, and painted ceilings. Poet Constantijn Huygens called it the eighth world wonder, and indeed it was among Europe's largest secular buildings at the time. It was built on a precisely tabulated foundation of 13,659 timber pilings -- a figure taught to all Dutch schoolchildren.

Not until 1808, when Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother Louis reigned as king of the Netherlands, did it become a palace, filled with imperial furniture courtesy of the French ruler. Since the Dutch House of Orange's return to the throne in 1813, this has been the official palace of the reigning king or queen of the Netherlands. Few of them, however, have used it for more than their pied-à-terre in the capital or an occasional state celebration, such as Queen Beatrix's inauguration reception -- she prefers living at Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, but can on occasion be seen waving from the balcony here to crowds of onlookers below on the Dam.

In the Vierschaar (Court of Justice), until the 18th century, magistrates pronounced death sentences under images of Justice, Wisdom, and Mercy. Atlas holds up the globe in the high-ceilinged Burgerzaal (Citizens Chamber) and maps inlaid on the marble floor show Amsterdam as the center of the world. Ferdinand Bol's painting Moses the Lawgiver hangs in the Schepenzaal (Council Chamber), where aldermen met. On the pediment overlooking the Dam, Flemish sculptor Artus Quellin carved a stone tribute to Amsterdam's maritime preeminence; it depicts the Maid of Amsterdam and figures symbolizing the oceans paying the city homage. The weathervane on the cupola is shaped like a Dutch sailing ship. Every now and then, the 17th-century Hemony carillon tinkles out a melody.

Our Local Expert Says:

Most Picturesque Canal

Description:

Amsterdam is known for its many canals - 165 of them! Brouwersgracht, or Brewer's Canal, was lined by beer breweries when the city's water was unsafe to drink, and everyone drank beer instead! The red-shuttered houses are typical warehouses from this period.  The canal is one of the most charming, with many bridges, houseboats, and Amsterdam's famous leaning houses.  Shop at the numerous stores or have a break at one of the many cafes.