Tourist Information - Amsterdam
- General Information
- Attractions
- Business hours
- Weather
- Communication
- Useful Information
- Holidays
- Coffee Shops
- Smoking
- Clubs
General Information
Amsterdam is one of Europe’s loveliest cities. It is a compact city with incredible colors, great museums, shopping opportunities and entertainment venues. The city’s layout is determined by a network of canals radiating out of the historical centre to circle right round the centre. The effect of the seventeenth-century extensions to the medieval town create a uniquely elegant urban environment, with tall gabled houses reflected in the canal black-green waters. What makes Amsterdam so special is that it is a world away from the traffic and noise of many other European city centers. These charms are supplemented by a string of first-rate attractions, most notably the Anne Frank House where a young Jewish girl wrote one of the most moving accounts of the Second World War, the Rijksmuseum with its wonderful collection of Dutch paintings including several of Rembrandt's finest works, and the peerless Vincent van Gogh Museum, with the world's largest collection of the artist's works.
History
The history of Amsterdam is rich and colorful. It began its existence as a fishing village around the thirteenth century and draws its name from the river Amstel. The first recorded usage of the name Amstelledamme, however, occurred in the late thirteenth century in the toll concession of Floris V, Count of Holland.
Amsterdam began to blossom in the fifteenth century. Not many of the medieval buildings have survived the passage of time as they were built of wood, but some good examples are the Old and New Churches and the Houten Huis (Wooden House) at the Begijnhof. Amsterdam’s Golden Age was during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries due to the growth of the Dutch Empire, and it was during this time that some of the city’s most impressive historical buildings were constructed. These include the town hall in Dam Square (Royal Palace), the Westerkerk, the Zuiderkerk, and a large number of canal houses among which De Dolfijn (Dolphin), De Gecroonde Raep (Crowned Turnip), Huis met de Hoofden (House with the Heads), Poppenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 95 (commissioned by the Poppen family), and Trippenhuis (built for the Trip family) are prominent. The city remained dominant even though the Dutch Empire began to decline in the eighteenth century, this due to it remaining the principal financial centre in Europe. By the time the British and French finished with the Dutch Republic at the turn of the nineteenth century, the city became parochial on the European and global map.
The Dutch suffered harshly during the Second World War, but in the postwar period, the city blossomed so that now it is one of the premier European cities.
Travel
Citizens of the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US do not need a visa to enter the Netherlands if staying for three months or less. However, a passport valid for at least six months after arrival is necessary as well as a return airline ticket and/or funds deemed to be sufficient to fund the stay. For information please turn to:
http://netherlands.embassyhomepage.com/dutch_embassy_london_visa_information.htm
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Telephone Area Code: 020
Climate
Amsterdam benefits from beautiful warm to hot summers. Springs in Amsterdam are mild and from April to May the city is awash with the sights and smells of daffodils and tulips. Winter can be cold, but this also means that the museums tend to be less crowded as less tourists visit than in other seasons. If it gets cold enough for the canals and waterways to freeze over, the Dutch enjoy skating on the canals and flood plains.
Money
The currency in the Netherlands is the Euro. There are seven euro notes – in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5, each a different colour and size – and eight different coins, €2 and €1, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.
Banks opening hours are Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:00 with a few also open Thursday until 21:00 or on Saturday morning until 12:00; all are closed on public holidays. The main Bureaux de Change is GWK,whose main 24-hour branches are at Centraal Station and Schiphol Airport. GWK offers competitive rates, as does Thomas Cook, which has branches at Dam 23 (daily 09:00–18:00), Damrak 1–5 (daily 08:00–20:00) and Leidseplein 31 (daily 09:00–18:00). Visitors should be aware that some agencies offer great rates but extortionate commission, or, conversely, charge no commission but give bad rates. The VVV tourist office also changes money. The post office is open Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00. The main post offices are also open on Saturday between 09:00 and 12:00/30.
Taxis
Taxis are identifiable by the blue licence plates and by their roofs. All taxis run on meters and start with a flat rate (around 3.00 Euro), then cost 1.80 Euro per kilometre. There are a host of taxi ranks throughout the city.
Attractions
Begijnhof
The Begijnhof (10:00 – 17:00 free) is an early fourteenth century courtyard. It is located behind the Spui shopping strip. The Begijnhof was initially inhabited by the Beguines, a Catholic order of widowed or unmarried women from wealthy families who cared for the elderly and lived a religious life without taking monastic vows. The Begijnhof has one of the oldest maintained wooden houses, the Houten Huis, at number 34. The façade dates from 1477 and was erected before the city prohibited the construction of timber houses as a precaution against fire. The English Reform Church, Engelse Kerk, is also a medieval construction; the building was taken away from the Beguines and given to Amsterdam’s English community during the Reformation. The Church is rather plain, but its appeal is its pulpit panels some of which were designed by Piet Mondriaan, the leading De Stijil artist. As compensation, the Beguines were allowed to celebrate mass in the Catholic chapel (Monday: 13:00 – 16:00; Tuesday – Sunday 09:00 – 18:00 free). It is an interesting construction with some sentimental religious paintings, one of which to the left of the high altar depicts the miracle of the unburnable Host.
Canals
It is the canals that make Amsterdam so special, and a boat trip provides a unique view of this magnificent city whose houses look higgledy-piggledy, leaning, looming and jostling on both sides of the canal; bridges arch over the water, some of them opening for tall water traffic. The greatest allure of a canal ride is that it enables one to get a closer look at the magnificent houseboats, ranging from the restored barges with overflowing tomato plants and cats, to sleek, purpose-built 'arks' with feature windows and sundecks. The contrast is rather wonderful.
Amsterdam's centre is embraced by five circular waterways called the Grachtengordel (canal belt). The main three waterways - the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Herengracht – were used by the wealthy families. It is along the Herengracht (Gentleman's Canal) that visitors can see the city's largest private mansions. The Herengracht was the first of the three canals, was begun in 1670 and is named after the original investors. South of the Herengracht are the Keizersgracht (Emperor's Canal, named for the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I) and Prinsengracht (Princes' Canal, after the House of Orange).
Museums
The Rijksmueum (daily 10:00–17:00, €9; www.rijksmuseum.nl) lies at the gateway to Amsterdam’s museum district. It is the country’s main art museum filled with many old masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Steen etc. The Van Gogh Museum (daily 10:00–18:00; adults €7, children 13–17 years €2.50; www.vangoghmuseum.nl) is located close to the Rijksmueum and holds about 200 paintings by the great artist, including The Potato Eaters and The Yellow House in Arles. The museum also holds some Japanese prints that influenced the old master. Next door to the Van Gogh Museum is the renowned Stedelijk Museum with an art collection from the nineteenth century to the present. It has an array of contemporary Dutch art featuring such painters as Jan Dibbets, Rob Scholte and Marlene Dumas. The permanent collection is located on the first floor and includes drawings by Picasso, Matisse and their contemporaries. It also has paintings by Manet, Monet, Bonnard, Ensor, Cézanne and Mondriaan.
The world famous Anne Frank House (daily: April–August 09:00–21:00; September–March 21:00–19:00; adults €6.50, 10-17 years- €3, under 10 free; www.annefrank.nl) is located west of the city centre and draws over two million visitors annually. Visitors can walk though the achterhuis (annexe). The museum was inspired by the young Jewish diarist who kept a journal from July 1942 to August 1944 describing her ordeal hidden in a concealed room where her family hid during the German occupation of the city.
Amsterdam in keeping with its fun and carefree nature also has some entertaining museums such as the Seksmuseum near Dam Square. The museum has an interesting collection of pornographic materials. Another lighter museum is the Hash and Marijuana Museum (daily 11:00–22:00; €5.70) located in an old orphanage that exhibits special displays about the city. This quirky museum, with displays on the various types of dope and numerous ways to smoke it, also has a live indoor marijuana garden, samples of textiles and paper made with hemp, and pamphlets explaining the medicinal properties of cannabis. There's also a shop selling pipes, books, videos and plenty of souvenirs.
Amsterdam Noord
The north of Amsterdam before its population was a seedy marshland area with shifting contours where the city used to execute criminals and leave their bodies to be devoured by crows and wild dogs. However, as the city grew, a thriving working class neighborhood developed. The attraction of this part of the city is that it is an excellent place for visitors to get a glimpse of traditional Dutch life. The large public markets are held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and are not normally visited by tourists. There is a free pedestrian ferry that crosses the IJ behind Centraal Station to the Noordhollands Kanaal.
Red Light District
There is very little that can be said about Amsterdam’s Red Light District as its reputation is well known. The district traces its roots to the Dutch Empire, when soldiers and sailors sought a place to release their frustrations and relax, whilst the local population endeavored to free these weary travelers of their gold. These days, the alleyways are crowded with peep-shows whilst sex workers beckon from pink-lit windows. There are approximately 450 establishments specializing in every taste - Latinos on Oudezijds Achterburgwal and Molsteeg, Asians on Stofstraat, and the 'high-end' glamour Trompettersteeg by the Oude Kerk.
Business hours
Shops:
Most shops are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm. On Saturdays business hours differ between 8:30/9 - 4/5 pm. Mondays shops open between 11 am and 1 pm and close at 6 pm.
Most cities have late-night shopping (until 9 pm) on Thursdays or Fridays. In holiday and tourist resorts many shops are open at night and on Sundays. For business hours on Sundays or late night shopping, please call a local tourist information office.
Sunday shopping and late-night shopping in the main cities
Amsterdam
Sunday: every week from 12 am to 7 pm
Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm
The Hague
Sunday: every week from 12 am to 5 pm
Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm
Maastricht
Sunday: 9-3-2003, 6-4-2003, 29-5-2003, 7-9-2003, 30-11-2003, 21-12-2003 from 12 pm to 5 pm
Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm
Utrecht
Sunday: every first Sunday of each month from 12 pm to 5 pm
Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm
Rotterdam
Sunday: every week from 12 am to 5 pm
Late night shopping: every Friday until 9 pm
Banks
Business hours differ between banks. Most banks are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm. On Mondays businesss hours start mainly at 1 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays banks are closed.
GWK offices are openen 7 days a week.
Post Offices:
Regular post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm. Bigger ones are also open on Saturdays between 9 am and 12 noon/12:30 p.m.
Chemists:
Regular business hours are Monday to Friday between 8/9 am and 5:30/6 pm. However, chemists are open on a rotation schedule to cover nights and weekends.
Restaurants:
Business hours vary, but usually restaurants are open for lunch from 11 am to 2:30/3 pm and for dinner from 5:30-10/11 pm.
Museums:
Business hours vary, however, most museums are open from 10 am until 5 pm every day of the week, except Mondays.
Weather
Lots of tourists visit Holland in summer. There is no denying that this is the best time of the year to sit by the canals or take a bike trip through the country. Spring is a good time to visit too, as the bulb flowers are in full bloom in this season. April is the best month for daffodils, May for tulips. The Keukenhof flower exhibition is a wonderful place to visit during spring.
Rain is spread pretty evenly over the year, so there is not much point in trying to avoid the Dutch drizzle. Winter can be quite cold, but you will find that the museums are not very busy, which is not a bad thing. If it gets cold enough for the canals and waterways to freeze over, the Dutch enjoy skating on the canals and flood plains.
Communication
To call Holland you dial your international dialing code, followed by 31 (country code for Holland), then the area code (omit the first zero) and the local number.
Some important area codes:
Amsterdam - (0)20
Rotterdam - (0)10
Utrecht - (0)30
Maastricht - (0)43
The Hague - (0)70
Calling within Holland
Orange-and-gray colored telephone booths are located inside and around most Netherlands Railways stations. From these booths you can make calls with coins, credit cards and special telephone cards. Telfort telephone cards are available from the GWK – Holland Welcome Service, Wizzl Shops at a wide range of railway stations and all ticket offices at the Netherlands Railway stations.
The Telfort booths have a starting tariff of EUR 0.10. The consequent units cost EUR 0.10 per unit. It follows that a telephone call from one of these booths costs a minimum of EUR 0.20.
If you wish to make a telephone call from a green telephone booth (located outside railway stations) you need a different telephone card. These are available from, among other places, the GWK - Holland Welcome Service offices, post offices and major department stores.
If you are not in an emergency situation, but you wish to contact the police, call 0900-8844. Please note that this is not a free call.
Useful Information
Tourists covered by health insurance in their home country (with the exception of private patients) have the right to medical assistance in Holland in accordance with the Dutch health service, provided:
* care cannot be delayed until the patient returns to his/her country;
* an international insurance form or copy thereof is submitted to the doctor, chemist or hospital.
It is important that the treatment costs are settled directly between the doctor, chemist or hospital involved and the foreign department of the ANOZ Health Service, based in Utrecht. For this reason it is advisable to make several copies of your insurance policy before traveling. If the need arises you will have a copy of the policy handy to prevent having to pay on the spot. Holland has reciprocal agreements with all EU countries and Morocco, Yugoslavia, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Turkey and Sweden.
The cost of transporting patients to and from Holland is not the responsibility of the Dutch health service ANOZ. Tourists from a country with which Holland does not have an international agreement are urged to take out travel insurance before departure. If you use medication, we recommend you pack a prescription in Latin.
You do not need any inoculations for Holland.
It is safe to drink tap water.
Health care: the standard of health care – and other social services – is very high, with an unusually high proportion of national income devoted to public health.
Certain medications may be brought into Holland provided you have a doctor’s prescription.
For police assistance, fire or ambulance emergencies, dial 112 anywhere in the country.
In general, the following advice applies: travelers with health problems or when undertaking long trips should obtain specialized advice.
Holidays
2007 - 2008 - 2009
New Year’s Day: 1 January
Good Friday: 14 April
Easter Sunday: 16 April
Easter Monday: 17 April
Queen’s Birthday: 29 April
Liberation Day: 5 May
Ascension Day: 25 May
Whit Sunday: 4 June
Whit Monday: 5 June
Christmas Day: 25 December
Boxing Day: 26 December
Coffee Shops
A coffee shop can best be described as a café, which does not sell alcoholic beverages, and in which, under certain circumstances, soft drugs may be sold. Although the sale of soft drugs is an offence, low priority is given to the prosecution of coffee shop owners, provided they sell small quantities only and meet the following conditions:
- no more than five grams per person may be sold in any one transaction
- no hard drugs may be sold
- drugs may not be advertised
- the coffee shop must not cause any nuisance
- no drugs may be sold to persons under the age of 18, nor may minors be admitted on the premises.
The mayor of a city has authority to close coffee shops, which do not meet these conditions.
topSmoking
Smoking bans are not compulsory at work. However, increasingly more companies and public buildings are banning smoking as they are concerned for the health of their employees and want to create a healthier work environment. Most of these companies and public buildings have set aside areas where smoking is allowed. The Dutch Labor Law does not (yet) mention smoking specifically, however, does state emphatically that employees have the right to a healthy work environment with the least possible harmful influences.
Tobacco Act
Smoking bans have become effective as from January 1, 1990. The smoking ban applies to buildings that are managed and/or subsidized by the government.
Smoking bans apply in all public buildings owned by the national, provincial and local authorities. In buildings in which institutions, such as social cultural work, social assistance, health care, indoor sports and education departments, are located smoking is not allowed. It is allowed, however, to set aside separates rooms for smokers. No work, such as photocopying, may be carried out in these rooms. The smoking ban applies to over 50,000 public buildings and organizations.
Clubs
Melkweg
Melkweg has a keen eye for 'world music' trends. Thursday's 'Soundclash' is by far the best reggae night around with truck-loads of dancehall, raga, dub and jungle. Saturday sees two rooms open: one with indie faves and old-school floor-fillers, the other with two-step, hip-hop and funky beats. Although it is mainly a live music venue, it also hosts a variety of dance events during the weekend.
Paradiso
Mainly known as a venue for live music, but during the weekend it sometimes hosts club nights with local and international DJ's and occasional live acts. 'Paradisco' is almost always sold out, especially when the line-up includes DJs like Theo Parrish and hip-hop supremo Biz Markie.
