Festivals, parties and holidays and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Local Custom Tips

Especially in summertime, Amsterdam organises many festivals. Queensday is the largest party and colours the whole town in Orange. Our national holiday (birthday of the queen) is at the 30st of April.
The gayparade is a show-off how funny tolerance can be. This parade of boats over the canal exhibits the gay-society of Amsterdam.
The 'Uitmarkt' is the opening of the cultural season and presents all cultural activities in town. Many podiumacts are to be found around the museumsquare.
Once every five years 'Sail Amsterdam' brings many tallships, sailingboats, steamboats and everything that floats to the Amsterdam harbour. For sailingfans a must to attend to at least once in their lifes.

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Not in many places of the world, one has such tolerant behaviour towards drugs. Not only behaviour, but even a whole policy that restricts us from drugs, but is still allowing us in using "the stuff". Basis is that everyone is responcible for his own body and health. Softdrugs are officially allowed and - as long having it in personal amounts with you - no-one will bother you with a joint. Harddrugs are limited allowed. Again, small dosis for yourself are tolerated, but larger amounts are punished. Lately however this last is getting a farce and many complain about this disturbing fact. Most coffeshops are situated around the red light district (de "Walletjes"), but everywhere in Amsterdam they are present as well.

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Like the drugpolicy, the Dutch prostitution policy is rather different from anywhere else in the world. Until short prostitution was officially forbidden, but was tolerated in the righ neighbourhoods. Something that is called the "oldest profession" in the world will not be prohibited by any law, so it is just stupendous to try to restrict it. Better guide it and therefor red light districts are in every Dutch larger city. The most famous one in the capitol. Historical already quite old as Amsterdam was a large international harbour and therefor ... well, do I have to explain?
The red light district is one of the safest places in A'dam. The police is checking it contuously and tourists are everywhere (this for those who are afraid to go here). It is very interesting to go here and surely not only for men! The working girls are always friendly and have a great sense of humor. Some look down on them, but if you dare, talk with them (without obligations) and you will find out that often there's more then meets the eye.

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Prostitution is in many countries of the world something where men exploit women. A pimp let's his girls work and gets a larger part of the profit that his employees make. Sometimes even the girls are treaten like slaves, passports are taken away etc. In Amsterdam it is quite different (which doesn't say that the above is not there as well). But many prostitutes here work for themselves. 100% benefit of ther income (it's their body anyway!). The even have an union and are actually quite organised. Interested in this peculiar way of business ... there's a Prostitution Information Centre in the red light district (near the old church).

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Website: http://www.pic-amsterdam.com/

Amsterdam has a weapon that you can't miss when walking through our capitol. It is everywhere and shows that the inhabitants are - even on a too high level - proud of their town. The red shield with three white (Andreas) crosses has many explanations. In medieval time it was said that the three crosses, crossed away the three worst disasters that the town could be hit by: plagues, fires and floading. Now-a-days there are even those who bring the XXX signs in connection with the red-light-district (-:

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Amsterdam, and Holland in general, does not have the greatest climat on earth. The seaclimat takes care of cool summers and not that cold winters. In the winterdays rain falls regularly and the nights are long. Now, don't immediately cancel your trip to our capitol as the amount and variety of indoor entertainment is huge here. From museums to nighlife, one will find everything that one dreams off. And in December, Amsterdam lits a million lights to make the nights less dark. This gives a fairytale-like scenery, when bridges are wonderfully lined out with little lamps.

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Still there are several hundreds of houseboats in the canals of Amsterdam. Even one of the princes (sons of queen Beatrix) has lived this way for a while. Main reason was shortage of housing as well as a combination with taxpolicies (soil is taxed, water is not). Now-a-days a houseboat also receives a sort of tax and for those who think that living on the water has the missing of many comforts: the boats are connected to the water, gas and electricity networks of town.

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Amsterdam used to be situated on the Southern sea (now-a-days "IJsselmeer"). The Amstel river was running here into the "IJ", a part of the sea, that knew tides. The canals had to be protected for these tides and also the salt water that was bad for the wooden poles on which the houses were built. Therefor locks were built. The regulated shippingtraffic, but above all the regulation of "fresh" water (see "Spuien"-customstip). The locks were then manually operated by a "sluiswachter" lockwatch. In those time a very respectable function.

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"Spuien" ... a very necessary thing to keep Amsterdam inhabitable. This daily procedure was taking care of the cleaning of the canals and the refreshing of the waters. When the locks were closed, the riverwater from the Amstel was filling the canals, that got a higher and higher waterlevel. Then one opened the locks at low tide and the water flushed out, taking the larger part of the dirt out of town. Now-a-days however one does not have tides anymore and - positive - the water on the outside of A'dam is sweet. They now have a "spui" system in which the canal are cleaned as well. Partly pumping and partly accumilating-effect of water from the Amstel are the bases of the new system. However, to keep the canals clean, one has to do much more in present times.

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The pigeons on the Dam square are loved and hated at the same time. The birds are simply rude from all the food they get and the fact that they are in masses and you stand alone. There are various birdfood salesmen roaming around the sqaure, making the situation only worse. The animals (rats among birds) are a plague to the cities monuments and statues, so please, think twice before feeding them even fatter then they already are. Also, watch out when they massively fly around.
Furthermore, the Dam-square also attracts other strange birds, but they only decorate the square with their art. I'm talking about musicians, living statues and other artistic people, making a living.

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