Canals and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

The more than one hundred kilometers of canals in Amsterdam, about 90 islands and 1500 bridges have led the city to being termed the "Venice of the North The three main canals Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age, form a concentric belt around the city, known as the grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.

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The Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) is the fourth and the longest of the main canals in Amsterdam. Most of the canal houses along it were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the United Provinces. The bridges over this canal don't connect with the streets in the Jordaan.

Interesting sights along the Prinsengracht include the Noorderkerk (Northern Church), the Noordermarkt (Northern Market), the Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk (Western Church, Amsterdam's tallest church) with the Homomonument (Gay Monument).

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The Herengracht (Gentleman's Canal) is is the first and the most elegant of the three major canals in the city centre of Amsterdam. The most fashionable part is called the Golden Bend, with many double wide mansions, inner gardens and coach houses on the Keizersgracht

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The famous skinny bridge across the river Amstel and opposite of the Carré theatre, is an Old Dutch design wooden bridge known as a double-swipe (balanced) bridge. Tradition relates that the bridge was named after the sisters Mager, who were supposed to live on opposite sides of the river. They are said to have had the wooden bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. However it appears more likely, that the original bridge acquired the name from being so narrow (mager means skinny in Dutch), that it was hard for two pedestrians to pass one along another.

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Amsterdam is and old harbor city built deep inside the big bay at the mouth of the river Amstel. The 100 kilometers long Amsterdam canals, form the vital bloodlines of the city, for centuries far more important than its streets. Hundreds of years ago, boats and smaller ships were able to enter the centre of Amsterdam to transport the merchandises from all over the world. The town houses of the merchants were often their warehouses, with an office on the ground floor, living quarters in the back of the house, and the storage on higher floors. Merchandises were transported up and down by a lift going up to the attic through the very middle of the house floor.
Today, the canals are crowded by the tourist boats, because to understand Amsterdam, you should see it as the travelers before the centuries - from the water level. Almost 2000 bridges span above the Amsterdam canals. Each of them has its name usually displayed on both side of the bridge, its character and its history. Most of them are bascule bridges which can be raised to give the passage to the ship. During the summer, you might often see as the busy street traffic in Amsterdam is held up for five minutes or more by a pair of older people on holidays, who slowly cruise on the deck of their small yacht throughout the Amsterdam centre.

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In Europe, some of the finest and costliest examples of houseboats can be seen along the canals of Amsterdam, which even has houseboat hotels. Houseboats are very expensive nowadays in Amsterdam because of the limited number of moorings; this expense has reduced the likelihood that the approximately 2,400 families that live on the inner waters of Amsterdam will find themselves confronted by new neighbour boats.

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The Anne Frank House is a museum where visitors are given the opportunity to personally envision what happened on this very spot.
The rooms of the Secret Annex have been maintained in their authentic state thanks to conscientious preservation activities. The rooms in the Secret Annex are empty, because the furniture was carted away directly after the arrest. Salvaged documents and objects belonging to the eight people in hiding are now displayed in the Secret Annex.

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Phone: +31-20-5567100
Address: Prinsengracht 267
Website: http://www.annefrank.nl

During the sixties flower power in the Netherlands was symbolized by the famous Damslapers, a 'bunch of hippies camping out on Dam square'. Nowadays the square has lost a lot of it's former easygoing charm but it's still one of the focal points of the city. Not surprising, as Dam square is the physical center of the city ever since the dam was built to keep the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) out. In the midst of the square is the Nationaal Monument, dedicated to the Dutch soldiers and members of the resistance who died during World War Two. To the west the square is flanked by the Royal Palace.

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This area is famous for its window prostitution, which is legal in Holland. The windows are illuminated by red lights, hence the name. Though you might suspect otherwise this section of town isn't really that seedy, and it's a common sight to see a busload of tourists take an organized tour of the district. Besides the windows the area sports various 'erotic' bars and theaters.
Keep in Mind:PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALLOWED!YOUR CAMERA MIGHT EVEN BE DESTROYED!

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The Prostitution Information Center, or PIC, was approved in August 1994 by former prostitute Mariska Majoor.
The PIC gives to everyone who need to have information, information and advice in relation to prostitution in the broadest sense of the word. . For people who have questions about prostitution, the PIC is a fairly accessible place (middle of the Red Light in Amsterdam), where almost all questions can be answered or from which can be redirected to other organisations., prostitutes, their clients and students; everyone is welcome.

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