.: OVERVIEW :.

Although small, Amsterdam, the capital city of Holland (The Netherlands) is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in Europe and teems with a large array of attractions to feast your eyes. Apart from traditional images of windmills and tulips, Amsterdam has much more to offer, including museums where you can absorb its history and art, amazingly intertwined canals through which you can delve to see its various small districts, flowers garden& parks where you can enjoy spectacular shows of colorful flowers and plants amidst relaxing atmosphere, or even shops and nightlife outlets where you can sip beers as long as you can. These will make your trip to this city very colorful with invigorating experiences.

Crescent-shaped Amsterdam borders the North Sea and is located on a flat land of which 50% lies below sea level. The city is protected from flooding only by sand dunes, dikes, and Dutch engineering ingenuity. Being a great delta of the Western Europe, Amsterdam is crisscrossed by an array of canals and waterways among which the River Amstel is the life blood. A myriad of canals in Amsterdam still plays and important role in economic life, especially in tourism industry.

The intertwined networks of canals and waterways have divided the city into easily navigable districts lined with the residing houses, contributing a fascinating ambiance of the centuries before. The Centraal Station is the hub of transportation to all destinations in the city. South of the station, Dam square is the city center, teeming with outstanding monuments such as Royal Palace and New Church. But actually, there are several other centers within the city center. Leidseplein is an enclave of the city’s social life and nightlife with its terrace cafes to watch people going around. Rembrandtplein is another playground of nightlife. Jordann, an old working-class neighborhood, is now partly inhabited by students and artists, teeming with pubs, art galleries, and lively markets. At Museumplein, you will be feasted with culture. The infamous “Red-Light District”, east of Dam Square is a colorful neighborhood with crowds during the night until dawn. All of these focal points of the city are in a walking distance, making a sightseeing by foot or bicycle very enjoyable.

Between the 16th and the 18th century, Amsterdam came to its golden age owing to its wealth from the seaborne trade. The Dutch could reach the Far East countries and founded the East India Company. Today, Amsterdam remains one of the most popular business cities in the world, just after New York City. Moreover, due to its charms of the city together with relaxing and tolerant people, Amsterdam is the one of the jewels of tourism in Europe, ranking after London, Paris, and Rome.

Amsterdam’s climate is generally mild; thus it is best to visit at anytime of the year, though downpours are unpredictable. The winter in Amsterdam tend to be cold and filled with plenty of rain. The summer months offer clear sky and sunshine, resulting in the vibrant out-door activities of people and the throngs of tourists as well.