Amsterdam is the nominal capital. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of almost 750,000,with over 3,5 milion foreign visitors each year.Amsterdam is an old city contained within the ring of concentric canals dating from the 17th century that is form the crescent shaped canal belt bordered by the Singelgracht.

It’s a thriving city, and one of the hardest for travellers to leave, going on the number of expats trying to bike around like locals. Amsterdams centre is enjoyable small-scale, though finding your way around the canal belt can be confusing. At the northern point, we have the Old Centre – with its New Side and its Old Side – dominated by the magnificent Centraal Station, home to Warmoesstraat, the city’s oldest street, and the Red Light District. Slightly to the west, there’s the Grachtengordel – that ‘girdle of canals’ – with the three main waterways acting as THE address to have, both ‘then’ and now. West again, we have the Jordaan, originally the workers’ quarter, with its charming, unpretentious houses suddenly in vogue and shooting up in price. To the east of the centre is the district of the Plantage – once known as Jodenbuurt, after the Jews who began settling here almost two centuries ago. Then there’s the Pijp, the Old South, Amsterdam’s first suburb, today a culturally diverse area well known for its lively, close-knit neighbourhoods.

Wherever in Amsterdam you choose to make your home, you can be sure that you’ll be living in one of the prettiest and most vibrant cities in Europe. Families can look forward to lovely neighbourhoods where children still play in the suburban streets. City slickers can choose apartment living – historical or modern – with balconies on which to sit and watch the world go by being an almost guaranteed feature. History vultures can take the above ‘potted biography’ and explore it fully, through the amazing museums and historical sites dotted throughout the city.

If you’re here to work, but also hope to have fun, you’ll be spoiled for choice – the nightlife is ranked high amongst the best in Europe. Though ‘something for everyone’ may be a modern advertising cliché, Amsterdam really is a city that has no problems entertaining everyone who comes to stay.  
www.holland.com - www.visitamsterdam.nl

VVV Tourist Office Amsterdam
Stationsplein 10
Amsterdam
Phone: 0900- 4004040 (euro 0,55 pm)

Museum of Amsterdam
There are three major museum, The Rijksmuseum, The Stedelijk Museum and The Van Gogh museum. All three are situated around the Museumplein in Amsterdam.
Rijksmuseum: 10.00 –17.00 - www.rijksmuseum.nl
Van Gogh: 10.00 -17.00 - www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Stedelijk : 11.00 -18.00 - www.stedelijk.nl
An online list of museums in the Netherlands is available from Holland Museums

Canals

The canals of course are one of the major attractions in Amsterdam. The four main city centre canals are Prinsengracht, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Singel, and of course there are numerous smaller canals, of which the Brouwersgracht, the Bloemgracht and the Leliegracht are especially pleasant.
You can sample the canal views by taking a canal tour with one of the shipping companies on the Damrak or Rokin by the Spui. Its worth to take one of the canal boat tours to see Amsterdam from the water. They last about 90 minutes, and take you around the city and through the harbour. You could also try the more adventurous pedal boats ( Westerkerk, Leidseplein, Leidsestraat, Rijksmuseum).Here are some usefull numbers for canal boats.

Amsterdam Canal Cruises - Tel: 020-626 56 36

Holland International - Tel: 020-622 77 88

Rederij Plas - Tel: 020 624 54 06

Rederij Boekel - Tel: 020 612 99 05

Rederij Lovers - Tel: 020 622 21 81

British School of Amsterdam
Jan van Eijckstraat 21
1077 LG Amsterdam
Phone:020 679 78 40
Age: 2 to 11
www.britishschool.nl

The Annefrank House 
The wartime hiding place of the young Jewish girl and her family, finally caught by the Nazis, made famous by Anne Frank’s diary.
Prinsengracht 263 - Amsterdam

Albert Cuyp 
Amsterdam’s most famous day market, with stalls lining both sides of the Albert Cuyp street. Like all other daymarkets, in part due to stronger legislation regarding the sale of perishables, this icon of Amsterdam street trade sees a shift towards the sale of cheap textiles. It still retains some of its old charm though, and especially on a sunny day the Albert Cuyp is a bustling multicultural street filled with the famous Amsterdam humor. Don’t miss the fish vendors, and if you’re lucky you might witness a cunning hawker trying to sell you the latest in potato peelers. Open Mon-Sat 8am-6pm (closes earlier in winter, and can close early due to bad weather).

Leidseplein 
During the sixties when Amsterdam was divided between Nozems (greasers) and Provos (hippies) the Leidseplein was the major Nozem hangout, and thus a very cool place. Nowadays the area has deteriorated a bit, with an abundance of fast food, travel agencies and money changers. Nonetheless, the Leidseplein itself is a pleasant enough small square, flanked on three sides by bars and with a large tree-shaded terrace in the middle. During summer the square comes alive with street performers; everything from jugglers and fire-eaters to percussionists, mime players and clowns.
 
Waterlooplein
This famous flea market is great for cheap, funky clothes. There are antiques, real and otherwise, for those who like that sort of thing, and a great atmosphere if you just want to stroll and ‘window-shop’. You’ll find the market just behind the Town Hall.

Bubbels & Wines (Wine & Champagne bar)
Nes 37 Amsterdam
www.bubblesandwines.com