There is certainly something quaint and special about the colourful capital city of the Netherlands. With around three-quarters of Amsterdam’s annual 3.7 million visitors being European, it holds a particular appeal for students and young couples who want to enjoy the laidback culture and fascinating history that Amsterdam has to offer. There are four campsites located around the city, which attract the cash-strapped backpacker and are a good option for any traveller on a budget.
Perhaps best known for its controversial Sex Museum, red light district and mellow coffee shops, Amsterdam has much more to offer than pornography, peep shows and pot. Top tourist attractions include the Anne Frank House, Dam Square, Oude Kerk, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum (modern art) and the Tropenmuseum (anthropology). There are also numerous windmills and parks. Two of its prominent top-end hotels are the Krasnapolsky and the Okura.
Amsterdam has good shopping facilities, from luxury department stores (e.g., Maison de Bonneterie) to speciality and curiosity shops arranged along most of the cobbled side streets. A plethora of cafes generally stay open at all hours; if you work up an appetite, you are never far away from a decent restaurant. At night, the atmosphere in Amsterdam becomes noticeably more intimate, and certainly during the summer months, the outside terraces will be filled with wine-drinkers getting acquainted by candlelight, and chilled-out couples relaxing in the moonlight. Nightlife centres around the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein, where tourists who want to dance and socialise can find a good choice of discos, bars and clubs.
Amsterdam is characterised by its numerous canals, intersected by pathways, side streets and bridges. Cycling is the most popular and encouraged mode of transport. Trains, buses and trams also operate on a regular basis – and additionally there are even water taxis to take travellers across the canals. Amsterdam loves music and parties, and plays host to over 100 festivals a year, including Gay Pride and the Holland Festival. The main airport serving Amsterdam is Schiphol, around 10km from the city centre.