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Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands (though not the seat of Government) is one of Europe’s great destinations, as popular with tourists as it is with businessmen. Amsterdam’s lifeblood is water, which courses through the city in a concentric network of canals and waterways spanned by more than 1000 bridges. As Amsterdam is inextricably linked with water, one of the most attractive ways of viewing the city is on a canal tour. Many of the houses date back to the Netherlands’ golden age in the 17th century. These narrow-fronted merchants’ houses are characterised by the traditionally Dutch ornamented gables. The oldest part of the city is Nieuwmarkt, located near the first canals – Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht – built to protect the city against invasion.
In the 17th century, Amsterdam gained a reputation for religious tolerance, which attracted thousands of Flemish, Walloon and French Protestants as well as Jewish merchants from Spain, Portugal and Central Europe. The city has also long been a centre for diamond cutting and it is still possible to see diamond cutters at work. Boasting 53 museums, 61 art galleries, 12 concert halls and 20 theatres, Amsterdam has a booming cultural life. A special canal boat (the ‘museum boat’) links 16 of the major museums. A special Museum Pass entitling holders to free entry to over 400 museums is available from participating museums and local tourist offices.
One of the city’s cultural Meccas is the Rijksmuseum, a voluminous art gallery that is home to the works of many of the country’s artistic luminaries, as well as numerous European masters. The highlight for many visitors is Dutch master Rembrandt’s epic Night Watch, though the list of the gallery’s treasures is almost endless. Fellow Dutch artist, Van Gogh, is celebrated throughout the city, with the Rembrandt House Museum, housed in the historical building where the great artist used to live and work. The Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, a collection of Dutch and international art from 1850 onwards, includes works by Picasso, Cézanne, Chagall and Monet, as well as photography, video, film and industrial design. Amsterdam’s most poignant museum is Anne Frank’s House, where the young Jewish girl hid away from the occupying German forces, who were intent on ridding the city of all Jews and sending them to their cruel fates in the death camps. The museum illuminates the young girl’s life and is of interest to everyone, whether they have read her famous diary or not. A more light-hearted attraction is the Heineken Brewery. Heineken, the Dutch national brewer, is the world’s second-largest brewing empire and this brewery, which operated from 1932-1988, is now a museum. There are daily guided tours, which culminate with ice-cold samples of the famous beer.
Amsterdam is justifiably famous for its nightlife with few other European cities managing to quite satisfy every conceivable taste in the same way as Holland’s capital. Within a few blocks, well-heeled couples idle away an evening in a canal-side gourmet restaurant, and a group of backpackers stumble across the cobbles after a night in a cheery pub, as just around the corner the local trendies pose their way through an evening in a new style bar. Then there is the Opera House, the string of concert venues, the football stadium, some of Europe’s best nightclubs and the jazz cafes to name a few other nocturnal pastimes in Amsterdam. And, of course, there are the seedier ways to spend an evening, either exploring the infamous coffee shops of a city where soft drugs are not only allowed, but are sold over the counter, and the Red Light District, a nefarious playground where all sorts of low life mingle with the curious and the downright seedy. Wherever tourists spend their evening, there is the same relaxed, live-and-let-live ambience of a city where almost anything goes.
Amsterdam Pass: This offers free admission to many museums, tourist attractions and public transport as well as up to 25 per cent discount on certain other attractions, restaurants and transportation within the city. The pass is available for 1-day (€26), 2-days (€36) and 3-days (€46). Further details about the pass can be obtained from the Amsterdam Tourist Office, Postbus 3901, 1001 AS Amsterdam; (tel: (20) 551 2585/7; fax: (20) 625 2869).
Around Amsterdam: There are numerous possible excursions and day trips available from Amsterdam with an efficient national rail network that links the surrounding towns and cities to the metropole. Alkmaar, where there is a famous cheese market at Waagplein, open every Friday from mid-April to mid-September, is a popular day trip. There is also a good bus service from Amsterdam to Volendam and Marken, both old fishing villages largely built of wood. The former is predominantly Catholic, the latter Protestant and both easily occupy a whole day.
HAARLEM: Located 20km (12 miles) west of Amsterdam, Haarlem is a centre of Dutch tulip-growing and the surrounding countryside affords a fine view of the bulb fields from the end of March to mid-May. The town itself has a beautiful 16th- and 17th-century town centre and two fine museums. The Teyler Museum was first established in 1784 from its world-famous Oval Room by merchant banker, Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. The museum has a very diverse collection, which includes drawings by Rembrandt, scientific instruments, fossils and coins. The ultramodern new wing opened in 1996 and offers a striking contrast with the oak-panelled rooms of the original building. The Frans Hals Museum houses paintings by the artist. Also worth visiting is St Bavokerk Cathedral, containing a 5000-pipe organ which Mozart is reported to have played.
UTRECHT: The city of Utrecht is a favourite destination with the Dutch, as it offers many of Amsterdam’s charms on a smaller scale without the tourist hordes that fill the capital for much of the year. The fourth-largest city in The Netherlands is also one of the oldest cities in the country, the site first having been settled by the Romans. During the Middle Ages, Utrecht was often an imperial residence, and the city’s bishops regularly played an important role in the secular affairs of Europe. The city’s prosperity allowed the construction of several beautiful churches, particularly the Cathedral of St Michael (13th century), St Pieterskerk and St Janskerk (both 11th century) and St Jacobkerk (12th century). Other buildings of note include the House of the Teutonic Order, the 14th-century Huys Oudaen, the Hospice of St Bartholomew and the Neudeflat, a more modern construction (built in the 1960s), but one which affords a superb view across the city from its 15th-floor restaurant. The city also has several museums, including the Central Museum (which has an excellent Department of Modern Art), the Archiepiscopal Museum, the Railway Museum, the Archaeological Collection and the Municipal Museum. The best way to explore Utrecht is by canal boat, which takes visitors on a loop of the city that opens up its different districts. Utrecht’s bars and restaurants are also renowned for their quality and good value, and the lively nightlife is propelled by the large local student community.
UTRECHT PROVINCE: The province of Utrecht, in the very heart of The Netherlands, contains numerous country houses, estates and castles set in landscaped parks and beautiful woods. The countryside around Utrecht is very fertile and seems like one large garden.
25km (16 miles) to the northeast of Utrecht is the town of Amersfoort, set in a region of heathland and forest. The old town is well preserved, one of the most attractive buildings being the Church of St George. Just 8km (5 miles) away is the town of Soestdijk, containing the Royal Palace and the beautiful parklands of the Queen Mother. Between Soestdijk and Hilversum is Baarn, a favourite summer resort among the Dutch.
ELSEWHERE: Nearby, the casino at Zandvoort (west of Haarlem) is also the site of the annual Dutch Grand Prix. There is a famous Flower Auction in Aalsmeer; open weekday mornings. Near Lisse, south of Haarlem, are the Keukenhof Gardens, which have a lily show in late May. The Frans Roozen Nurseries & Tulip Show and the bulb fields can also be visited. Broek op Langedijk has Europe’s oldest vegetable auction hall with a large and interesting exhibition of the land reclamation of the surrounding area. Hoorn and Enkhuizen are well-known watersports centres. The latter town features the National Zuyder Zee Museum, an outdoor museum with ships and reconstructed houses.
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