The Capital City of The Netherlands

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands located in the south of the province North Holland.

Amsterdams airport at Schipol is also one of Europes most important and makes the city easily accessible to travellers from abroad.

Explore Amsterdam by foot, tram, canal tour or bike. Word of warning though with the bikes on a recent count there are over 400,000 bikes in Amsterdam, if you are a bit wobbly it could be best to start in one of the parks.

Amsterdam has plenty of attractions to interest a traveller, including world renowned Arts Museums, canal cruises and an incredibly diverse Nightlife embracing Indonesian restaurants, Opera, Ballet through to Coffee Shops and the Red Light District. A good starting point for any visit to Amsterdam is the Tourist Information Office.

The phrase going window shopping will never mean the same again. It is a real tourist area just remember when the Dutch say no photos they mean it. The red light area is one of the oldest districts in Amsterdam. With cobbled streets and fantastic Dutch architecture it really is a beautiful area. Prostitution was only legalised in the year 2000 but has been the main pull of this district for Centuries.

The many places where you can sip a coffee and smoke a spliff are one answer. In 1976 the Dutch, taking their normal pragmatic approach to humanities weaknesses, realised that the use of marijuana was widespread and re classified it as a soft drug. As a result, locals and visitors can now walk into a coffee shop and purchase up to five grams of the stuff for personal use as long as theyre over 18.

Hotels are located in the heart of the city and all major attractions and nightlife areas are only few steps away.

The capital city is home to a surprising succession of English language comedy, including a world renowned improve troupe, international stand up festival and plenty of budding talents.

The term Dutch cuisine once tended to inspire peals of laughter. However well travelled chefs have returned home to apply their lessons to fresh local and often organic, ingredients. Transcending its setting on a land best suited to spuds, cabbages, carrots and cows, the nation is now employing its greenhouses to grow an array of ingredients.

Visit Ann Franks house, the windmills, the zoo the cheese factory its all in easy reach.

Its an old city dating back to 12th century, with a beautifully preserved city centre canals, locks, bridges, canal houses in all shapes and sizes.