Arrival and Orientation The old center of Amsterdam that most people know is a semi circle with Central Station at the center. The Singelgracht, the outermost of the ring canals, marks the boundary of the city as it was around 1850. The Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht, and Singelgracht, form the Canal Belt …

Opened in 2009, The Hermitage is a dependency of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg. By being a dependency, they show traveling exhibitions on loan from the museum in Russia, each lasting six months. The building was originally used as a retirement home, which became insufficient to meet the needs …

While the Dutch are not internationally known for their cuisine, there are many Dutch dishes that you simply must try on your visit to Amsterdam. Here are some things that are distinctly Dutch that you’ll want to sink your teeth into. Bitterballen – These little snacks can be found at …

Almost any place in the Netherlands can be reached within 3 hours or less of rail travel due to the small size of the country and excellent rail network.  It is possible to see most of the country via day trips from Amsterdam.  Here are some of the possibilities: Alkmaar – …

Amsterdam, one of Europe’s smaller but densely populated capitals, has many attractions for visitors. The town’s most famous sight is the system of canals, which spreads over the whole city centre. Museums The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is the national museum of the Netherlands. The Van Gogh Museum specializes in works by …

Backpacking Tips for Amsterdam Amsterdam is a very popular backpacking destination. It’s hard not to love the enchanting canals, the ringing of bells from local cyclists and the charming Dutch houses. You can spend many happy (and free!) hours wandering this good looking city, but every backpacker needs to eat, …

For it’s size (700,000 people), Amsterdam is a very safe city. That being said, taking a few precautions to ensure your safety from crime or misfortune can go a long way to ensuring that your trip is memorable for all the right reasons. Violent crime is all but nonexistent in …

Internet Only a few small internet cafes remain in the Old Center. Unless you have a laptop or smart phone, your best bet for internet access is the Amsterdam Public Library (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam) wich offers free internet access.  Located near the Central Station the modern and clean library has hundreds of …

Amsterdam fans out south from the Amsterdam Central Station. The Damrak is the main street and continues past Dam Square, turning into the street Rokin. The oldest area of the town is known as de Wallen (the quays in Dutch). It lies to the east of Damrak and contains the …

[important]It is still allowed for anyone to buy cannabis in Amsterdam. In The Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam, coffee shops are the only establishments that the police ‘allow’ to sell small quantities of cannabis. The sale of other drugs or of alcohol is prohibited in these coffee shops, however most of …