subject: Take A Boat To Amsterdam [print this page] Amsterdam is known as the "Venice of the North" due to its system of canals, which makes it great for sailing holidays. Amsterdam is today among the top holiday destinations for the great variety of entertainment offerings. It is located in northern Holland and is the countries capital however, the official seat of government and the Royal Palace is in the Hague.
There are numerous museums and historic houses in the city, most notably that of Anne Frank, and it has very popular architecture. The biggest tourist attraction is perhaps the nightlife. Amsterdam is known as the entertainment capital of the country.
The city is a great place for simple walk or ride through its streets and canals which are beautiful all year round and ideal for adventure holidays. Remarkable also is the city's cultural life, with some 40,000 performances per year, ranging across all genres of art. Amsterdam was developed in the thirteenth century by a fishing village located near a dam on the Amstel River (hence the original name Amstelredam) which soon revealed it qualities to become a major commercial ports in the area. When the Netherlands gained independence from Spain and was introduced freedom of religion in the sixteenth century, the city became a haven for many people from all over Europe to get away from persecution in their countries of origin, thus acquiring the cosmopolitan and tolerant nature that it exhibits today.
The heyday of Amsterdam was the seventeenth century, when the city was able, thanks to its trade, to create a vast colonial empire and become the most important port in the world. After a period of decline, the city recovered in the nineteenth century, when the Stelling van Amsterdam was built. It is a ring composed of 42 forts and lands that could be flooded to defend the city. The First World War left the city unscathed because the Netherlands remained neutral. The Second World War brought devastation to Amsterdam under Nazi occupation; the city also suffered serious economic consequences for the decimation of the Jewish traders, who ran the most flourishing trade in diamonds in the world.
The post war years saw the city of Amsterdam increase its tolerance towards soft drugs, which made it a popular destination for hippies. With the economic boom of the eighties and nineties, the city was restored through the strengthening of its infrastructure and the expansion of its administrative autonomy.
Amsterdam is ideal for sailing holidays and adventure holidays. The most pleasant time to visit Amsterdam is the countries spring and summer time, when the tulips are in bloom and the temperatures are quite mild. Even in this period, however, it is a good idea to pack an umbrella or raincoat, because the sky is often overcast. Winters are quite harsh and rainy, with an average temperature around 2 degrees, but the proximity of the sea takes away snow and ice. When it does snow however, the ice channels offer a unique spectacle. Public transport in Amsterdam is practical and efficient. You can choose between bus, tram, metro and of course boats. You can also get around the city can safely on foot or by bicycle. The latter medium is particularly suitable, both for the flat conformation of the city and for the presence of many bicycle lanes.
by: Larry Marsh
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