Copyright 2003 by Punch In International® News Syndicate
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Amsterdam is a city that -
no matter what your passion - intoxicates and ignites the soul.
A typical Amsterdam canal
Although
infamous for its legalized purchase of sex and drugs, you need only to spend a
short time strolling through picturesque and romantic canals, lined by 17th
and 18th century homes, and indulging in the rich history of
artistic and literary legends to see how quickly sex and drugs are dismissed as
defining characteristics of the city.
Amsterdam
is an iconic metropolis and a champion for liberal virtues, yet because of its
quaint and small size, it also has the feeling of a small town. This unique provincial
element allows the city to remain in step with the facets of a fast-paced
modern and technological cosmopolitan without losing its way, without - simply
put - tainting a good thing. That makes Amsterdam the perfect city to enjoy
either a fast or slow-paced lifestyle. The choice is yours, really…
Locals
ride bicycles (the most widely used form of transportation) or walk throughout
the city so you should, too. Take in a coffee or Heineken (the world’s
second-biggest brewer and made here) at an old-style bruin café, and watch very
pretty, very tall natives walk by.
Begin to see the city through the eyes and ideals of a Hollander - beautiful,
charming, and very seductive.
In
the heart of the city is the Radisson SAS Hotel - just a few steps away on
Rusland 17. This five-star luxury hotel has recently undergone a facelift,
restyling 61 guestrooms into a Maritime style with elegant and nautical
influences that complement its three other types of rooms, Scandinavian, Old
Dutch, and Art Deco.
Visually
captivating is the newly renovated atrium in the hotel lobby, which takes the
heritage of the city’s most striking architectural 17th and 18th century houses
and blends these with Amsterdam’s world renowned warehouse designs used by a
paper factory owned by Proost & Brandt. Inside the atrium is the Pastorie
Bar, a former 18th century vicarage, which serves beers, wines and cocktails in
a typical Old Dutch atmosphere.
For
dining, the Radisson SAS offers Old Amsterdam to New Amsterdam style cuisine in
its De Palmboom restaurant, built in 1767, and originally a grocer's shop. For
Mediterranean fare, the hotel’s restaurant Talavera changes regularly with
fresh seasonal products and features specialties originating from Spain to
Italy and from France to Morocco.
Another hotel favorite
for fine dining is the Restaurant La Rive
located in the Intercontinental Amstel Hotel on
Professor Tulpplein 1 street.
Serving
up French and Mediterranean cuisine, La Rive’s is well known for its refined
elegance and superb blend of service and atmosphere. On its river level it
seats 75. Men are required to wear jackets and the La Rive staff will request
that your cell phone be turned off or left with the hostess.
The Elegant La Rive’s main dining room
The
French/Mediterranean fare is the creative work of chef Edwin Kats, who prides
himself on the perfect pairings of food and wine, and good thing, too! The
restaurant stores some 3,000 thousand bottles in a climate controlled
cupboards.
After
dinner, Amsterdam is the perfect city for enjoying music, especially Jazz. Here
are a few places to get you started.
The Bimhuis, located at Oude Schans 73-77, is an old staple that’s been around for a quarter of a century, serving up improvised music and contemporary jazz. For live jazz every night, head to Cafe Alto at Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115. This famous intimate 'brown' bar is one of the better spots. Course it wouldn’t be a real jazz town without a bar called Bourbon Street, which is on Leidsekruisstraat 6-8. This blues blues and jazz club has live music every night
A
smaller, but no less popular nightclub is Mazzo
on Rozengracht 114. Make sure to look for the sign MA22O on the door in
bold black letters, or you’re likely to miss it!
If for no other reason than to do a little model and Caleb sighting, visit the Greenhouse Coffee shop and café in De Pijp on Tolstraat 91. This small coffee shop is winner of the 'High Times Cup' award for its selection of cannabis and is now renowned for its high quality and diverse range of specialty products.
Arendsnest, In de Wildeman, and Maximiliaans are great breweries, but
the best one around is Brouwerij het Ij on
Funnenkade 7, which carries a selection of specialty beers and is located in a
former windmill. It’s one of only two microbreweries left in the city.
The
specialist in Belgian beers is Café
Gollem on Raamsteeg 4 – a cozy brown cafe that stocks over 200 bottled
beers, 95% of which are, naturally, Belgian.
The
curious and ambitious cultural seeker might feel a bit overwhelmed at first.
Amsterdam has a lot to offer, including some 70 theatres and concert halls, 50
museums, and over 140 galleries used for exhibitions.
One
of the more enjoyable and easier ways to do this is on the Museumboat, a beautiful marriage of canal and culture, which starts
at the city’s Central Station and allows you to stop and get off as many times
as you wish while it docks every 15 to 30 minutes on its journey.
Anne Frankhuis is a poignant stop along the
way, near Westermarkt. This is where the young Jewish teenager wrote her
infamous diary recounting horrific stories of her family’s life in hiding,
ultimately unsuccessfully avoiding capture and execution from Hitler’s Nazi
army.
Canal Street Prinsengracht is one the most beautiful stretches of the canals and is lined with an equally charming selection of cafés. De Molenpad (The Mill path) is located on Prinsengracht 653 and is a typical Dutch waterside café with lovely views of passers-by and boats on the water a perfect place to rest and have a beer.
The Café Van Puffelen on Prinsengracht has a selection of wines and afternoon tea, but get there early if you plan to stay for dinner. This café fills up in the evenings with pretty young things and DJs playing hits of the month.
Along the canal is Museumsplein where one can find the colossal Rijksmuseum, which houses the largest collection of art in the Netherlands including collections of Dutch old masters from the 15th and 19th centuries. There is also the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum. In the area of Herengracht you can also stroll down the Kalverstraat and learn all about the history of the city in the History Museum.
Behind
the Rijksmuseum is the Café Cobra on
the edge of Museumplein. The unusual modern architecture of this café makes it
a notable stop. The name Cobra café and restaurant comes from group of 20th
century artists, such as Corneille and Wolvecamp, based in Copenhagen, Brussels and
Amsterdam.
Another
highlight is the Music Theatre, or the Stopera
complex, which features Opera's and national and international Ballets. The
Tropenmuseum is slightly further
down. The maritime district follows with a visit to the Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum (Netherlands Maritime Museum).
Jordaan is one of the most
traditional districts in Amsterdam, spreading along the western half of the
canal belt. Insurrected at the beginning of the 17th century, this
is an old part of the city and is lined with quaint boutiques, charming cafés
like old Café Papeneiland. Along the
Brouwersgracht, there are old homes
with tiny flower patches and courtyards, and narrow cobble-stoned walkways that
join these within an intricate web.
At the Flower Market there is the Divertimento Café is located at Singel 480. It is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a delicious breakfasts opposite gorgeous bouquets of freshly cut flowers for sale.
Travel Tips Currency: The Euro Prices: While not
Europe’s most expensive capital, Amsterdam is not inexpensive. Crime Level: Low Airlines: KLM &
Continental offer the most frequent service and
share codes. Hotel Recommendation:
SAS Radisson Big Splurge Restaurant: La
Rive
Another lovely place to camp out is Vondelpark inside the Café Vertigo, which is a good café and restaurant attached to the Nederlands Film Museum. Melkhuis is another large café in the middle of Vondelpark located amidst the trees – an ideal spot to have a drink.
The city’s commercial and shopping hub is Dam Square, which is home to more than just H&M. Here one can see the Royal Palace and the Trippenhuis on Kloveniersburgwal 29. Originally, the Royal Palace was designed to serve as Amsterdam’s town hall and the Trippenhuis was built for wealthy citizens.
Located in Dam Square is the popular lounge and late night bar, Absinthe Bar. Once considered the “in” place in the 19th century, it took a turn for the worse in beginning of twentieth century linked to excessive drinking and drugs and brain damage.
Behind
the Dam Square is De Brakke Grond, a
quiet café with an outdoor terrace located on De Brakke Grond Nes 45 next to
the Flemish Cultural Centre. Serving a range of Belgian and Dutch beers, this
is a good place to enjoy live music and see up-and-coming performers.
In a Nutshell
Amsterdam
is the perfect European destination for a weekend getaway, or as a jumping off
point for a more extended tour of the Netherlands or other European countries,
serviced by good trains and arguably the finest airport in the world.
Amsterdam’s enchanting
Flower Market
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