Travel Thursday on Emtpy Streets: Amsterdam

Amsterdam (pronounced /ˈæmstərdæm/) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city, which had a population of around 1 million (with suburbs) on 1 January 2008, comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.

Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed.
The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, part of Euronext, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, its red-light district and its many cannabis coffee shops, draw 4.2 million tourists annually.

Here is a list of tourist spots to visit once you get to Amsterdam:

Museums

* The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is the national museum of the Netherlands.
* The Erotic Museum, museum about sex and history of the Red Light Districts.
* The Van Gogh Museum specialises in works by Vincent van Gogh.
* The Stedelijk Museum specialises in modern art.
* The Rembrandt House Museum specialises in works by Rembrandt van Rijn.
* The Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht 263.
* The Hermitage Amsterdam, a dependency of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
* The Tropenmuseum, anthropological museum.
* The NEMO (museum), the science museum in a building that looks like a sinking ship.
* The Burcht, National Trade Unions Museum built by Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
* The Verzetsmuseum, the Amsterdam resistance museum.
* The Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Amsterdam's historical museum.
* The Allard Pierson Museum, Archaeological Museum of the University of Amsterdam.
* The Bijbels Museum, where the Bible, art and culture meet in a monument full of history.
* The Filmmuseum, Holland's museum for cinematography.
* The Joods Historisch Museum, The Jewish Historical Museum collects objects and works of art associated with the religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and its former colonies.
* The Museum Van Loon, a home on the canal. The double-sized canal house dates from 1672.
* The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, museum about Dutch maritime history. Due to renovation closed from January 2007, probably until June 2009.
* The Pianola Museum.
* The Handbag Museum.
* The Kattenkabinet, museum about cats.
* The Universiteitsmuseum, the Amsterdam university museum.
* Het Schip, museum about the Amsterdam School architectural movement of the early 20th century.
* The Amsterdam Dungeon, a unique combination of a museum, theatre and an attraction park.
* Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen, a mansion on the Herengracht, with four period rooms and a tranquil garden.
* Diamond Museum Amsterdam, a museum at the Museumplein about the history of diamonds.

Churches

* Oude Kerk (ca. 1400).
* Nieuwe Kerk (1490).
* Zuiderkerk the city's first church built specifically for Protestant services (1603-1611).
* Noorderkerk (1620-1623).
* Westerkerk, finished in 1638 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser.
* Oosterkerk, construction was completed in 1671.
* Ronde Lutherse Kerk, first round Lutheran Church- Reformed Church in the Netherlands with a copper dome.
* English Reformed Church, Amsterdam, one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, situated right in the centre of the city.
* Sint Nicolaaskerk, neo-Renaissance and Baroque church in Amsterdam.
* De Duif.
* "Onze Lieve Heer op Zolder" - Museum Amstelkring (a church hidden in an attic).
* De papegaai, located in the busy Kalverstraat.The neogothic church was built in 1848.
* Mozes en Aäronkerk.
* Posthoornkerk.
* Amstelkerk.

Bridges
* The Magere Brug is probably the most famous draw bridge in Amsterdam.
* The Blauwe brug, which connects the Rembrandtplein area with the Waterlooplein area.
* The Python Bridge, bridge connects Sporenburg to Borneo Island and won the International Footbridge Award 2002.
* The Jan Schaeferbrug, built in 2001, straight through warehouse De Zwijger, after a design by architect T. Venhoeven

Buildings
* Royal Palace (Amsterdam), former city hall, built in 1648.
* Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
* Kalvertoren, shopping mall located in the busy Kalverstraat.
* AEX, stock trading building.
* Beurs van Berlage, was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
* Centraal Station, Neo Gothic building.
* De Waag, part of the city fortifications was built in 1481-1494.
* Montelbaanstoren, the tower was built in 1512 as a part of the city fortification.
* Munttoren, the tower was built in 1619-1620 and it is the southern tower among all other ones in Amsterdam
* Pakhuis De Zwijger, built in 1933-1934 after a design by architect J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk, this was a warehouse for cooling perishables.
* The house with the waterfall, at the Zuiderkerkhof.
* Nieuwe Wereld, by architects Meyer and Van Schooten. The name goes back to the 1980s when squatters lived here and called their place 'End of the World'.
* Barcelona Building, building from 1993 by architect B. Albert on the Levantkade.
* Emerald Empire, building on the far end of KNSM Lane by architect J. Coenen.
* The Magna Plaza, a former post office dating back to 1899 and it was converted to a shopping mall in 1990
* The Whale, mega-apartment building by architect F. van Dongen. It took five years to complete (1995-2000).
* Skydome, 60 meter tall towerblock was designed by architect W. Arets and has 3 vertical dents.
* Lloydhotel, was built between 1917-1920 to serve as an emigrants hotel.
* Oost-Indisch Huis, Since 1606 till 1798 former headquarters of VOC (The United Dutch East Asia Company), a 17th Century Dutch trading giant.
* Rembrandt Tower, a 135 metres high skyscraper.
* Bijlmerbajes, a prison in Amsterdam near the Amstel station.

Amsterdam in winter
* Amsterdam ArenA, a football stadium in Amsterdam home to football club Ajax.
* Begijnhof, Amsterdam, one of the oldest inner courts in Amsterdam.
* The Portuguese Synagogue, impressive building was founded in 1670 by the Sephardic Jewish community.
* El Tawheed Mosque, a mosque in Amsterdam, founded in 1986.
* Homomonument, a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their sexual orientation.
* Millennium Tower (Amsterdam), a 97.5 metre tall (24 floor) office building in Amsterdam.
* Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam), was built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics. It was designed by the architect Jan Wils.
* The Amsterdam Metro, a three main lines in the metro system.
* Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Public Library) by architect J. Coenen on Oosterdokseiland, next to Central Station. Has a wonderful view over the city.

Concert halls

* The Concertgebouw is home to the world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest.
* Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
* Heineken Music Hall.
* Paradiso (Amsterdam).
* Melkweg.

Diamond factories
* Diamond polisher
* Amsterdam Diamond Centre.
* Coster Diamonds, one of the oldest diamond polishing factories in the Netherlands.
* Gassan Diamonds.
* Zazare Diamonds.

Red-light districts

There are three red-light districts in Amsterdam:

* de Wallen, which is located about the Oude Kerk
* The Singelgebied, located around the Singel and north of the Nieuwe Kerk,
* Some isolated windows along the Ruysdaelkade in the de Pijp district, west-southwest from Albert Cuypmarkt.

Squares

There are many squares (suffixed with plein) in Amsterdam. Here is a partial list of some of the better-known ones:

* The Dam, the central square of Amsterdam, where stands the Royal Palace on the Dam and the Netherlands National Monument.
* Koningsplein.
* Leidseplein, a plaza on the southwest end of the Leidsestraat.
* Muntplein, at the intersection of Kalverstraat and Rokin, a town square centered on the old Tower of the Mint (Munttoren).
* Museumplein, southwest of the Rijksmuseum, holds the Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
* Rembrandtplein.
* Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
* Markenplein, a place which holds Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTA), close by the Waterlooplein.
* Azartplein, is the end of the Java Island walk, crossing this square will lead to KNSM Island.

Open-air markets

* Albert Cuyp markt, great open-air food marked in the borough De Pijp.
* Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
* Dappermarkt, open-air food and cloths market in the borough Dapperbuurt.
* Noordermarkt, Saturday market for organic food.
* Tsaar Peter Markt, small daily marked in the Tsaar Peter street.
* Bloemenmarkt, the famous and only floating flower market.

Breweries

* Heineken Brewery, located in the borough De Pijp. Now a museum.
* Brouwerij 't IJ (Brouwerij 't IJ), located in the beautiful De Gooier windmill.

Zoos

* Artis, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.

Here is a video tour of Amsterdam: