BULS

Amsterdam the city on water is famous for its canals and museums. There could hardly be a better way of discovering the “Dutch Venice”. The boat’s time-table lets a person stop and get off as many times as one wish.

The three 17th-century canals one explore through Herengracht (Gentlemen’s Canal), Keizersgracht (Emperor’s Canal), and Prinsengracht (Princes’ Canal) are the very heart of Golden Age Amsterdam, emblems of the city’s wealth and pride in its heyday. One stroll by the side of miles of tree-lined canals and pass innumerable old canal houses with gables in various styles (bell, step, neck, and variations), classical facades, warehouses converted to apartments, houseboats, bridges, museums, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, offbeat stores, and battered bikes secured to lampposts.

West India House is the 17th-century headquarters of the Dutch West India Company that handled trade (including the slave trade) between Holland, the Americas, and Africa later became the offices of a social-welfare organization, and a Lutheran orphanage, and 18th-century brewery pakhuizen (warehouses) that have been turned into chic and expensive apartments combine to make this one of Amsterdam’s most photogenic corners.

Noordermarkt is an old market square hosts a Farmers’ Market for “bio” (organic) products. It is also a flea market during weekdays. Clothes that were fashionable a decade and more ago are, for some reason, highly esteemed, and dealers recycle everything from Golden Age antiques to yesterday’s junk.

The Noorderkerk (North Church), the last masterpiece by architect Hendrick de Keyser, the guiding hand behind many of Amsterdam’s historic churches, dominates the square. It’s something of a rarity in this nominally Calvinist city, since it has a large and active congregation. On the facade, a plaque recalls the February 1941 strike in protest at Nazi deportation of the city’s Jewish population. A three-figure sculpture-group outside recalls the dead and wounded from the 1934 Jordaanoproer, street riots to protest poverty, which were suppressed by the army.

One can trace the development of the rich folk’s wealth and tastes as one progress up the house numbers on Herengracht, and this section on both sides of the canal is just the top of the place. Built with old money around the 1670s, it is the fading afterglow of the Golden Age, when French-influenced neoclassicism was all the rage, they are in the main built of sandstone, rather than brick, on double lots with double steps and central entrances.

At Amstel River – the river is thick with houseboats and canal barges. To the left is the refurbished Blue Bridge over the river, built in 1884 on the lines of Paris’s Pont Alexandre III; to the right is the famous Skinny Bridge double drawbridge. To have a great view on the comings and goings on the water just step on to any bridge and have a great time.

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Urban Leisure

The monumental quality of the Amsterdam city centre is largely determined by numerous 17th and 18th century houses, once owned by wealthy merchants and prominent citizens. Moreover, the warehouses deserve mention. Amsterdam warehouse architecture is unique in the world. Most of the state controlled monuments, however, are dwellings. The ring of canals is the location of approx. 2,200 buildings, 1,550 of which are listed as historic buildings. Amsterdam’s beauty is largely determined by the style of these buildings, better described as “citizens’ architecture”. The choice of this style was a conscious one. The aim of the people of Amsterdam is to replace the Gothic style with its vertical accents and religious overtones by a profane Classicist style. The Royal Palace e.g. contains many supreme examples of symbolism derived from Classical Antiquity.

Amsterdam is not a city of churches and palaces, but of monumental mansions. The only two houses in Amsterdam worthy of the name palace are the Royal Palace in the Dam Square and the Trippenhuis. And even these two were not commissioned by royalty or aristocratic clientele. Originally, the Royal Palace was designed to serve as Amsterdam’s town hall and the Trippenhuis was built for wealthy citizens.

In the second half of the 19th century this monumental body of Amsterdam was severely threatened. Canals were filled in, streets were widened and bridges lowered. Many exceptional buildings were pulled down in the process of restructuring the city.

In the 1950s plans were made to fill in canals and pull down historical buildings. Fortunately, these plans were only partially realized. The Jodenbreestraat was widened and alike policy were made with respect to the Sint Antoniebreestraat. However, the successful restoration of the important Huis De Pinto proved a turning point.

Large-scale projects affecting the historical city centre in order to accommodate the needs of modern traffic are no longer to be anticipated. The monumental mansions which underwent drastic alterations during the 19th and 20th centuries, when many of them were turned into offices, are now being restored to their original residential functions. Since the Municipal Department for the Preservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites was founded in 1953, over 4,000 premises underwent restoration. Almost 10% of these projects were completed.

About 20,000 buildings make up the historical city centre. One third was built before 1850. Approximately 6,700 “national monuments” (i.e. historic buildings preserved by the national government authority) are located in this area, whereas another 290 “municipal monuments” are preserved by the Amsterdam council. A further 1,160 buildings fall outside these categories. They are labeled “original premises” because of their intrinsic cultural historical interest. The Amsterdam city centre is eligible for a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After all, Amsterdam is the proud owner of one of the most important intact historical city centers of the world.

The historic buildings are lovingly restored and saved from destruction. The ring of canals is to become once more the stylish residential area it once was.

Rahul Viz
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/restoring-the-grandeur-of-amsterdam-54424.html

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Urban Leisure

Although Amsterdam is officially designated as the capital of the Netherlands it has never been the seat of the parliament court or government, of the Netherlands, which are all located at The Hague. 173 nationalities live in the city.

Schiphol Airport is less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. It is the biggest airport in the Netherlands. It handles about 42 million passengers a year and is home base to KLM since 2004.

Known as one of the bicycle friendly cities in the world. There are about 700,000 bicycles in the city, about 80,000 bikes are stolen every year and 25000 end up in the canals. Parking fees are steep and streets are closed off to cars as a discouragement to them.

Trams are the best way of getting around Amsterdam and run regularly. Trams are frequent, fast and reliable. You need to hail a tram to let the driver know you want to get on. If the tram has a conductor you must use the rear door to get on.

The canals are Amsterdam s number one attraction. The Canal Bus is the perfect way to get around Amsterdam. The comfortable boats offer a hop on, hop off service along different routes.

The main area in Amsterdam for shopping is at Kalverstraat. This section of the city can be found close to Dam Square. A variety of designer boutiques have set up shop in this area. Waterlooplein Flea market is a outdoor bazaar, best for the second hand clothing and full of general bric-a-brac. Traditionally oldest and most interesting market of Amsterdam.

Leidseplein is one of Amsterdam s most popular places for nightlife full of restaurants, clubs and cinemas. In summer you will find street jugglers musicians and other performers. Rembrandtplein is another area lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels and is a tourist area. It includes traditional Dutch bars. Around the area you will find night clubs, gay venues, diamond dealers and souvenir shops.

Amsterdam is also famous for the red light district. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands at specific places. The red-light district is located in the centre of the city along major canals and is clearly marked on maps.

Coffee shops sell cannabis this is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of cannabis up to 5 grams are involved. Some coffee shops, especially in the Netherlands, are places where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities.

Douglas Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/city-along-major-canals-121458.html

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Urban Leisure