Amsterdam, the 'Venice of the North', and indeed, the inner city is a miracle of architecture of the 17th century and listed on the Unesco list of World Heritage. And it is not a museum, but still alive, well and changing all the time. And there is so much more: museums, worldclass performances and a multi cultural and liberate atmosphere. Amsterdam is used to receive tourists from all over the world and welcomes them.
Amsterdam is also the capital of The Netherlands, a small country...
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Practical information
In the centre of Amsterdam there still are special green metal constructions left, where man (sorry ladies, only man!) can pee for free. They only can be found in the centre of Amsterdam, they date from the 19th century and are called 'krul' because of the form of the construction.
The use of it is populair, and doesn't need a manual. But you have to take care a little bit, cause sometimes pickpockers see the right moment to rob you when you're in.
In older days the places were also...
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TelephonePhone booths are dotted throughout the city, though the wide use of cell phones means they are not used that much today and the number of them has decreased. Within Central Station, the telephone company, Telfort has the operational rights over the telephone booths and require Telfort calling cards. Whereas outside the Central Station KPN public phones are in operation and require KPN telephone cards.
For international calling, dial 00 followed by the country code....
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Amsterdam is home to two universities, both offer summer courses and other short courses (with academic credits).
Vrije Universiteit (Free University) Founded in 1880, the VU campus is located southwest of the city centre, and approximately 20 minutes away by bicycle. It is the only protestant general university in the Netherlands.
Universiteit van Amsterdam Founded as the Athenaeum Illustre in 1632, in 1877 it became the University of Amsterdam. With about...
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There are about 75 festivals in Amsterdam each year! And this makes this city a great place to visit.
You'll find information about all these festivals and the special section of www.IAmsterdam.com. So when you're planning a trip to Amsterdam, don't forget to check this site. You'll probably find a festival that meets your interest and that will make it worth it to plan your trip around!
April 30th - Queen's day
Queen's day is celebrated in a huge way in Amsterdam. From...
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General
You should take normal precautions against pickpockets and baggage theft, especially in the main shopping streets, in trams and trains, at stations, and anywhere where tourists congregate. Street begging is no longer common in Amsterdam, because the police take a harder line. Some beggars are addicts, some are homeless, and some are both.
What looks like a footpath, especially along a canal bank, may be a bike lane. Bike lanes are normally marked by red/purple tiles...
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Luggage
You can leave your luggage at Central Station for 4 to 6 Euro a locker, for 24 hours. This is a great service if you have to check out of your hotel early but still have some time left to explore the city before you depart.
If you don't want to spend your money in Central Station, you can try your luck at any of the big museums or with the client service at Bijenkorf department store on Dam square. They won't accept great backpacks or suitcases though and you have to...
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