Amsterdam Info Source

Amsterdam District Source

• RED LIGHT AREA. District of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, famous by its history, its architecture, its cultural life and for being one of the more liberalized districts of the world as far as it concerns the attitude towards prostitution, drugs and the sexual diversity. It is located in historical center of the city, in which long ago there were houses of fishermen. It’s the most colourful and tourist district of Amsterdam. The most famous street of the district is the central street called Warmoestraat. The district also counts on an enormous number of sex-shops, restaurants, hotels, coffee-shops, coffees, art galleries and bars.
  
• AMSTEL. Amsterdam took its name from the river Amstel which runs through all the city. The city developed out of a small fishing village called "Amstelredam" became famous for its canals and museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum. The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of Van Gogh''s paintings and drawings in the world. Public transport is available 24hrs a day and will bring you to the city centre in 5 minutes.
  
• HERENGRACHT. The Herengracht was built in the 17th Century around Amsterdam old town.
  It is the first of the three water canals (gracht belts) which sorrund the centre and it is situated next to the old city moat called "Singel".
  On both sides of the canal, where there are two residential avenue, there are still many monumental city houses, most of them from the early 17th century.
  It is a good place to go for a walk or for shopping, with a lot of cafeterias.
  The main attractions are the baroque palaces in the "Gouden Bocht" (Golden Arch) and the boat tours on the canals. There are also water taxis and colourful flower shops on boats. The centre is served by tram and subway service.
  
  
• JORDAAN AREA. The Jordaan area is one of the most attractive districts of Amsterdam. This district is a maze of alleyways and narrow canals. Most of the canals have been filled up. The district was established in the 17th century, as Amsterdam sorely needed to expand. The district was constructed along the pattern of the paths and ditches already there. This did not prove a good move, as it isolated the area from the rest of the city. No major roads ran through this area. Not until 1924 did an electric tram provide a regular connection with the city center. The Jordaan is now inhabited by a colorfull mixture of original ''Jordanezen'', students, and well-to-do businessmen and creatives.
  
  
  
• KEIZERSGRACHT. Is the second of the three major canals in the centre of Amsterdam, in between the Herengracht and the Prinsengracht, in the canal District. Alongside the canal are several monumental buildings. It’s close to the city''s important sights, such as the Dam Square, Anne Frank''s House, the red light District, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum or the Amsterdam Hermitage. Some of Amsterdam''s most popular restaurants are also within this area. The Central Station is also within a 5 minute walking distance.
  
• PRINSENGRACHT located in the heart of the city the Prinsengracht (Prince''s Canal) is one of the main canals in Amsterdam. Most of the houses along it were built during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The interesting sights along to the Prinsengracht include the Noorderkerk (Northern Church), the Noordermarkt (Northern Market), the Snoge (Portuguese Synagogue), the Anne Frank House, the Homomonument (Gay Monument), next to the Westerkerk (Western Church, Amsterdam''s tallest church). Enjoy the popular Utrechtsestraat with its trendy, individual shops, bars and restaurants.
  
  
  
• LEIDSEPLEIN.Leidseplein is the major square in central Amsterdam,
  and is one of the busiest centres for nightlife in the city. The square and the surrounding streets are full of bars, restaurants, outdoor cafes, theatres and dance clubs .Street performers are often found on the square: street musicians, jugglers, fire-eaters and other performers make the square a lively place until the early hours, especially on warm summer evenings.
  this quarter represent the ideal meeting point for youth, who hang out in the clubs and cinemas around.
  
  
• CENTER/ARTIS ZOO In the east part of the heart of Amsterdam this is a quiet and safe area. The area and its buildings were used as a warehouse-dock for storage of all the imported goods waiting to be approved by Dutch government for distribution by boat throughout the country. Renovated in the 80’s the neighbourhood was converted into a residential area with character buildings. Across the block is situated the City Zoo ''Artis'', with its Planetarium, a wonderful escape for an afternoon pick-nick between the penguins and chimpanzees. The city commercial center is at 10 minutes walking distance.
  
  
  
• OOSTZAAN/TWISKE is a residential area of Amsterdam. The nature park Twiske is perfect for hot summer picnics, cool winter recreational walks with children or even romantic moonlights in the evening. The park is situated around a large lake with several beaches including a nude beach and a pirate-adventure beach. The heart of the city is easily reached with public transport (20 minutes) or by car (10 minutes). In this neighborhood is easy to find free car parking.
  
  
  
• PLAIN AMSTERDAM WEST. District of Amsterdam located to the west of the Canal Zone. The urban expansion to the west of Amsterdam started in the last quarter of the 19th century, with the construction of residential districts like Spaarndammerbuurt, Frederik Hendrikbuurt and Kinkerbuurt. From 1950, Nieuw-West (New West) was built, emphasizing the conciliation between the green areas (with the construction of gardens) and local architecture. This district, which is located 7 km from Amsterdam’s Central Station, is well served by public transport that will bring you to the city centre in less than 15 minutes.