Venice of the North

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Amsterdam

The Venice of the North

Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is sometimes called the Venice of the North because of the canals which divide the city into ninety small islands, linked together by more than a thousands bridges. The tree-lined canals which are crossed by curved bridges and the impressive mansions which line these canals, help make Amsterdam an attractive and charming place to visit.

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One of the best ways to see Amsterdam is from the glass-topped barges that offer canal tours around the city.

Originally a fishing village, Amsterdam is now the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. The city's name means dam of the Amstel (river) and refers to a dam built there in the 1200's.

Amsterdam is a great modern port and centre of business. Its streets are crowded with people and the broad canals are alive with barges and motor boats. Reflected in the canal waters are the tall houses which have stone steps leading up to their decorated doorways, high, narrow windows and ornamental gables. Rich merchants used to live in these houses once, but many are now used as banks or offices.

Almost 7,000 buildings in the centre of Amsterdam are protected as historical monuments and have been carefully restored to their former elegance and beauty.

Amsterdam is noted as being the home of the renowned 17th-century painter Rembrandt. His home is now a popular museum attracting thousands of visitors every year. The city was also home to Anne Frank from 1933 to 1944. The building in which she and her family hid during World War II and the German occupation of Holland, has been turned into a museum of great historical importance (see photograph).

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The Van Gogh Museum (see photograph) can also be found in Amsterdam. This museum includes about 800 works by the 19th-century Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. One of the most important buildings is the Royal Palace which is used by Queen Beatrix when she is in Amsterdam. The Palace's Council Hall is considered to be one of the most outstanding banqueting halls in the whole of Europe.