Amsterdam

Lore & Background

Amsterdam was founded at the mouth of the Amstel river, which was dammed to control flooding. Originally a small fishing village in the 12th century, Amsterdam became a major world port during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, when the Netherlands was an economic powerhouse. Amsterdam was the leading centre for finance and trade, as well as a hub of secular art production. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and new neighborhoods and suburbs were built. The city has a long tradition of openness, liberalism, and tolerance. Cycling is key to the city's modern character, and there are numerous biking paths and lanes spread throughout.

In Their Own Story

The morning mist clings to the Prinsengracht, softening the gabled silhouettes of the 17th-century brick houses. A lone cyclist glides silently across the cobblestones, his shadow stretching long against the water's edge where a canal boat idles, its engine humming low. The air smells faintly of damp stone and roasting coffee from a nearby café. Below the surface, centuries-old wooden piles hold the city steady, invisible guardians keeping the metropolis dry while the tide turns in the IJ harbor just beyond Central Station. Here, time seems to flow as gently as the water that cradles the city's ancient foundations.

Reader's Guide

Amsterdam's main attractions include its historic canals; the Rijksmuseum, the state museum with Dutch Golden Age art; the Van Gogh Museum; the Dam Square, where the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and former city hall are located; the Amsterdam Museum; Stedelijk Museum, with modern art; the Concertgebouw concert hall; the Anne Frank House; the Hermitage Amsterdam; the Hortus Botanicus; NEMO; the red-light district and cannabis coffee shops. The city is known for its nightlife and festival activity, with several nightclubs among the world's most famous. Its artistic heritage, canals, and narrow canal houses with gabled façades, well-preserved legacies of the city's 17th-century Golden Age, have attracted millions of visitors annually.

Did You Know?

• The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, founded in 1602, is considered the oldest 'modern' securities market stock exchange in the world.
• Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, but the main governmental institutions and foreign embassies are located in The Hague.
• The Port of Amsterdam is the fourth largest in Europe, and Schiphol Airport is the busiest in the Netherlands and third in Europe.
• Amsterdam is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with about 180 nationalities represented.