What many people know about this city are windmills, tulips, bicycles, and its highly open culture and extreme tolerance for various lifestyles.
But only when you really get here can you deeply appreciate these elements not only shock you visually, but also emotionally. This article is a guide to Amsterdam. You must visit these places!
1. Dam Square
Dam Square is one of the landmarks of Amsterdam and the birthplace of the city. Amsterdam and water are inseparable, the city's name comes from the Amstel dam, which means a dam built on the Amstel River, and naturally, there is Amsterdam.
So when you arrive in Amsterdam, you must go to Dam square to see it. Just wandering around the old town, it's easy to reach Dam Square, where a white monument stands tall. The monument is surrounded by layers of steps, and whether it is a holiday or not, many people will ride or stroll here to sit and bask in the soft sunshine.
Opposite the monument is the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, one of the four royal palaces in the Netherlands. This palace was Amsterdam's city hall when it was built in the 17th century in the Dutch "Golden Age".
It is representative of traditional Dutch architecture and is known as one of the eighth-largest buildings in the world. The appearance of the palace looks square and serious, and Napoleon once lived there.
2. Station Amsterdam Centraal
From the Dam Square side, it takes less than ten minutes to walk straight to the Central Station. Unlike many stations or airports with a futuristic look and smooth lines, the attraction of Central Station is its sense of age. Opened in 1889 and built by an English company, it is still the main station in Amsterdam and the only railway station in the world built on water.
The appearance of the Central Railway Station is even more domineering than the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Two towers are its symbols. The tower on the right shows the time, and on the left is a weathervane, which is used for ships and windmills.
There are people in a hurry in front of the railway station. From here, you can take a train to explore the whole Netherlands, and there are also trains to many cities in Europe. Of course, there are still many tourists stopping to take pictures, this is an entrance to Amsterdam travel.
3. Amsterdam Canal Cruise
Amsterdam has a huge network of canals unique in the world, and it is also known as the "Venice of the North", so you must not miss the opportunity to take a sightseeing cruise!
There are several types of sightseeing cruises to choose from, mainly depending on the size of the boat and the services on board. The most common is the Semi-Open Boat, which is like a water bus. Each boat has a captain who will explain the history and culture along the way, as well as many interesting things.
Headphones for translation will also be provided (the headphones can be taken away when disembarking). The Amsterdam Canal Belt has a history of 400 years and has now developed into a 75-kilometer-long canal network linking more than 100 islands, more than 160 canals, and 1,281 bridges.
Although Venice is more famous for its water life, it is half that of Amsterdam compared to the number of bridges. On both sides of the canal are colorful traditional Dutch residential buildings, which are a little crooked. The house that leans forward is because the door is too small, and to move bulky goods into the house, it can only be hoisted from the roof.
Over time, the house leaned forward, and now it can still be seen that some of the roofs still have big hooks. Because the soil is wet and the terrain is prone to subsidence, many houses are also seen to be tilted to the left and right to varying degrees. The local government will also take care of them and will not repair them and has given them a cute name "Dancing House".
4. Van Gogh Museum
There are countless museums of various types throughout the city, and the first one to recommend must be the Van Gogh Museum!
This is the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's works in the world, including 200 oil paintings, nearly 500 drawings, 4 sketches, and 800 letters. This is the best and most direct way to learn about Van Gogh's work and his entire artistic career.
In just ten years, Van Gogh went from a rather old-fashioned working painter to one of the pioneers of modern art. Many people would think that Van Gogh was a genius and a psychopath, and that's why he made those avant-garde works.
After watching the exhibition, you will realize that he is a very hard worker. Even in the last two months of his life, when he was tortured by illness, he still insisted on one painting every day. His rise to fame came after his death, as his family spared no effort in promoting and collecting his works, so the Van Gogh Museum was built in 1973.
5. Flower Market
From the Van Gogh Museum, walk in the direction of the Central Station, just to pass the flower market. Flowers can be seen all the time in Amsterdam, but the colorful flowers at the flower market are the excitement. Most are tulips, as well as daffodils, snow lotus, carnations, violets, peonies, etc.
There are real flowers, decorative artificial flowers suitable for distant tourists to take away, and flower seeds. The flower market in Amsterdam is a famous symbol on the Singel Canal. Going down the canal, although it is not very long, you can also stroll for a while. In addition to flowers, there are all kinds of fun souvenirs.
