Amsterdam Stuck In My Mind

By Author: Bonny Kominek
Total Articles: 230
Comment this article

Amsterdam, perched on the plains of the Netherlands, is a beautiful city with a rich cultural heritage and an iconography known the world over. However what perhaps remains its distinctive trademark is the city''s famously progressive approach to drug use and prostitution. This is what brings stag parties and many young visitors to the Dutch capital year after year. However it has so much more to offer tourists, whatever it is you are interested in.

The city is well pictured in the popular imagination as a landscape of beautiful canals. This is indeed the reality, and you too can explore the area by taking a trip along the canals in vessels of all shapes and sizes. With open topped boats all the way to luxury cruisers available for you to jump on board and go and explore the city, you''ll be able to see so much from the unrivalled vantage point they afford.

Amsterdam is home to some of the finest museums and art galleries Europe, and indeed the world, and is one of the primary reasons that people staying in Amsterdam hotels found through operators such as Octopus Travel visit the city. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam ...
... is home to the largest collection of Dutch master paintings on the globe. In addition to this collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, there is also a large collection of Asian art.

A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is undoubtedly an inspiration too, and many flock there frequently to marvel at the bright colours and textures of the tragic painter''s artwork.

The cafe culture is a great draw in this cosmopolitan European city, as you would doubtless imagine. You can take a seat and unwind at one of the many terrace cafes throughout Amsterdam, and even buy and smoke small amounts of cannabis.

In these coffee shops it is not outlawed but a familiar recreational practice. These coffee shops do not however sell alcohol, so you may want to take a trip to one of the many bars around the city to slake your thirst.

Some people head to Amsterdam and have to see what all the talk about the red light district is about. Whilst it certainly makes for a unique experience, it can be dangerous to head there alone, so make sure you venture around any less wholesome areas in good company and observe the etiquette.

Ultimately Amsterdam is a rich, culturally wealthy, pleasantly beautiful part of the world. And you will not regret taking the time to go and explore all it has to offer. Bonny Kominek is a freelance travel writer with a fondness for European travel. They recommend Octopus Travel for Amsterdam hotels.