Theme Week Amsterdam, Hollands party capital

Sunday, 26 April 2015 - 11:52 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Architecture, European Union, European Capital of Culture, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage
Reading Time:  5 minutes

Amsterdam inner city © Emes2k

Amsterdam inner city © Emes2k

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, with an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,158,592. The city is in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of approximately 8.1 million according to larger estimates.

Its name is derived from Amstellerdam, indicative of the city’s origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2010, Amsterdam was ranked 13th globally on quality of living by Mercer, and previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam’s main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, Anne Frank House, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually.

birdseye view © Siebrand Verversstraat © Jvhertum Spaarndammerstraat © Migdejong Sights in Amsterdam © Sisyfus Scheepvaart Museum © Warrox Rijksmuseum © Massimo Catarinella Prinsengracht © David Iliff Part of the University of Amsterdam © Massimo Catarinella Panorama around Central Station © smex - Gabriel Heuser New business district Zuidas © Massimo Catarinella © Alex Grigoriu Mercuriusgebouw Prins Hendrikkade Bijvoets © Brbbl Koninginnedag 2007 © Jeroen ING House © Pudding4brains Hotel Die Port van Cleve © Aeon Plaza Hotels Eerste Leliedwarsstraat © Gabrio Church of St Nicholas © S Sepp Anne Frank House © Massimo Catarinella © NASA World Wind © Sterilgutassistentin © Sterilgutassistentin © Sterilgutassistentin © Sterilgutassistentin © Sterilgutassistentin © Sterilgutassistentin © Cainebogdan © Mike Chapman Amsterdam Arena © Quistnix Amsterdam Arena © Tijs Teulings © Sterilgutassistentin Aerial photo of the headquarters of the diamond cutter and retailer Coster Diamonds © Andere Andre Westertoren © Massimo Catarinella Amsterdam inner city © Emes2k
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Aerial photo of the headquarters of the diamond cutter and retailer Coster Diamonds © Andere Andre
Amsterdam fans out south from the Amsterdam Centraal railway station. The Damrak is the main street and leads into the street Rokin. The oldest area of the town is known as de Wallen (the quays). It lies to the east of Damrak and contains the city’s famous red light district. To the south of de Wallen is the old Jewish quarter of Waterlooplein. The 17th century canals of Amsterdam, known as the Grachtengordel, embraces the heart of the city where homes have interesting gables. Beyond the Grachtengordel are the former working class areas of Jordaan and de Pijp. The Museumplein with the city’s major museums, the Vondelpark, a 19th century park named after the Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel, and the Plantage neighbourhood, with the zoo, are also located outside the Grachtengordel. Several parts of the city and the surrounding urban area are polders. This can be recognized by the suffix -meer which means lake, as in Aalsmeer, Bijlmermeer, Haarlemmermeer, and Watergraafsmeer.

Amsterdam has a rich architectural history. The oldest building in Amsterdam is the Oude Kerk (Old Church), at the heart of the Wallen, consecrated in 1306. The oldest wooden building is het Houten Huys at the Begijnhof. It was constructed around 1425 and is one of only two existing wooden buildings. It is also one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Amsterdam.

The old city centre is the focal point of all the architectural styles before the end of the 19th century. Jugendstil and Art Deco are mostly found outside the city’s centre in the neighbourhoods built in the early 20th century, although there are also some striking examples of these styles in the city centre. Most historic buildings in the city centre and nearby are houses, such as the famous merchants’ houses lining the canals.

To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facepage pages/Twitter accounts. Read more on City of Amsterdam, I amsterdam, Amsterdam Tourist information, travel guide, Dutch East India Company, Wikitravel Amsterdam, Wikivoyage Amsterdam and Wikipedia Amsterdam. Learn more about the use of photos.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.




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