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5 Top Attractions Of Amsterdam

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Amsterdam is a popular tourist destination with many interesting places to visit and also because of its serenity and authentic lifestyle. The city has a network of canals and one would love to take a stroll around the city or take a ride on the bicycle. Some of the best places to visit in Amsterdam are:

Rijksmuseum
This is the largest museum in the Netherlands and is famous for its exhibition called The Masterpieces which shows the most famous pieces of Dutch art from the 17th century. The museum displays the works of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals. Tourists can also see the museum treasury, beautiful doll houses from the period and the traditional Delftware.

Van Gogh Museum
The museum has some 200 paintings and 550 sketches of Van Gogh. The museum has the biggest in the world collection, combined with hundreds of letters by Van Gogh, and selected works by his friends and contemporaries.

Amsterdam canal ring
The tourists love to take a boat trip around the city old centre which is formed from canal rings. The tourists can opt for one of the tourist cruises or renting the boat yourself. You can also take a ride on a bicycle.

The National Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is very popular with children. The museum features a 17th Century sail ship at its quay, collection of fine paintings, old maps and remarkable ship models, and many more.

Oude Kerk
Lying at the heart of Amsterdam’s red light district, this huge old protestant church has little houses clinging to its sides. Its buildings, especially the Gothic-renaissance style octagonal bell tower, were used by sailors to get their bearings. Book a hotel near Red Light District and have a wonderful time around in this unusual area.

Music of Amsterdam, touchy to heart and soul of listener

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The appreciation of music one can found in abundance in Netherlands and this tradition of music and song is there lived from quite a long period and time. As the residents of different cities of the Amsterdam used to meet every week and sing songs in local choirs. Though with the advancement of the modern technology the lifestyle of masses have been changed in Netherlands as well as its capital, Amsterdam, yet intensity of music in the lives of people is as intact as it was used to be earlier times as well.

In the stream of classical music, there occurs various and variety of concerts of classical music every week in Amsterdam. The most reputable classical music group in Amsterdam is Amsterdam philharmonic, Concertgebouw. That is one of the popular and known symphonic orchestras in the world – the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. More the activities of classical music occur at the popular and famous concert halls like Beurs van Berlage, Carré and the RAI hall. Many other concerts too are organized at places like churches with permanent organ concert series in Oude Kerk. The orchestras too are popularly are being organized on water at spots and places like ships and boats, as Aqua Musica or Pulitzer Concerts have regularly held there.

In popular music Amsterdam hosts many important pop and rock stars and other new forms of music is also appreciated in the city as well. Most of the primary concerts there are organized in Amsterdam ArenA. Other concerts venues involve places like Westerpark, Java Eiland, Heineken Music hall and clubs like Paradiso and Melkweg.

In street music at the old city, one can easily see the street musicians, small bands or even small orchestras. On public holidays the entire Amsterdam gets filled with music as the whole bands there move on boats along the canals or playing at the city parks and squares. Vondelpark during the weekend and Leidseplein in the evenings are the spots for many of these concerts and activities. In the city there are also organized free public concerts in the open air spaces in places like the parks and squares. These musical events are normally occurs during holiday times like Queen’s day or Christmas time.

Jazz too is equally popular in Amsterdam and attracts a good number of audiences around the city and especially around the North Sea Festivals that is an important annual jazz event that takes place every summer in Amsterdam.  Amsterdam concert hall is very much specialized in jazz and improvised music that provides about more than 300 concerts every year.

Architecture of Amsterdam

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Amsterdam is popular among tourists as Europe’s most favorite architecture and design city. It is not only popular only for its 17-th century rings of canals. Amsterdam is the places where modern architecture curved out niche for itself despite the historical buildings from all sides. As Amsterdam is not as big city area wise therefore it makes it very easy for tourists to cover all places of architectural importance in an easy reach and approach.

One can begin journey of Amsterdam from the Canal ring houses as the old centre of city was formed by rings of canals due to the residence of the wealthy merchants, financiers, craftsmen, doctors, lawyers, politicians and artists in and around that area. Due to lack of space these houses were mostly narrow, and even not 30ft wide. The canal houses has features like big narrow windows, decorative gable tops, very narrow stairs inside and pulley outside to transport larger objects to upper floors.

The other form of architecture can be seen in Amsterdam in form of the 18th century classicism as produced in Amsterdam several monumental buildings, with probably the most interesting is named to be is Felix Meritis by Jacob Otten. In the 19th century Amsterdam was changed into modern city after the construction of many a good  number of buildings like as   Central Station, Central Post Office,  Rijksmuseum (State Museum), Stedelijk Museum (Municipal Museum), Stadsschouwburg (City Theater), Concertgebouw (City Philharmonic)and St. Nicolaaskerk. The most of the building in the 19th century are work of noted architect P.J.H.Cuypers. Architecture of these building has elements of both, gothic as well as renaissance.

Art Deco that at the end of the 19th century in the entire Europe, made many interesting buildings in Amsterdam with the American Hotel as the frontrunner building in the city with magnificent interior of the café and lunch room. In the 20th century, there has been a very impressive changed occurred with perspective to expansion of Amsterdam as into the modern European metropolis named as Plan Zuid by architect  H.P.Berlage, who is also considered as father of modern Dutch Architecture.

With the start of the 20th century, a new form of architectural style evolved on the Amsterdam horizon that was named as the Amsterdam School.  The architecture of Europe after 1920 was influenced by the works and concepts of   French architect Le Corbusier. There new concepts in building architecture introduced like use of concrete, prefabrication, standardization as well as special impact upon the building are characteristic for architecture of this movement. The most imprtant architects on this era were Gerrit Rietveld, Johannes Duiker, Cornelis van Eesteren, Michiel Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt and Jacobus Oud.

Stelling van Amsterdam, a UNESCO world heritage site

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This UNESCO World Heritage Site is popularly is known as the Defence Line of Amsterdam which is about 135 km long ring of defenses around Amsterdam. It is formed of about 42 forts situated between 10 to 15 kilometers the centers and the lowlands within the perimeter of Defence lines can be easily flooded even in rather during the period of flood.

The flooding is created around lowlands in a manner as to provide a depth of about 30 centimeter which is even insufficient for boats to travel across. There any building constructed within 1 km of the line is to be constructed of wood, so there burnt and construction can be removed. The Stelling van Amsterdam was made in period between 1880 and 1920. However at the same time invention of the aero planes and tank made the forts of without any use as soon as it was completed. Presently many of the forts are even under the control of the town councils and the nature department and rather open for tourists to be visited. Monuments Day, on the second Saturday in September, is the best time of the year to visit the protected city and even it is completely has a free entrance to the world heritage site.

The Stelling van Amsterdam was aimed primarily as a defense water line. As is case of enemy attack, the large pieces of land around Amsterdam can be filled with water as for enemies to advancing towards Amsterdam. Amsterdam would function as a national reduit, as the last stronghold defenses of the Netherlands. Forts, there were made where once the roads, railways and dikes crossed through the water line. At these locations as there is no water to stop enemies so the forts were constructed as to curb the advances of the enemies.

The law as for the formulation of the Stelling van Amsterdam was resolutely passed out in 1874. Yet even during the construction of the structure it was apparently clear that the design has already gone old due to apparent modern technical advancements. And this way many modifications took place in meantime as to pace with the technical advances taking place around there. And till its completion become so obsolete to protect the city.

The Stelling van Amsterdam was never used for the purpose of combat and the use of aircrafts made it too old.  Despite this it was decommissioned in 1963. The dike through the Haarlemmermeer, that was used to flood the southern portion of the polder while keeping the northern portion to continue to produce food for Amsterdam, is now bisected by the A4 Motorway. In the year 1996 the complete Stelling van Amsterdam was termed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Canals of Amsterdam, ‘Venice of the North’

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Amsterdam is known as “Venice of the North” for its about one hundred kilometres of canals, 90 islands and about 1,500 bridges. However, three primary canals in Amsterdam are canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, which were dug around in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. Along the canals there are situated about 1550 monumental buildings.  The canal ring is presently is placed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The credit of constructing the Amsterdam canal system goes with fruitful city planning. During the 17th century when immigration to the Amsterdam was at its peak, a broader draft was conceived for a comprehensive construction of the half-circles of canals with their heads lying towards the IJ bay.  Also referred as to be “grachtengordel”; three of the canals there are generally for residential purposes Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht and the fourth and final outer one Singelgracht is developed for the purposes of defense and water management.

The plan did also conceived along the lines of interconnecting canals along radii that are a set of parallel canals in the Jordaan quarter that is the conversion of an existing, inner perimeter canal from a defensive purpose as for residential and commercial development there with about one hundred bridges. The defensive purpose of the Nassau and Stadhouderskade was worked out by creating moat and earthen dikes.

The formation of canal extends from west to east. Construction of the north-western sector was began in 1613 and completed around 1625. After 1664, the structure of building at the southern sector also started emerging.  The eastern part of the concentric canal plan, in the region between the Amstel River and the IJ bay was not formed and put under for a long time.  Some prominent canals forming the ring are:

  • Singel: It encircles, the city of Amsterdam during medieval period, and worked as moat during the city around the period from 1480 until 1585, when Amsterdam reached beyond Singel. The canal there spread from the IJ bay, near Central Station, to the Muntplein square, where it catches the Amstel river. It presently is the inner-most canal in Amsterdam’s semicircular ring of canals.
  • Herengracht: This is the first of the three major canals in the city center of Amsterdam. The canal has been named after the heren regeerders who governed the city in the 16th and 17th century. The most stylish part of the canal is named as the Golden Bend, having many double wide mansions, inner gardens and coach houses on Keizersgracht.
  • Keizersgracht: It is the second and widest of the three major canals in the city centre of Amsterdam, in between Herengracht and Prinsengracht. It is named after Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.
  • Prinsengracht: It is the fourth and the longest of the main canals in Amsterdam. This is named after the Prince of Orange. Most of the canals are situated along it were constructed during the Dutch Golden Age of the United Provinces. The bridges around this canal connect with the streets in the Jordaan. The sites worth watching Prisengratcht are the Noorderkerk,  Noordermarkt, Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk and the Homomonument.

‘Madame Tussaud’ museum in Amsterdam

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The original Madame Tussaud Wax Museum is situated in London, England and the museum has its many branches at different global cities. One such global branch of the museum is in Amsterdam. Comparatively, to the wax museum in London, it is much smaller in size. The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is Amsterdam is situated in a massive building locate in the center of the city, Dam Square. Its architecture is outstanding. The museum through its wax statues pay homage and respect to a dozens of actors, signers, politicians, religious leaders and other famous and renowned persons.

The minutely and dexterously created wax statues attract the tourists from all around the globe, those have desire to look an entirely different type of statue.  From the first impression museum appears to be of entertainment purposes but it also gives a brief historical perspective for other wax figures.  Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Amsterdam, uniquely tells about the history of Amsterdam, especially that of the Golden Age, for interested patrons. Visitors can snap pictures of statutes detailed and realistic looking sculptures in isolation or along with as a couple with the respective wax Statute.

The museum opens daily from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm. For visiting the Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam one can also avail fantastic day out ticket in Amsterdam. You could, for example, their can pay visit to the exciting Amsterdam Dungeon or a canal trip with your group along all of Amsterdam’s highlights. Group rates even at Madame Tussauds are valid for a group that is consisted of minimum 10 people. Groups are needed to be registered at least 24 hours before arrival. On a group, with a combination of trip facility a group after visiting Amsterdam  can set off for a trip Amsterdam or  can visit the to the most famous Netherlands’ attraction, The Amsterdam Dungeon. Even you can join a school group trip to visit the Madame Tussade on a boat cruise or can visit the The Amsterdam Dungeon.

Apart from touring the Amsterdam museum, you should have an idea about how a wax statue is being prepared. The production of a wax figure takes about three month when once a decision is being taken about creating a wax statue of a personality or of a situation.  A number of professionals and specialist are included in this process where a sculptor takes all measurements from top to bottom. A photographer takes photographs from all possible angles. These photographs are not only helpful during the stages of production of clay figure but come to great aid when coloring the hair and matching the color tone with the skin, eyes, teeth and any make-up used when working with ladies.

In the process, a professional caster produces a plaster mould of the head and hands once the sculptor prepares a clay model and then hot wax is poured into this mould. Then after, plaster gets carefully peeled off once the wax get cooled down and the head is made to colored.

Some popular guided tours of Amsterdam

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Amsterdam is known as to be the capital and the largest city of the Netherlands situated in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. Amsterdam is known to be as the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. However, in order to understand this city appropriately one can book following city tours for Amsterdam:

  • Amsterdam Canals Dinner Cruise: This guided tour of Amsterdam mixes up the wining, dining and sightseeing tour on and around luxury four-course dinner cruise along Amsterdam’s beautiful enlightening canals. On the cruise you would have fun to aboard on a luxury glass-domed motor launch enjoying four-course dinner as provided by free-flowing wine, beer and soft drinks.
  • Volendam and Marken Day Tour: This single package let you to explore a good number of places and spot in Amsterdam. Here, you would able to see and roam around the Dutch countryside to and enjoy famous windmill and fishing villages of Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken. Here, you can have the best of Holland.  More you can enjoy the historic buildings like as the Royal Palace and National Monument, the Skinny Bridge, Albert Cuyp Market and traditional gabled houses aligned at the banks of the canals.
  • Amsterdam Canal Bus Tour: This particular Canal Bus Day Pass run there as a   regular service along Amsterdam’s canals on the routes like: the Green Line, Red Line and Blue Line. Simultaneously, with tour you would enjoy things more like   tour stops at Amsterdam 14 stops situated near Amsterdam’s major museums, attractions and shopping centers.
  • Brussels and Antwerp Tour from Amsterdam: This tour let you to enjoy the panoramic view of Belgium and then after trip to Amsterdam is even incomplete without visiting to Antwerp and Brussels. On this trip, one can have and even discover the beautiful architecture, centuries of history and delicious Belgian beer, waffles and chocolates. The famous spot on this worth visiting are famous Market Square and cathedral. While on stay in Antwerp for nearly an hour you can enjoy the Rubens and Belgium’s largest Gothic church. As there you will able see in Antwerp places like Royal Palace, the buildings of the European Commission and others.
  • Amsterdam Canals Candlelight Cruise: This let you to have opportunity and tour and travel around the city of Amsterdam on the maze of canals in Amsterdam. On the cruise you can apart from sightseeing around can also enjoy ideal evening having delicious food and wine. In glass enclosed comfort of the cruise boat you can have wine and cheese while enjoying the soft music around.
  • Amsterdam Card Tour: In order to have a popular and selected tour of Amsterdam one can reap benefits of Amsterdam Card Tour. With an Amsterdam Card tour you can have opportunity to tour and travel on a free entrance to Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandthuis Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam and much more. There you will have chance to tour on ulimited public transport for places like Madame Tussauds and Amsterdam Dungeon and get 25% discount on color guidebook.

Excursion tour of Amsterdam around the city

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Amsterdam that was an old fishing during 12th century later on developed as a major center for arts, trade and science and importantly center for business. One can better understand the development occurred around it only through after having its excursion tour and below are mentioned some popular centers of excursion tour around Amsterdam.

  • Maastricht: This is the oldest city in the Netherlands, and is located along the   banks of the Maas River. This one is the one of the most shining spots as located at Holland’s southernmost point, between the Belgium and German borders. Its ancient defense around the city yet are walking routes even in Modern time and even are visible at its western outskirts. Another must-see location in the city is the Basilica of Saint Servatius that is a medieval cruciform basilica and has a good number of collection of religious artefacts as well as the burial place of Holland’s first bishop.
  • International Court of Justice: The tour to designated International court of Justice is your chance to see with perspective and desire of prompting and regulating the world peace. Situated at The Hague, the building keeps the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and The Hague Academy of International Law at Hague within the single premises as is located around 35 miles away from Amsterdam.
  • Waterland Neeltje Jans: Here you spare out your entire day with marine animals, experience fantastic attractions and can enrich your knowledge and learning about the world famous Delta Works as into the mesmerizing water theme park. The primary attractions to it is the storm surge barrier, Delta Expo, a waterslide and water playground, whale world exhibition and a hurricane simulator are among many attractions here.
  • Royal Delftware Factory: The tour to this factory let you to have experience of watching out the white and blue decorative pottery as the sign of Royal Delftware, that is inspired by the Chinese porcelain as preceded to the reason by the tradesmen of the Dutch East India Company. The Royal Delftware Factory is the only earthenware factory in Delft that has roots back to the 17th century. More you as a visitor can look painting demonstrations there as well can participate in various painting workshop demonstration.
  • Holland in One Day Sightseeing Tour: This particular single day tour let you to enjoy and mix you with yourself in The Netherlands on an elaborate Holland Tour from Amsterdam. On the tour you will be provide with an experienced local guide as mean to help you on a tour of Delft pottery, venture to The Hague and duck and weave through Madurodam. This excursion provides you the opportunity to watch Aalsmeer that is world’s biggest flower auction. From there you can move on to the Rotterdam; that is a dynamic city lived and existed around the world’s largest harbor.

5 strangest hotels of the world

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A hotel is an organization that provides lodging on a short-term basis. It provides a basic accommodation that is consisted of a cupboard, a small table and a washstand and other modern facilities and amenities. But there are some hotels in the world that are too different from common convention and norm of hotels and even can be counted as some of the wired hotels. Some of these weird hotels are briefed as following:

1. The Galactic Suite Space Resort, Barcelona: This hotel is whopping expensive and is scheduled to be in business from the year 2012. It is accounted that for a three night stay at first planned hotel in space, the guest there would be charged around $4.4 million. The entire fee has also included eight week training course even included on a tropical island. It is a concept of Barcelona based architect and former aerospace engineer Xavier Claramunt from Equip XCL architects.  The space resort is thus formed in a manner so it can circulate around the sun at a distance of 450km, and at a speed of 30,000km.

2. California’s Madonna Inn, USA
: There is lot of wild themed rooms at there, California’s Madonna Inn. In the ‘Yahoo’ room, the bed appears like to be a carriage and there hang a horn above the bed. Or there at the ‘Rock Bottom’ room, the bed seems coming like as submerging into a cave. For 50 years Madonna Inn is one of the most attractive California’s landmark attractions and presently is much persuaded lodging, meeting and convention center. It provides an immeasurable and unlimited experience with best dinning and entertainment.

3. The Capsule Inn, Japan: It is inn with a one small sleeping space. The guest space is compacted into a size of a modular plastic or fiberglass block about 2 m by 1 m by 1.25 m, giving room to sleep. Facilities there occur and range from amenities including a television, an electronic console, and wireless internet connection. All these capsules are pitched side by side and two units there are on top to bottom with access to the second level rooms.

4. The Hotel IM Wasserturm, Germany: It is an extraordinary, unique, a one-sort of Hotel in Wasserturm, and once used to be the Europe’s largest water tower and is best sort of hotels in Germany. As a heritage site, there you will get an extraordinary interior design of timeless modernity behind its 130 year-old walls.  There is very high and unique retreat of city with an excellent city views.

5. The Giraffe Manor, East Africa: This is an exclusive hotel in East Africa known for its resident herd of giraffe. However, giraffes there don’t wander around instead they stick their heads through the windows. The hotel, constructed in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, is situated on 120 acres of land just a few miles away he centre of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. It is a unique, spacious and elegant hotel in the world where you can feed a giraffe even from your 2nd floor bedroom window.

Some popular spots to eat and drink in Amsterdam

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For food lovers the Amsterdam dining experience can is one of its best type as they can enjoy at a same spot all the best international flavors. One can have an idea of dining culture from the below mentioned restaurant in Amsterdam:

  • Pont 13: You just need to stretch a bit more in order to reach at this restaurant n far away from the center of town and offers very delicious cuisines of international taste and is in operation since  1927. It runs back and forth across the harbor. The entire restaurant is renovated with wooden floors and now converted into a place of industrial ambiance; diners there can enjoy magnificent French cuisine and fine wines within this huge boat.
  • Bird: This is a very apt restaurant of your choice, if you are looking for   some spicy food in the city’s Chinatown district and this one is authentic Thai restaurant that offers some of best of Chinese food on a very authentic and reasonable prices and rates.  There you can witness queue here but grab a Singha beer at the bar and can wait there at a wooden bench precisely imported from Thailand. Here you will get Thai staff reasonably to be very cordial and friendly.
  • Bazar: This is a very spacious, airy and high-ceilinged restaurant in Amsterdam. This is situated there at within a former church building and its interior has awesome ‘mosque makeover.’ There is also an arrangement for comfortable seating in the restaurant that is spread across its two floors. On its menu it provides North African, Iranian and Turkish food. The prominent menus there at the restaurant are Algerian pancake with honey for breakfast, grilled chicken wings with a spicy harissa sauce for lunch, or “dolmé” for dinner.  The food provided here are exuberating and vegetarian too can have food of their choice over here.
  • De Bolhoed: It entirely is a restaurant for Vegetarians as one can have very delicious food there to relish the soul as well as one’s stomach. Its location is consisted of the cozy interior, slightly bohemian ambiance, and outdoor, canalside terrace. Soups, salads, sandwiches and quiche are standard fare, and special menus too are offered there at the restaurant.
  • De Kas: Having back ground in circa-1926 greenhouse, this is a restaurant which provides airy, romantic area for dinning. Its ambience is passing across from the garden to outside. On its platter it offers local meats and seafood. Its vegetarian menu is a daily and prix-fixe event that is made up of several appetizers, an entrée, and a sweet. Its serves two course there on lunch.
  • ARC: it is a very lively designer bar situated at Amsterdam’s most stylish gay street. The stylish gay street there at the region is immensely popular post work cocktails and dance floor to dance upon DJ spin upbeat lounge and other dances. Supporting staff here is too helpful and cordial always ready to cooperate with you.