Amsterdam - A Walking Tour (complementary document)
- 1. Amsterdam’s Canals Built during the 17th century to control the flow of the Amstel River and to add acres of dry land to the city; Amsterdam’s wealthy merchants soon discovered that the canals were ideal for showcasing their mansions; A boat ride along one of the city’s 100 canals offers visitors a relaxing way to view traditional Dutch architecture; Lined with elm and lime trees and crossed over by more than a thousand bridges; Home to some 2,000 houseboats, including houseboat hotels; Tour operators offer a variety of cruises, ranging from hour-long excursions to candlelight cruises; Anne Frank House Amsterdam’s most visited attraction Situated along the Prinsengracht canal Structure that once hid Anne Frank, her family and four other Jewish people from the Nazi authorities during World War II Memorial to the Holocaust since 1947 (when Anne’s father published the diary she wrote while they lived hidden within the building) Plan to preserve the building was hatched in 1955 when developers were planning to demolish the structure Opened as a museum in 1960 Visitors can view the rooms where Anne lived as well as exhibits that chronicle her all-too-short life RedLight District Largest and best known red-light district in Amsterdam Consists of a network of alleys containing approximately 300 one- room cabins Rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights The "kamers“ (rooms) are the most visible and typical kind of red light district sex work in Amsterdam Large tourist attraction De Wallen -> The Ramparts (walls) The canal systemthere was contained Van Gogh Museum Northwestern side of the Museum Square, or Museumplein Home to the world’s largest collection of the artist’s paintings and letters Housed in a four-story building designed by Gerrit Rietveld in the 1970s One of the most visited tourist attractions in Amsterdam Two hundred paintings from the Dutch Post-Impressionist occupy the second story of the museum Displayed chronologically, the artwork offers viewers an intimate look at Van Gogh’s evolving style The third story contains information
- 2. within the former walls of the city; Canals were walled; Roads Rokin and Damrak run along the original course of the river Amster, and meet in Dam Square; A bridge was built there across the river in 1270; Bridge had doors used to dam the river to avoid flooding; The damrak became a harbor Proximity to the harbor has attracted both prostitution and migrant populations (features it is best known for today) about the artist’s troubled life and about the efforts taken to restore his paintings Works by Van Gogh’s contemporaries, including artists like Millet, Gaugin and Daubigny are exhibited on the top floor Rijksmuseum Occupies the northeastern section of the Museum Square Rijksmuseum (national museum) is arguably the most important of the nation’s arts and history museums Total collection numbers more than 1 million artifacts dating from the 13th century onward For decades, the collection was housed in buildings all over the country Until 1876, when the architect Pierre Cuypers won a design contest and the construction of the Rijksmuseum began Opened in 1885, the museum currently has around 8,000 objects on display Most famous are paintings by Rembrandt, including his masterpiece “Night Watch”, Frans Hals and Johannes Vemeer Koninklijk Paleis of Amsterdam One of three royal palaces in the Netherlands Koninklijk (koninclec) Paleis (paleish) (royal palace) Located on the western side of Dam Square, in the center of the city The 17th structure City’s original town hall Converted into a palace during the Napoleonic Wars when Napoleon’s brother Louis was crowned King Louis I of Holland Exterior was constructed by Jacob van Campen (iacob) with sandstone to mimic the public buildings of Rome Interior is a premier example of the elaborate Empire style of the early 1800s Is still used by the Dutch Royal House
- 3. for Royal events but is open to the public for most of the year AmsterdamCentraal Largest railway station of Amsterdam and a major national railway hub Used by 260,000 passengers a day Second-busiest railway station in the country (after Utrecht Centraal) Most visited national heritage site of the Netherlands First opened in 1889 New central station replaced Amsterdam Willemspoort Station - closed in 1878 - as well as the temporary Westerdok Station - 1878 to 1889 Designed by the Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers – architect who designed the Rijksmuseum Features a Gothic/Renaissance Revival station building and a cast iron platform roof spanning approximately 40 metres Major gateway for many of the city's tourist destinations, as it is situated in the city centre Flower Market Located between Muntplein and Koningsplein on the south bank of the Singel (singuel) canal Bloemenmarkt (blumenmarkt) (flower market) World’s only floating flower market All week, flower sellers load stands and floating barges with all of the flowers and bulbs for which the Netherlands is famous – including tulips Founded in 1862 Includes more than a dozen different florists and garden shops as well as souvenir stalls Primarily designed to cater to tourists Bulbs offered for sale have been designated as ready for export Visitors can purchase tulip, daffodil, narcissus and other bulbs as a lasting memento