The city of Amsterdam is an old city that has embraced the new cosmopolitan flair of Europe. The seat of government is in The Hague, but Amsterdam is also thought of as the capital and it is the home of The Netherlands’ royal family. The Dutch are also a cultured people who enjoy the finer things in life when it comes to the arts.

Amsterdam is a city of less than one million residents but has over 50 theatres and movie houses, two ballet troupes, a symphony orchestra, and numerous museums.

The Leidesplein is the theatre district of Amsterdam. Many of the numerous theater cinemas are themed in that each carries a certain type of film – art house, film noir, English only, new, etc. The Dutch run the film in it’s original language with the sub-titles in Dutch dialogue; as a result, visitors can often find a film in their native tongue; especially English.

The various theatres carry the best and latest in operas, symphonies, dances, and various other concerts. It is not uncommon to find a theatrical production being played out in a plaza or park. There is even a theatre that specializes in programs for the younger generation.

The Dutch art scene covers everything from graffiti to works by the masters; both inside the museums and galleries and out on the streets.

Some 50 of the over 400 museums in The Netherlands are located within the city of Amsterdam and are among the city’s most popular tourist attractions. Besides the typical works of the masters, modern art, film, and photography; some of the museums that can be found in Amsterdam are the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, a Botanical Museum, a museum dedicated to the Dutch resistance during World War II, the Heineken Experience, the Ajax Museum (Dutch football team), a houseboat museum, a torture museum, museums dedicated to sex and erotica, NEMO a hands on science museum for the children that is housed in a boat shaped building, the shipping museum, a Biblical Museum, the tropical museum and the Jewish museum. There are also several art galleries within the city.

The largest of the museums is the Rijksmuseum, which houses Dutch art dating as far back as some early religious works, and of course; the masters.

Located in the middle of the city is the Anne Frank House, where the young teen wrote her diary while hiding from the Nazi’s with her family. The original diary is on display at the house.

The Houseboat Museum is an actual houseboat similar to those used by some residents of Amsterdam. The boat is set up as if the family where merely out running errands or at the cinema and will return at any moment.

Across from the Anne Frank House is the tulip museum. The small museum offers a multimedia presentation of the famous flower including its history.

For those interested in the art of the adult beverage there is the Heineken Experience which provides everything about the famous beer. And there is the Vodka museum that not only gives a history of the alcoholic potato and a display of unusual vodka bottles, but a bar where visitors can sample the famous Russian concoction. There is also a coffee and tea museum for the coffee and tea lover.

The Jewish Museum tells of the history of Dutch Jews and is housed in four synagogues some dating back to the sixteen hundreds.

Located on the edge of the Red Light District is the Museum Amstelkring which houses religious artifacts and art.

Visitors to St. Petersburg, Russia can see a few of the works housed in the Hermitage along the Neva River; but it is nearly impossible to see everything housed within the palace walls. However, visitors to Amsterdam can visit the Hermitage in Amsterdam which features two exhibits each year.

The TIN-Theater Museum features the history of the theater back to the Middle Ages. And the Film museum features a history on cinema history. The FOAM specializes in photography.

And for those who have an interest in things ancient and archeological is the Allard Pierson Museum.

And of course; the old city would not be complete without a historical museum of Amsterdam itself and the maritime museum Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum.

The tropical museum features exhibits on the tropical areas around the world.

There are museums dedicated to the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt and writer Theo Thijssen.

Madame Tussauds offers visitors the chance to see Rembrandt at work, see Kylie Minogue, Bono, Bob Marley or hold court with Princess Maxima.

The Tassen Museum Hendrikje is dedicated to the 輪椅的士收費 great designers of women’s purses and handbags offering thousands of the women’s accessories for visitors to view. The Brilmuseum features eyeglasses.

For the musically inclined there is a small museum featuring player pianos and thousands of the paper rolls used in creating the music. Sir Elton John has nothing on this small museum which offers s glimpse into the history of eyewear.

With the wide variety of exhibits offered by the museums and the variety of cultural events there is something for almost any interest for the visitors and residents in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam – a city sometimes called the Venice of the north – is a city surrounded by water. Holland is a small country located between Germany and England across the sea. Whether it be along the North Sea or one of the many canals and rivers throughout the city, finding a place to stay with a waterfront view is an easy task. This modernized city with an old world charm offers a variety of places for visitors to stay from the finest international chain hotels to an intimate inn and even a houseboat. For a relatively small city Amsterdam contains nearly 300 hotels and that does not include the 100 plus guesthouses, the hostels, cottages, houseboats, and even some apartments for extended stays. But even with all of these available hotel rooms and other places to stay, finding lodgings during the tourist season can be very difficult.