Venice of the North

~Molen van Rolde ~

Depending on whom you ask, Amsterdam is the principal city in Netherlands, the capital of cannabis tourism or the cultural heart of Holland. Built by fishermen in the early days of the twelfth century, Amsterdam was converted from a marshy stretch of land into a beautiful metropolis where old structures are juxtaposed with modern architecture and a maze of pedestrian bridges crisscross a host of canals. Visitors are fascinated by its multiple faces: the Amsterdam of the windmills, tulips and bike rides, the Amsterdam of festivals, concerts and street performances, the Amsterdam of the coffee shops and nightlife and, the Amsterdam of the Golden Age, modern or contemporary art venues.

Irrespective of affinities, Amsterdam has something to offer to each of its guests, which is why it is high on my list of places that I would like to revisit.

Stay: The Dylan Amsterdam

Eat: La Oliva, De Kas, Vis aan de Schelde, Razmataz; traditional restaurants carry the sign “Neerlands Say”

See: Architecture (medieval wooden houses – Begijnhof, Magere Brug), windmills (De Gooyer, Molen van Slotten), tulips, Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark, Rijksmuseum, Hortus Botanicus

~ Hortus Botanicus ~ 

~ Begijnhof ~

~  De Gooyer ~

~ Rijksmuseum ~

~ Van Gogh museum ~

~ Magere Brug ~

~ Tulips ~

Until next time,

Bodhi.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8