albert cuyp dam red light district royal palace

begijnhof jordaan reguliersdwarsstraat vondelpark

canals leidseplein rembrandtplein waterlooplein

You can also browse the city's history or architectural development.

Red Light District  This area (roughly the lower right corner of map C1) is famous for its window prostitution, which is legal in Holland. The windows are illuminated by red lights, hence the name. Though you might suspect otherwise this section of town isn't really that seedy, and it's a common sight to see a busload of tourists take an organized tour of the district. Besides the windows the area sports various 'erotic' bars and theaters, a few of which are described here. You can also go on a short virtual tour of the Red Light District.

Reguliersdwarsstraat   The Reguliersdwarsstraat is definitely the hippest street in Amsterdam, as far as nightlife is concerned. The street is a mixture of upmarket gay bars, restaurants serving expensive French cuisine, and assorted night clubs catering to a slightly older crowd of media buffs, businessmen and local celebrities.       Rembrandtplein  This is the major 'entertainment' area for rowdy Amsterdammers and out-of-towners. Bars chock-a-block with people singing along to Dutch folk songs at the top of their voices, and a few large disco's with heavy security at the door. Because all bars and disco's close at the same moment, sometimes things get out of hand a bit. Strangely enough the square is surrounded by major gay spots and just off the square is the Halvemaansteeg, a small street packed with gay bars. No problems here, so maybe Amsterdam really is a tolerant city. Also nearby is Reguliersdwarsstraat, currently the hippest nightlife street of Amsterdam.

Royal Palace  At first sight the Royal Palace on Dam square doesn't seem very royal, and doesn't even look like a palace at all. All very understandable because Jacob van Campen designed this building as a city hall, which it was until 1808, when Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte ruled Holland for 5 years. He thought the building fit for a king, and ever since this has been the official palace for the reigning queen or king of the Netherlands. Except for official receptions it is not used much. In summer you can take a guided tour of the palace, the highlights of its interior being the Empire furniture Bonaparte left behind, and paintings by Rembrandt's pupils Govert Flinck and Ferdinand Bol.   [See also: history]

Vondelpark  The largest park of the city, close to the Leidseplein and the big museums and by far the most popular with visitors and locals alike, especially during summer and on sunny winterdays. The park is always alive with skaters, joggers and all sorts of street performers. In the summer the Vondelpark open air theater stages regular performances. There are several bars in the park, all of course with their own outside terrace, and Vertigo also offers good food at reasonable prices. All in all a very pleasant place to spend a lazy sunny afternoon.       Waterlooplein  After a temporary relocation the Waterlooplein in the center of the former Jewish neighborhood is again host to Amsterdam's largest flea-market. In the old days the merchants on this square used to sell everything from bric-a-brac to genuine antiques, genuine junk, goods of dubious origin and second-hand clothes. Since the reinstatement of the flea market on its original location the merchandise has become more geared towards visiting tourists with lots of second-hand apparel and smoking paraphernalia, but for cheap clothes it's still hard to beat.     more sights (-> page 1 of 2)

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