Hotels in Amsterdam

Hotels in Amsterdam

Some tourists may want to stay at hotels in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Some tourists may want to visit the city to see the tourist attractions and skyscrapers of the city. Some tourists may want to stay at large hotels or small hotels. Some tourists may want to stay at cheap hotels or luxury hotels. Numerous tourists may want to stay at a hotel that have a good reputation. Some tourists may want to see sports, culture and entertainment of the city.

Hotels in the city of Amsterdam are often required for tourists who want to see the culture, history and tourist attractions of the city. Some tourists may want to see the shopping districts. Some may want to see the architecture and scenery of the city. Some tourists may want to stay at a large hotel or a small hotel. Some tourists may want to stay at a hotel that has good parking facilities. Some tourists may want to stay at hotels that are well known and have had good reviews. Numerous tourists may want access to the landmarks of the city. Numerous tourists may want access to the culture, history and the society of the city.

Amsterdam fans out south from the Amsterdam Centraal railway station. The Damrak is the main street and leads into the street Rokin. The oldest area of the town is known as de Wallen (the quays, this does not refer to the old city walls, the Dutch word for wall being 'muur'). It lies to the east of Damrak and contains the city's famous red light district. To the south of de Wallen is the old Jewish quarter of Waterlooplein. The 17th century girdle of concentric canals, known as the Grachtengordel, embraces the heart of the city. Beyond the Grachtengordel are the formerly working class areas of Jordaan and de Pijp. The Museumplein with the city's major museums, the Vondelpark, a 19th century park named after the Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel, and the Plantage neighborhood, with the zoo, are also located outside the Grachtengordel.

The more than one hundred kilometers of canals in Amsterdam, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges have led the city to being termed the "Venice of the North". The three main canals Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age, form a concentric belt around the city, known as the grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country.

Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During this time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, part of Euronext, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House.

Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306. From the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely because of trade with the Hanseatic League. In 1345, an alleged Eucharistic miracle in the Kalverstraat rendered the city an important place of pilgrimage until the alteration to the protestant faith. The Stille Omgang, a silent procession in civil attire, is today a remnant of the rich pilgrimage history.

The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, a train station, and the Concertgebouw were built, while during this time, the Industrial Revolution reached the city. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine, and the North Sea Canal was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the North Sea.

Being part of the province North-Holland, Amsterdam is located in the northwest of the Netherlands next to the provinces Utrecht and Flevoland. The river Amstel terminates in the city center into a large number of canals that eventually terminate in the IJ. Amsterdam is situated 2 meters above sea level. The surrounding land is flat as it is formed of large polders. To the southwest of the city lies a man made forest called het Amsterdamse Bos. Amsterdam is connected to the North Sea through the long North Sea Canal.

Amsterdam has a rich architectural history. The oldest building in Amsterdam is het Houten Huys at the Begijnhof in Amsterdam. This wooden building was built around 1425 and is one of the two still existing wooden buildings in Amsterdam. It is also one of the few rare examples of gothic architecture in Amsterdam. In the sixteenth century wooden buildings were broken down and replaced by brick ones. During this age many buildings were built according to the architecture of the Renaissance. Buildings built during this period are very recognizable, since they all have a façade which ends at the top in the shape of a stairway. This is however the common Dutch Renaissance style. Amsterdam quickly developed its own Renaissance architecture. These buildings were built according to the principles of the architect Hendrick de Keyser. One of the most striking buildings designed by Hendrick de Keyer is the Westerkerk. In the seventeenth century baroque architecture became very popular as it did elsewhere in Europe. This was roughly in the same period as was Amsterdam’s Golden Age. The leading architects of this style in Amsterdam were Jacob van Campen as well as Philip Vingboons and Daniel Stalpaert. Philip Vingboons designed splendid merchant’s houses throughout the city. A famous building in baroque style in Amsterdam is the Royal Palace on Dam Square. Throughout the 18th century Amsterdam was heavily influenced by French culture. This is reflected in the architecture from that period. At around 1815 architects broke with the baroque style and started building in different neo-styles. Most gothic style buildings date from that era and are therefore said to be built in a neo gothic style. At the end of the nineteenth century the Jugendstil or Art Nouveau style became popular and a lot of new buildings were constructed in this architectural style. Since Amsterdam rapidly expanded during this period, new buildings adjacent to the city’s center were also built in this style. The houses in the vicinity of the Museum Square in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid are an example of Jugendstil. The last style that was popular in Amsterdam before the modern era was Art Deco. Amsterdam had its own version of the style, which was called the Amsterdamse School. Whole districts were built in Amsterdamse School, such as the Rivierenbuurt. A notable feature the facades of buildings build in Amsterdamse School, is that they are highly decorated with decorative ornaments and the windows and doors are oddly shaped.

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. The palace was built as city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century.

Buildings in the city include or have included ;

Royal Palace (Amsterdam), former city hall, built in 1648.
Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
Kalvertoren, shopping mall located in the busy Kalverstraat.
AEX, stock trading building.
Beurs van Berlage, was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
Centraal Station, Neo Gothic building.
De Waag, part of the city fortifications was buit in 1481-1494.
Montelbaanstoren, the tower was built in 1512 as a part of the city fortification.
Munttoren, the tower was built in 1619-1620 and it is the southern tower among all other ones in Amsterdam
Pakhuis De Zwijger, built in 1933-1934 after a design by architect J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk, this was a warehouse for cooling perishables.
The house with the waterfall, at the Zuiderkerkhof.
Nieuwe Wereld, by architects Meyer and Van Schooten. The name goes back to the 1980s when squatters lived here and called their place 'End of the World'.
Barcelona Building, building from 1993 by architect B. Albert on the Levantkade.
Emerald Empire, building on the far end of KNSM Lane by architect J. Coenen.
The Magna Plaza, a former post office dating back to 1899 and it was converted to a shopping mall in 1990
The Whale, mega-apartment building by architect F. van Dongen. It took five years to complete (1995-2000).
Skydome, 60 meter tall towerblock was designed by architect W. Arets and has 3 vertical dents.
Lloydhotel, was built between 1917-1920 to serve as an emigrants hotel.
Oost-Indisch Huis, Since 1606 till 1798 former headquarters of VOC (The United Dutch East Asia Company), a 17th Century Dutch trading giant.
Rembrandt Tower, a 135 metres high skyscraper.
Bijlmerbajes, a prison in Amsterdam near the Amstel station.
Amsterdam ArenA, a football stadium in Amsterdam home to football club Ajax.
Begijnhof, Amsterdam, one of the oldest inner courts in Amsterdam.
The Portuguese Synagogue, impressive building was founded in 1670 by the Sephardic Jewish community.
El Tawheed Mosque, a mosque in Amsterdam, founded in 1986.
Homomonument, a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their sexual orientation.
Millennium Tower (Amsterdam), a 97.5 metre tall office building in Amsterdam.
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam), was built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics. It was designed by the architect Jan Wils.
The Amsterdam Metro, a three main lines in the metro system.
Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam by architect J. Coenen on Oosterdokseiland, next to Central Station. Has a wonderful view over the city.