 Facts at a Glance
Population: 725,000
Country: The Netherlands
Time Zone: GMT/UTC plus 1 hour
Telephone area code: 020
The oldest archaeological finds in Amsterdam date from Roman times - coins and a few artefacts suggest there were people around, but there's no evidence of human settlement. This isn't surprising, considering the region was a delightful mass of shifting lakes, swamps and soggy peat. Amsterdam's earliest settlers were dam-building 12th-century farming and fisherfolk who tamed the marshlands around the Amstel with ditches and dykes.
The city grew rapidly after 1300 as a key player in trade between the North and Baltic seas and southern Europe. But as the money flowed in, class struggle intensified - the Reformation grew out of a struggle for power between the emerging merchants and the Catholic-sanctioned aristrocrats. Calvinism, a form of Protestantism, gripped the hearts and minds of Amsterdam's nouvelle riche, with its emphasis on sobriety, hard work and community-based worship. The Calvinists took on the imperial power of Spain's Catholic Philip II, and in 1578 they captured Amsterdam. The following year Amsterdam and seven northern provinces declared themselves an independent republic - Holland - led by William of Orange, the forefather of today's royal family.
Amsterdam's golden age (1580-1740) kicked off when trading rival Antwerp was taken by the Spanish and its access to the sea restricted. By 1600, Amsterdam's ships dominated seaborne trade and fishing in Europe, extending their horizons through the 17th century as Dutch overseas interests were established. During the 18th century, money gradually overtook trade as the city's biggest industry. Amsterdam's trade and fishing came to a complete halt in the early 19th century when the city was occupied by the French and then blockaded by the British. By the time the French trooped out in 1814, Amsterdam had become a local market town and Britain ruled the seas.
Amsterdam turned its back on the sea and restyled itself as an industrial centre: rail links were established, steel production thrived and the population expanded. As capital of a neutral Netherlands, Amsterdam managed relatively well in WWI, and the 1920s were boom years, crowned by the Olympic Games hosted in 1928. Unfortunately, the depression of the 1930s hit the city hard, with unemployment peaking at 25%, and tensions rose between socialists, communists and fascists.
The Netherlands tried to stay neutral in WWII, but Germany invaded in May 1940, and for the first time in 400 years the city's population experienced the grim realities of war first hand. The occupying forces slowly introduced measures against Amsterdam's large Jewish population, often with the complicity of local authorities, and although workers went out on strike in support of their Jewish compatriots in 1941, things had gone too far. Only one in 16 of Amsterdam's Jews survived the war, the highest proportion of Jews murdered anywhere in western Europe. Throughout the occupation the city's populace had largely knuckled under and tried to make do as best they could, but when the invaders began rounding up Dutch men to work in Germany, a resistance movement, founded by an alliance of Calvinists and communists, began operating. The country's south was liberated by the Allies in 1944, but isolated Amsterdam suffered horribly in the severe winter of 1944-45, and thousands of residents died. The city was finally liberated in May 1945.
 Off the record: Provos
Postwar Amsterdam gathered itself quietly until the early 1960s when people began to question the status quo and Amsterdam became the radical heart of Europe. The Provos kicked it all off, with a series of anarchic street 'happenings', while students and women campaigned for greater rights and hippies started arriving in the 'Magic Centre' of Europe, the city where anything was possible. The riotous squatter movement stopped the demolition of much cheap inner-city housing, the lack of which is a continuing problem, and many residents protested against thoughtless city planning, developing the policy of an inner city where people can live, work and shop. By the early 1980s, consensus had settled in, and during the '90s the inner city became a very pleasant melange of pubs, coffee shops restaurants and hotels. The ethnic makeup of the city has changed, with Surinamese, Moroccans, Turks and Antillians now making up 25% of the population, and the city today is a livable place (if you can find anywhere to live), with its decentralised councils, and bike-friendly/car-suspicious policies.
Any time can be the best time to visit. The summer months are wonderful as the whole city seems to live outdoors, but it's also the peak tourist season, when things are full and expensive. From mid-October to mid-March the climate is miserable but there are fewer tourists and things are cheaper. Cultural life is at its most authentic. The shoulder seasons can offer the best of both worlds.
Amsterdam's centre is enjoyably small scale, though finding your way around the canal belt can be confusing. The old city is contained within the ring of concentric canals dating from the 17th century that form the crescent-shaped canal belt bordered by the Singelgracht. Think of it as half a bicycle wheel: the medieval city around Centraal Station is the hub and several main roads, minor canals and the Amstel river function as spokes. Dam Square, five minutes' walk south of the station, is the centre of town, but there are several other happening 'centres,' all within walking distance, making the city a joy to explore on foot or by bicycle.
Centraal Station, the central train and bus station, lies on the south bank of the IJ. The airport at Shiphol is 18km (11mi) south-west of the city centre.
The gateway to Amsterdam's museum quarter is the Rijksmuseum, the country's premier art museum and an easy place to overdose on old masters. As well as works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and Steen, there are doll's houses, delftware, Asiatic art, changing displays of prints and drawings, and special travelling exhibitions. The Van Gogh Museum nearby houses about 200 paintings by Vincent, including famous works like The Potato Eaters and The Yellow House in Arles. Japanese prints which influenced the old ear-slicer are also on display. The Stedelijk Museum next door focuses on art from 1850 to the present. It's one of the world's leading museums of modern art and has an eclectic, provocative collection.
 Losing the two-wheeler in a scene-stealer (23K)
Anne Frankhuis, west of the centre, draws over half a million tourists each year. Visitors file through the achterhuis (annexe) pilgrim-style; it was here that the Jewish Frank family went into hiding to try to escape deportation during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The Franks and four others hid in the part of the house concealed behind a revolving bookcase from July 1942 to August 1944 when they were betrayed to the Gestapo. Anne's diary was found among the litter in the annexe and has since been translated into 55 languages. It's worth getting here early as the queues can be exasperating.
Many of Amsterdam's museums have a lighter side. The Seksmuseum near Dam Square has a bizarre collection of pornographic materials. The Hash and Marijuana Museum and the Tattoo Museum, both in the red light district, may appeal to those with special interests. The Amsterdams Historisch Museum, housed in an old orphanage, has creative displays about the city and the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum has an engaging collection of maritime memorabilia.
Canals
Many of Amsterdam's canals were filled in around the turn of the century, mainly for sanitary reasons. The remaining waterways are still pretty filthy, but there's nothing like seeing Amsterdam by boat - just keep your eyes up and don't trail your eating hand wistfully in the water. Amsterdam becomes even more picturesque from a duck's perspective: the houses look impossibly higgledy-piggedly, leaning, looming and jostling on both sides of the canal; bridges arch over the water, some of them opening for tall water traffic; and you get to spy on all those magnificent houseboats, from restored barges overflowing with tomato plants and cats peeking from the portholes to sleek purpose-built 'arks' with feature windows and sun decks.
Lazy floating summer (23K)
There are numerous tourist boats doing the rounds and it's also possible to rent a pedal boat, if you're feeling energetic. Of course, if the canals freeze over in winter, the boats get stuck and there's skating to be had. Amsterdam frozen over is a wonderful place: the locals dust off their ice skates, children and dogs scramble around, and vendors sell hot chocolate, glühwein and soup. Watch out for thin spots in the ice, especially under bridges and at the edges: people die under the ice every year.
The Begijnhof is an enclosed courtyard dating from the early 14th century. Hidden behind the busy Spui shopping strip, it's a surreal oasis of peace, with tiny houses grouped around a well-kept courtyard. The Begijnhof was formerly a convent inhabited by the Beguines, a Catholic order of unmarried or widowed women from wealthy families who cared for the elderly and lived a religious life without taking monastic vows; the last true Beguines died in the 1970s. One of the houses here dates from 1465, making it the oldest maintained wooden house in the country.
Jostling canal houses and serene Begijnhof abodes (24K)
Jordaan
The Jordaan is an old working-class neighbourhood, now partly colonised by students, artists and trendies. This is a great place to wander around, get lost and soak up the atmosphere of people going about their daily business. Houses here are tiny but tidy, with laced curtains and window boxes, and spionnetje (little spy) mirrors attached to the windowsills so auntie Greet can see who's coming and going. The Jordaan is full of inviting pubs and restaurants, offbeat shops, weird little art galleries and lively markets. There's also a high concentration of hofjes (courtyards) here, many of them with beautifully restored houses and lovingly maintained gardens. In theory, they're closed to the public, but if you do come across one of the unobtrusive entrances, and it is unlocked, most residents won't mind if you sneak a peak.
Spin cycle (11K)
Amsterdam Noord
Before it was inhabited, north Amsterdam was a seedy marshland area with shifting contours; executed criminals were dumped out here to be devoured by crows and dogs. But as Amsterdam spread, a thriving Dutch working-class neighbourhood developed out of these inauspicious beginnings. Amsterdam Noord is a good place to get a glimpse of traditional Dutch life well away from the crowds in the old town, and there are large public markets here on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday that rarely see any tourists.
A free pedestrian ferry crosses the IJ behind Centraal Station to the Noordhollands Kanaal.
Red-light district
Amsterdam's red-light district is actually a very pretty part of town: you can pretend you're there for the architecture if you need an excuse. The area has been sending sailors broke since the 14th century with houses of ill repute and countless distilleries. The distilleries are gone but now prostitutes display themselves in windows under red neon lights, touts at sex theatres lure passers-by with 'live show fucky-fucky podium' and sex shops leave nothing to the imagination. Crowds of sightseers both foreign and local mingle with would-be pimps, drunks, weirdos, drug dealers and Salvation Army soldiers.
Roll up or roll over: catering to all tastes (15K)
Streetwalking is illegal, so female sightseers are not automatically assumed to be up for it, but everyone should exercise big-city street sense which means not taking photos of prostitutes and not getting into conversations with drug dealers (they'll only sell you crap anyway).
The locals are big on ice skating, especially on frozen canals, cycling (in fact, it's one of the main ways to get around), and jogging, particularly in the Vondelpark. the Amsterdamse Bos has several jogging and walking trails. At Het Twiske you can walk, bike or rent boats.
The Dutch are avid sailors, and windsurfing is almost a national sport. On weekends a fleet of restored flat-bottomed boats criss-cross the watery expanse of the IJsselmeer.
It doesn't happen every year, but when it does it's legendary: if the canals freeze right, you can't miss the Eleven Cities' Journey, a gruelling skating marathon through the countryside of Friesland, held in January. In March, Catholics walk along the Holy Way in the Silent Procession, which commemorates the Miracle of Amsterdam. The Blues Festival is held the same month.
Queen's Day, on 30 April, is the day to be in Amsterdam - there's a free market, street parties, live music and lots of beer. National Windmill Day is in May and open garden days are held the same month. The Holland Festival, the country's biggest arts festival, runs throughout June, and in August local theatre groups and orchestras perform free throughout the city. September hosts the Flower Parade, and in November Sinterklaas arrives by ship from Spain. Also in November, the Cannabis Cup celebrates everything great about pot. Sinterklaas, the traditional Dutch Christmas, is held on 6 December, although gifts are handed out the evening before. The standard-issue Christmas is also celebrated on the usual date.
Many of the world's airlines fly directly to Amsterdam, but it might be cheaper for you to fly to a nearby city such as London and get to Amsterdam by bus or train. Many airlines will offer you a free side trip within Europe, so ask around and see what offers are available.
Amsterdam is well connected to the rest of Europe, including Britain, by long-distance bus. Buses are consistently cheaper than trains, but on some services you'll get a lungful of cigarette smoke. Amsterdam's main train station is Centraal, which has regular and efficient connections throughout the country and to all neighbouring countries. There are train-ferry services to Britain, or you can catch the Eurostar train through the Chunnel. Eurail passes are valid in The Netherlands.
Freeways link Amsterdam to The Hague, Rotterdam and Amersfort - it's about six hours drive from Paris to Amsterdam. The Netherlands are very amenable to cycling - this is one of the flattest places in the world, and there are dedicated bike paths throughout the country. Bikes are allowed on trains for a nominal charge and on ferries for very little if any charge. Ferries run between Amsterdam and Britain and Amsterdam and Norway. There are no departure taxes when leaving The Netherlands.
The airport is 18km (11mi) south-west of the city centre. A taxi into the city takes 20-45 minutes and costs about $25. Trains to Centraal Station leave every 15 minutes and cost about $3. Trains also connect the airport to stations throughout the country. Free shuttle buses run to many of they city's big hotels.
You can get around lots of Amsterdam on foot. Public transport is very good - its hub is Centraal Station, where tram, bus and metro lines converge. You can get a free map of central-area public transport at the station. Ticketing is based on zones, with the same ticket valid on buses, trams and metros. You can buy tickets at outlets around the city, or on the transport itself. Trams are good for the inner city, buses go further out, while the metro is most useful for getting to the international bus station.
Driving in the city is actively discouraged, and there's absolutely no free parking in the canal zone. If you don't buy a parking voucher you'll be wheel-clamped. It makes more sense to park outside the city and come in on public transport. Motorcyclists can park on the pavement free of charge. Amsterdam taxis are among the most expensive in Europe. It will cost you no more to call one than to hail it, although in theory you aren't supposed to pick up a cab on the street.
Amsterdam has 550,000 bicycles and this is an ideal way to get around, although you need to get used to the idea of having your bike stolen. If you're going to be around for more than a month, consider buying a second-hand bike, and make sure you buy a lock as well.
- If you want more detail than the Lonely Planet guides to Amsterdam provide, have a look at Virago's Amsterdam - the Woman's Travel Guide, by Catherine Stebbings, or the Best Guide to Amsterdam & the Benelux, the definitive gay guide to the city.
- Amsterdam, A Short History by Dr Richter Roegholt provides a good, concise summary but few insights.
- The famous Diary of Anne Frank, an autobiography written by a Jewish teenager, movingly describes life in hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
- Dutch Painting, by RH Fuchs, is a good introduction to the city's artwork, while Building Amsterdam, by Herman Janse, has plenty of clear drawings devoted to the city's architecture.
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