Page 7 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Amsterdam

Top 10 Amsterdam ❮❮ 5

Welcome to
Amsterdam

Who could deny Amsterdam’s beauty, its lattice of olive-
green canals framing some of Europe’s most enchanting
architecture? Yet the city is no museum piece: Amsterdam
sits at the cutting edge of design and has an extraordinarily
rich cache of fine art displayed to great advantage in its
world-class museums.

With every justification, Amsterdam is one of the most popular
tourist destinations in Europe and, although many of its visitors
come here for the marijuana and the Red Light District, the city
has so much more to offer. Two of its most prestigious attractions
are the internationally famous Van Gogh Museum and the
Rijksmuseum, which with its magnificent collection of 17th-century
Dutch art, is the most visited museum in town. The Anne Frank
House stands as a solemn reminder of the German occupation of
the city during World War II and the persecution of the Jews. These
three highlights alone justify a trip to Amsterdam, but the city also
boasts a clutch of first-rate restaurants, convivial bars, historic
churches – the Oude Kerk is the pick – charming hotels, super-
charged clubs, a booming gay scene and a bevy of designer shops.

But it’s Amsterdam’s harmonious cityscapes that are its most
distinctive feature. Whatever else you do, take time to stroll the
Grachtengordel, whose set of concentric canals are interrupted
by the most charming of humpback bridges and decorated with
handsome mansions built for the merchant elite during the city’s
17th-century Golden Age.

Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide
brings together the best of everything the city can offer, from
historic Oude Zijde to bohemian Jordaan. With tips throughout,
from finding the best bars to getting off the beaten track, plus 10
easy-to-follow itineraries, inspiring photography and detailed maps,
it’s your essential pocket-sized travel companion to Amsterdam.
Enjoy the book, and enjoy Amsterdam.

Clockwise from top: Amsterdam skyline; Magere Bruge at dusk; contemporary canal houses;
wooden clogs with flowers; bridge over the Singel; Rijksmuseum; St Nicolaasbasiliek

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