 e made a much anticipated visit to Amsterdam in March 2003, for 5 days.
We travelled separately, and met up at Schipol Airport, with me flying from
Newcastle to Amsterdam with KLM, and Korina flying from Munich to Amstredam with
Lufthansa. Although we did enjoy ourselves there, we were slightly disappointed by the lack
of sights to see, and found the city to be overrun by single young British lad's
who were over for the weekend to indulge in lots of sex, drugs and drink...
Lucky B*stards! So That was the main reason why I was disappointed, to miss out
on the Amsterdam `culture`... F*ck the sights!
A view of Dam Square
with the Amsterdam Diamond Centre, The National Monument (Obelisk) which was
built in 1956 to the fallen in wwII
The Koninklijk
Paleis `Royal Palace` & Madame Tussaud's Scenerama on Dam Square
Although the Royal Palace is the official Royal residence it is mainly used for
functions as the family reside in The Hague. The building dates back to 1648 and
was originally designed for use as Amsterdam's city hall. King Louis Napoleon
however had other plans. In 1808 he turned the city hall into a palace. A large
collection of furniture from this period adorns its interiors. Guided tours are
offered to visitors (these need to be booked two weeks in advance).
Robert & Korina at
The Magna Plaza, which was built in 1899, and was formerly the old Post Office,
but is now a rather grand indoor shopping centre
A view down the Damrak
The shopping...
The churches...
Looking for
guidance...
A boat trip...
Canal Bus provides
the ideal transport along the canals of Amsterdam. Their boats operate a regular
service along the canals on three routes: the Green Line, the Red Line and the
Blue Line.
A bit Gothic...
Picturesque canals
form a girdle around the oldest parts of Amsterdam and encompass the city’s
notorious Red Light District. Here tourists stroll over ancient bridges and down
the narrow lanes where the aroma of cannabis pervades the air, and at night the
streets are lit up by the crimson glow of windows from which prostitutes beckon
passers-by. However the city’s attractions extend well beyond these hedonistic
activities to include some of Europe's finest sights and museums. This charming
and compact city is easily explored on foot, by bike or aboard a canal-boat tour
that follows a circular route, stopping at the many attractions along the way.
The structure
sticking out of the water, which looks like the bow of a green ship, is the Nemo
Science Museum
The NEMO science and
technology center is housed in a striking verdigris building facing the historic
port of Amsterdam in the Oosterdok, and appropriately the building designed by
Italian architect Renzo Piano bears resemblance to a 17th century ship. NEMO
focuses on the relationship between science, technology and art as
manifestations of human creativity. This is done in the form of interactive
exhibits, demonstrations and performances. The roof terrace of NEMO is
accessible to visitors and non-visitors alike, and has a breathtaking view of
Amsterdam city.
The replica of the
Dutch East Indiaman `Amsterdam` ship in the Oosterdok
Robert & Korina
outside the Scheepvaart Museum
The Netherlands
Maritime Museum `Scheepvaart` is housed in the National Naval Depot, a former
arsenal of the Dutch Navy that is over 300 years old. The unique and superb
collection tells the story of the maritime past of the Netherlands. The jetty
outside the Museum provides a permanent berth for a replica of the Dutch East
Indiaman `Amsterdam`. Actors playing the sailors provide a 'life-like'
impression of life on board the Amsterdam.
In the grounds of
the Maritime Museum
Robert & Korina at
the last windmill left in the centre of Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s Dam
Square is a good starting point for an orientation tour around the city. Here
one finds the Royal Palace and the main shopping streets extending beyond it (Kalverstraat
and Nieuwendijk). Beyond this are the bustling Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein
quarters where street performers and tourists jostle for space. Locals gather
here to enjoy the theatre, cinema or any one of the many popular late nightclubs
and bars. A ten-minute walk from Leidseplein takes visitors to the Museum
Quarter (Museumplein), a conglomeration of Amsterdam’s finest museums. Another
area of interest is the Jordaan quarter. Built in 1612, it has become a popular
district for students and young professionals. The infamous Red Light District
(De Wallen) is located to the left of the Dam Square bordered by the canals
Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal. Pijp is an exciting area from
which to explore the cultural diversity within the city and to quaff local brew
from one of the many pubs perched on the street corners.
The Het
Muziektheater (Stopera) is a massive, plush concert hall boasting programmes of
local and international ballets and opera's, at reasonable prices. The Stopera
is home to the Netherlands Opera and the Netherlands National Ballet.
Robert, canalside at
the Stopera
Korina and our
hotel, the NH Barbizon Palace
On a bit of a
wander...
Some fine
architecture...
The Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is
the largest museum in the Netherlands, in the size of its collections, its
building, the budget and the number of staff employed. Each year, more than a
million people visit the museum. Around 400 people work in the museum, including
45 curators who are specialised in all kinds of areas. The Rijksmuseum is
internationally renowned for its exhibitions and publications and not only are
these high quality products, but are also areas in which the museum extends the
boundaries of scholarship and encourages new insights. Moreover, the museum
devotes considerable resources to education and to the decor and layout of
exhibitions. Leading designers are regularly commissioned to work on Rijksmuseum
projects.
Robert & Korina in
the gardens of the museum. Designed by Cuypers, they incorporate a selection of
fragments of historic buildings from various Dutch towns.
The Vincent Van Gogh
Museum
The Van Gogh Museum
consists of two buildings: the main structure designed by Gerrit Rietveld and
opened in 1973, and the Exhibition Wing by Kisho Kurokawa completed in 1999. The
architecture of the museum has a complex history: apart from these two
architects, several others have contributed to finishing, rebuilding or
remodelling parts of both buildings.
The Van Gogh to
Rijk's straight
Robert & Korina
waterside...
Amsterdam Central
Train Station at Statiosplein
Amsterdam's Central
Station dates from the year 1889, when it was first used for the transport of
goods. Designed by the architect P.J.H. Cuypers - well known in his time -, who
also designed the Rijksmuseum. The building's foundation consists of 8,687
wooden piles, because of the wetlands around 't IJ. The original construction
has been rebuilt more than once, due to rapidly expanding traffic and rail
transport. The Central Station terminal has recently been restored and can be
admired in its original style.
I see... Oosterdok
Last Dam chance to
visit the square...
Robert & Korina
outside the Royal Palace
The Waag, located on
the Nieuwmarkt square, was part of the old town ramparts. It was first named the
Gate of St. Anthony, built in 1488, which explains the massive towers and the
holes in it. In 1614, the gate was no longer part of the front line of defence
and a new, wider rampart was built. It had a new function: a weighing house.
This was the place where goods were weighed and the building where taxes were
levied. In addition to guilds like the guild of surgeons or the bricklayers'
guild, a guild of weighers existed. Nowadays, De Waag also functions as a
restaurant and media centre .
All photographs were taken at
various locations in Amsterdam - Holland from 28th February to 4th of March 2003.
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