Tourist Information in Amsterdam
Information can be obtained from the Amsterdam Tourist Office which is located at Stationsplein 10,
opposite Centraal Station, with another office in the station itself and a bureau at Leidsestraat 104.
The VVV is open from Monday to Saturday during office hours, telephone +31 900 400 4040 (from 8am - 8pm).
 markets
musea
Queensday
Red Light District
The Canals
Shoping
Tourist Offices
| place | Address | Distance |
| Bike rental | Centraal station |
3 min walking |
| Amsterdamse beurs |
Damrak | 5 min walking |
| Rembradt toren |
Amstel station | 5 min with metro from cs |
| Antiek klokken |
Regulier gracht | 10 min by tram 4 from cs |
| Ahold headoffice |
Zaandam | 15 min with trein from cs |
| Rai | Europa plein |
15 min by tram 4 form cs |
| Car rental | Nasukade |
15 min by tram 13 from cs |
| Diamand show |
Pauluspotterstraat | 20 min by tram 2 from cs |
| World trade center (wtc) |
Strawinskylaan | 20 min with tram 5 from centraal station |
| Heinken office |
Nicolaas witsen kade |
20 min with tram 16 and 24 from centraal station |
| Ing hoofdkantoor |
Amstelveenseweg | 25 min with tram 5 from centraal station |
| Abn-amro | Gijsbrecht w. ijzelsteinstraat |
25 min by tram 5 from cs |
| World fashion centre |
Delftlaan | 25 min by tram 1 from cs |
| Occasion Cars and Accessories. |
Zwanenburg, vijfhuizen of lijnden |
25 min by train from cs |
| Klm hoofdkantoor |
Amstelveen | 30 min by tram 5 from cs |
Markets in
Amsterdam:
The biggest and best market of all is held on Queen's Day. Amsterdam's
neighbourhood markets, particularly Albert Cuypmarkt and the Dappermarkt,
are the best places to find cheap food and clothes, while aficionados
of second-hand goods should head to Monday's Noordermarkt.
Albert Cuypmarkt
Amsterdam's biggest general market sells everything from pillows
to prawns at excellent prices. 
It's also worth visiting for the
material stalls, a firm favourite with painters, who can pick up
untreated canvas from around 2 Euro a metre. Clothes tend to
be run-of-the-mill cheapies, with the odd bargain.
Albert Cuypstraat
Tram 4, 16, 24, 25. Open 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat; closed Sun. No credit
cards.
Boerenmarkt
Every Saturday, the Noordermarkt is transformed into the organic
farmers' market.
Products include organic fruit and vegetables (with
opportunities for food- and wine-tasting) as well as essential oils,
herbs, candles and the like. Groups of singers or medieval musicians
sometimes make a visit here feel more like a day trip than a mere
shopping excursion.
Westerstraat/Noorderkerkstraat
Tram 3, 10. Open 9am-3pm Sat; closed Mon-Fri, Sun. No credit cards.
Dappermarkt
A true locals' market, far less touristy than its famous counterparts:
for a start, prices don't seem to rise in accordance with the number
of visitors. It sells the usual market fodder, with plenty of cheap
clothes and underwear.
Dapperstraat
Tram 3, 6, 10, 14. Open 9am-5pm Mon-Sat; closed Sun. No credit cards.
Looier
The Looier is more upmarket than the nearby Rommelmarkt:
it's mainly
antiques here, with plenty of collectors' items on offer. It's easy
to get lost in the quiet, warehouse-like premises and find yourself
standing alone by a stall crammed with antiquated clocks eerily
ticking away.
Elandsgracht 109
Tram 7, 10, 17, 20. Open 11am-5pm Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun; closed Fri.
Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Noordermarkt
A bargain hunter's paradise. Tagged on to the end of the utilitarian
Westermarkt, the Noordermarkt is compact and frequented by the serious
market shopper.
The piles upon piles of new and (mainly) second-hand
clothes, shoes, jewellery and hats need to be sorted through with
a grim determination in order to sift the dross from the delights.
Prices can be laughably low, but like all the best second-hand markets,
if you don't arrive early, the best stuff will already have been
snapped up.
Noordermarkt
Tram 3, 10. Open 7.30am-1pm Mon; closed Tue-Sun. No credit cards.
Oudemanhuis
Book Market
People have been buying and selling books, prints and sheet music
at this arcade since the 19th century. When the alley was built
in 1601, it was the entrance to a home for the elderly, hence the
name.
Oudemanhuispoort
Tram 4, 9, 14, 16, 20, 24, 25. Open 11am-4pm Mon-Fri; closed Sat,
Sun. No credit cards.
Postzegelmarkt
A specialist market for collectors of stamps, coins, old postcards
and commemorative medals.
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, by No.276, Old Centre: New Side
Tram 1, 2, 5, 13, 17, 20. Open 11am-4pm Wed, Sun; closed Mon, Tue,
Thur-Sat. No credit cards.
Rommelmarkt
A flea market where, nestled among the household junk, you are likely
to come across dubious bargains such as a boxed set of Demis Roussos
discs.
Looiersgracht 38
Tram 7, 10, 17, 20. Open 11am-5pm daily. No credit cards.
Waterlooplein
Amsterdam's top tourist market, but no less entertaining for that.
Basically a huge flea market, it's great for clothes (though they
can be a bit pricey and,
at many stalls, decidedly naff), with the
usual selections of jeans, leathers and batik T-shirts and some
excellent second-hand stuff. Bargains can be had, but they're often
hidden among defunct toasters and down-at-heel (literally) shoes.
Musos will enjoy rifling through the boxes of battered vinyl, though
everyone should beware of pickpockets.
Waterlooplein
Tram 9, 14, 20/Metro Waterlooplein. Open 9am-5pm Mon-Sat; closed
Sun. No credit cards.
Westermarkt
A general market, selling all sorts of things.
The amount of people
packing the pavement is proof as to the entirely reasonable prices
and the range of goods, which includes new watches, pretty (and
not so pretty) fabrics and cheap factory reject clothes.
Westerstraat
Tram 3, 10. Open 9am-1pm Mon; closed Tue-Sun. No credit cards.
Art Plein Spui
Open Air Art Market
Near Begijnhof and the Historical Museum
March - December Every Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Website:www.artplein-spui.nl
Musea in Amsterdam
|
Amsterdam
has the most museums per square metre. The most noteworthy
museums are The 'Rijksmuseum', The Anne Frank House and the
Jewish Historic Museum and the 'Scheepvaart' Maritime Museum.
A short description:
(All major dutch museums on one site. Including virtual rooms
and information about exhibitions, opening times and collections)
Link:
Holland
Museums
|
|
The Rijksmuseum:
The 17th century wealth meant an enormous impulse for art.
Rich merchants commissioned portraits of themselves in full
regalia. Rembrandt is the most famous artist of that period.
His paintings can be admired in The Rijksmuseum. The museum
also houses canvases by such great masters as Rembrandt, Vermeer,
Frans Hals and the famous Van Gogh.
|
|
Stedelijk museum:
Originally built in 1890 to house a collection of art given
to the city by Sophia de Bruyn. In 1938 it was turned into
the National Museum of Modern Art and has exhibits by such
masters as Picasso, Mondriaan, Cezanne, Monet and Matisse.
Exhibits are also displayed of new art including sculptures,
paintings, prints, drawings, video, photography, etc.
Link:
Stedelijk Museum
|
|
Van Gogh Museum:
A permanent collection of 200 paintings, 500 drawings and
some 850 letters from Vincent to his brother Theo are housed
in this modern building opened in 1973. An extensive addition
to the museum was opened in 1999. Other exhibits are shown
as well, usually dealing with his contemporaries' artwork.
Link:
Van Gogh Museum
|
|
Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace):
Originally built as the City Hall, Louis Napoleon turned
it into the Royal Palace during his short-lived reign over
the Netherlands. Today it is rarely used by the Dutch royal
family for ceremonial occasions only. The sculptures and artwork
inside are worth seeing.
|
|
Nieuwe Kerk:
On the Dam Square next to the Royal Palace. Noted for it's
Great Organ (1645), gilded cherubs, stained glass and incredible
carved wooden pulpit. Construction began in the 14th century,
and was completed in the 1650's. Often used for special exhibits.
Link:
Nieuwe Kerk
|
|
The Anne Frank House:
"If you climb the stairs and open the door at the top, you
will be amazed that such a large space could be found in such
an old canal house." That is how Anne Frank described the
house where she, together with her family and four others
hid. Her diary became world famous, the house is now opened
for visitors as a museum.
Link:
Anne Frank Huis
on the web
|
|
Jewish Historic Museum:
The Jewish community plays an important role in the history
of Amsterdam. The museum is located in the restored High German
Synagogue complex. It shows elements significant in Jewish
identity, such as Religion, Holocaust and survival and Personal
History.
Link:
Jewish Historic
Museum
|
|
Maritime Museum:
At a five minutes walk from the hotel, you can see exactly
what maritime life was like in the 18th century, when you
step on board a full-size replica of the Dutch East India
Company ship, the "Amsterdam". The maritime museum also houses
splendid authentic ship models, charts, navigation instruments,
flags, weapons and paintings.
|
|
Tuschinski Theater:
Built in 1921 by Abram Icek Tuschinski as a work of love,
he supervised every square inch of the details in this Art
Deco masterpiece. A wonderful place to see a movie (usually
in English with Dutch subtitles).
|
|
Tip:
If you're planning on visiting a number of museums, you should
consider getting a Museum Jaarkaart, or annual pass.
The card will get you in free, or at a greatly reduced rate
into most of the museums in the Netherlands.
Link:
Museum Jaarkaart
|
Queensday
The 30th of April is the birthday of the Queen-mother, Juliana, and has been a public holiday since 1948 when she became queen of the Netherlands.
When she abdicated in 1980, in favour of her daughter Beatrix, the latter decided that Queensday would still be celebrated on the 30th of April and her own birthday was to be a family party only.
Good thinking, because the 31st of January is usually much too cold for a street party.
Traditionally, Queensday has been regarded as a "freemarket" day, meaning that it was allowed for everyone to set yourself up as a market salesman or woman, and sell watever you had to sell. A homemade fleamarket so to speak. Since commerce increasingly took over in the last few years ('real' businesses setting up big stands and spoiling the spontaneous atmosphere), the rules heve been tightened somewhat by the Mayor of the city, Schelto Patijn
As a result of this, it is technically not allowed to do "serious" business on this day and in some places, for example the Vondelpark, only children are allowed to display their entrepeneurian, musical, inventive or whatever talents, or lack thereof.
From as far as a week before Q-Day you will see mysterious squares and X's appear on streets and bridges. These are people's favourite spots, 'occupied' beforehand. In the past people would be on their spot from about midnight (and sometimes even earlier) but the new regulations put a stop to that as well and no one is allowed to do anything until 8 in the morning.
Of course we are all law abiding citizens here, so it can happen that a boat with a rubber trumpet band on board comes sailing past at 4 in the morning. Or you run into a big party that just happens to be there...
The day itself usually starts slowly. As it's the early bird that catches the worm, it could be worth your while to start browsing the stalls before breakfast starts. Plenty of goodies for sale at ridiculous prices, and the chance of your life to find things you've been looking for for years and that one special whatchamacallit you never even knew you wanted.
If you watch carefully, you can tell people who are just there for the fun of it from the fanatics wanting to make a hard sell, and maybe get an even bigger discount after a friendly chat.
The Canals
Amsterdam and water are intimately linked, as they have been
for centuries. It was precisely because of all that water
from the river Amstel and IJ and the Zuiderzee that the first
inhabitants settled here early in the thirteenth century.
Water was also the main reason of Amsterdam's wealth in the
17th century, when it became the most powerful trading city
in the world. The canals in the centre, with their beautiful
merchant's houses from the Golden Age, are what made Amsterdam
really famous. The richly ornamented gables from this period
are still to be admired. The finest facades and all the bridges
over the canals are illuminated at night.
 Amsterdam's
canals offer a lively spectacle the whole year round, thanks
to the countless boats that tour around the whole day and
most of the night. But also the hundreds of houseboats and
barges, often beautifully painted, contribute to a beautiful
sight. As a visitor, you can witness exciting events on the
water, from canal concerts to dragon boat races ands rowing
regattas.
Thanks to this all, Amsterdammers do live the year round
with their favourite element: water.
Canal trips
 Canal
trip start from Damrak by Central Station, and Rokin by the
Spui. It's worth taking one of the canal boat tours to see
Amsterdam from the water. They last about 90 minutes, and
take you around the city and through the harbour. If you're
feeling energetic, you can hire a Canal Bike from one of the
several points through the city (Westerkerk, Leidseplein,
Leidsestraat, Rijksmuseum), and choose your own route. There
are also electric boats to hire at the Nieuwmarkt on the Kloveniersburgwal,
at the corner of Leidsestraat and Prinsengracht, and at the
other end of the Kloveniersburgwal near the Munt tower.
|
Red Light District
Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands since Napolean made it so in 1815 and in 1996 the Dutch government started to tax it.
According to statistics there are now more than 25000 prostitutes in the Netherlands and over half of these are said to be illegal immigrants.
Like many cities in the world there are a large number of brothels in Amsterdam but unlike
other cities there are a large number of red lit windows in the Red Light District where prostitutes sell sex in their day-glo bikinis. These windows offer protection systems for the girls and there is also a prostitutes union (the red thread).
A trip to Amsterdam would not be complete without seeing the brightly lit windows of the red light district. A real experience for anyone.
Casa Rosso
Amsterdam's most famous and certainly largest night club, in the middle of the Red Light district. A clean and comfortable erotic theater which almost manages to create a family atmosphere; a must see for every tourist. Live shows every night, with audience participation.
De Bananenbar
The owners of the Casa Rosso bring you another famous institution, De Bananenbar. Active audience participation is encouraged as bananas are transformed into erotic devices by the hostesses. Popular with tourists and stag parties. There's a semi-negotiable cover charge, but once you're in the drinks are on the house.
Absolute Danny
You won't have any trouble finding a sex shop in this area, but Danny's deserves a special mention. One of the first shops run entirely by a woman, the atmospere here is distinctly different from your basic shop. The orientation is towards fetish clothing, with a large variety of clothes, corsets and lingerie in rubber, pvc, see-through and leather.
Accessories abound, such as jewelry, books, video’s, erotic art and of course the traditional sex articles like the one and only Tarzan vibrator. According to the Dutch Playboy magazine this is one of the classiest erotic and fetish establishments in Holland, and it's definitely worth a try.
Moulin Rouge
Erotic theater, in the tradition of its famous Paris counterpart; striptease and live shows.
Shopping
|
 The
Grand is situated just around the corner from the principal
shopping streets.
and Monday mornings. Normal shopping hours are 09:00 or
10:00 to 18:00 (17:00 on Saturday) although some are now beginning
to stay open later in the evenings and about half of the shops
on the main shopping streets are even open on Sundays. There
is late-night shopping on Thursdays until 21:00, when most
shops on the main streets are open.
The main shopping areas are the Leidsestraat between the
Leidseplein and Spui, and the Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk,
leading from the Munt Tower via the Dam to near the Central
Station. There are large stores near the Munt Tower (V&D and
Hema), and at the Dam (Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza). There is
a large supermarket behind the Palace at the Dam, open until
22:00, even Sundays.
The Jordaan and the streets around it contain many small
interesting individual shops. The PC Hooftstraat and district,
near the museums, contains many of the more chic shops.
There is an interesting daily clothes and second-hand market
around the City Hall and Opera (trams 9, 14, 51 to Waterlooplein);
there is a busy cosmopolitan food and clothes market in the
Albert Cuypstraat (trams 4, 6, 10 and 16). The flower market
on the Singel (between the top of the Leidsestraat and the
Munt Tower) is not to be missed (trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11,
14, 16, 24, 25).
Buying food in supermarkets is straightforward, with one
exception: buy the milk in blue cartons. The red cartons are
buttermilk (karnemelk), which is probably not what you want.
Tax-free shopping
In Holland, Value Added Tax (VAT) is included in the sales
price listed. With the Europe Tax-free Shopping system you
can save up to 13.5% on shopping. If you are resident, regardless
nationality, of a non-European Union country, you are entitled
to a VAT (Value Added Tax) refund. You have to spend at least
137 euro in one shop in one day and export the goods within
3 months after the month of purchase.
|
Tourist Offices
in Amsterdam:
Netherlands
Board of Tourism
Postbus 458
2260 MG Leidschendam
Phone: +31 (0)70 3705705
Fax: +31 (0)70 3201654
E-mail:
info@nbt.nl
For VVV, read
Amsterdam Tourist Board. Though national tourist offices have maintained
their old name, the visitor information service in Amsterdam is
now known as the Amsterdam Tourist Board There are three offices
in Amsterdam, and staff in all three speak English. The main office
of the Amsterdam Tourist Board is right outside Centraal Station.
English-speaking staff can change money and provide details on transport,
entertainment, exhibitions, and day-trips in the Netherlands. They
also excursions and car hire for free. There is a good range of
brochures for sale detailing walks and cycling tours, as well as
cassette tours and maps. The premium-rate information line features
an English-language service.
Amsterdam
Tourist Board (Not open to the public)
De Ruyterkade 5
1013 AA Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 900 400 40 40
VVV Amsterdam
kantoor Centraal Station
Stationsplein 15 spoor2
1012 AB Amsterdam
Phone: 0900 400 40 40
VVV Amsterdam
kantoor Leidseplein
Leidseplein hoek Leidsestraat 1
1017 PR Amsterdam
Phone: 0900 400 40 40
VVV Amsterdam
kantoor Stadionplein
Argonautenstraat 98
1076 KV Amsterdam
Phone: 0900 400 40 40
VVV Amsterdam
kantoor Stationsplein
Stationsplein 10
1012 AB Amsterdam
Phone: 0900 400 40 40
VVV Schiphol/Holland
Tourist Information - Schiphol Airport
Aankomstpassage Schiphol Plaza 40 Schiphol
1118 AX Schiphol Amsterdam
|
