Amsterdam is a beautiful city in the Netherlands with impressive architecture, lovely canals that criss-cross the city, great shopping, and friendly people. There is something for every traveller's taste here, whether you prefer culture and history, serious partying, or just the relaxing charm of an old European city.

Orientation
The 'Amsterdam' that most people know is the city centre, the semicircle with Central Station at its centre. It corresponds to the old city, as it was around 1850: its boundary is the Singelgracht canal, the old city moat. Three other major canals ring the old city; the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht, and the Prinsengracht, the latter of which runs alongside the roads Nassaukade, Stadhouderskade, and Mauritskade. These form the outer ring road around the old city canal system. Almost everything outside this line was built after 1870. The semicircle is on the south side of the IJ, which is called a river, but is more exactly an estuary. Going east from central station, the railway passes the artificial islands of the redeveloped Eastern Docklands. North of the IJ is mainly housing, although a major dockland redevelopment has started there too.

The river Amstel flows into the city from the south. Originally, it flowed along the line Rokin-Damrak. The dam in the Amstel, which gives the city its name, was located under the present Bijenkorf department store. The original settlement was on the right bank of the Amstel, on the present Warmoesstraat: it is therefore the oldest street in the city. The city has expanded in all directions, except to the north of the ring motorway. The region there, Waterland, is a heavily protected rural landscape.
The radius of the semicircle is 2 km. All major tourist destinations, and most hotels, are located inside it or just outside it. As a result, much of Amsterdam is never visited by tourists: at least 90% of the population lives outside this area. Most economic activity in Amsterdam -- the offices of the service sector, and the port -- is located on or outside the ring motorway, which is four to five kilometers from the centre.

Attitudes
Quite a few travellers visit Amsterdam to enjoy its famously tolerant attitude. Prostitution is fully legalized and licensed, and the sale, possession, and consumption of small quantities of cannabis, while illegal, is ignored by authorities under a policy of gedogen (tolerance). Unfortunately, some travellers take this to mean that one can pretty much get away with anything in Amsterdam, much to the detriment of the locals and fellow tourists. The city has made great strides, especially in the last few years, in preventing such abuses while maintaining its easy-going atmosphere.
Note the important distinction between the expressions "Coffee Shop" and "Café". The former is a place where there is a pot menu, and sometimes drinks. The latter is a place to have a coffee or a glass of wine or beer. Coffee shops generally do not sell alcoholic beverages. Cafés do, but they do not allow the use of drugs, even marijuana and hashish.

When to come in Amsterdam
The best time of year to visit Amsterdam is surely springtime. April is best, since all the tulips will be in bloom. A daytrip to the Keukenhof and its surroundings in the west of the country is easy to do and a great way of seeing some more of the country. Every year on April 30 the Dutch celebrate Queensday (Koninginnedag), the birthday of the reigning monarch. The current Queen Beatrix chose to continue the festivities on April 30, in honor of her mother, Queen Juliana. The color of Queensday is orange, symbolizing national and royal pride, stemming from the royal family name - The Family Nassau, House of Orange. On Queensday, the streets are filled with orange-clad revellers and locals selling items cleaned out from their homes, flea market style, taking advantage of the VAT tax holiday that the Queen gives the people for the one day (which actually just applies to the flea market).

What to see in Amsterdam