Amsterdam attractions

Amsterdam is an amazing city that spans centuries of history and culture and yet has both feet firmly planted in the 21st century. Settled in the 12th century as a small fishing village, Amsterdam developed into one of the commercial centers of the world and in the 17th century was the wealthiest city in the world. Today Amsterdam is the cultural and financial center of Holland with many Dutch institutions having their headquarters in the city. The city also boasts many hotels and in fact Amsterdam hotels are amongst the finest in Holland. Amsterdam hotels also include a large number of good, clean and comfortable budget hotels and a number of hotels for the backpacker. In fact, whatever type of hotel you're looking for, you'll find it in this wonderful city.

As befitting the place where the concept of stocks and shares was invented in the 17th century, Amsterdam sports the oldest stock exchange in the world and is world renowned, for its network of historic canals, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Hermitage Amsterdam, Anna Frank House, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere and multi-cultural night life.

Things to do

There are always things going on in Amsterdam, so be sure to find out from your Amsterdam hotels staff what's new. The people working at Amsterdam hotels are known for the friendliness and will do everything they can, when you stay at hotels in Amsterdam, to make your stay in their city as enjoyable as possible. They will also give you valuable info about travel in Amsterdam. But, just to get you started, here are a few things that you can see and do.

Museums

Amsterdam has a number of excellent museums, in fact, over 50! So if you're a museum fan – then you've come to the right place.

• The Rijksmusuem is the national museum of Holland and you will find there a superb collection of paintings by the Dutch Masters.
• The Historical Museum. If you want to find out about Amsterdam's rich and colorful past, this is the place to visit.
• The Anna Frank House – a sad reminder of the atrocities committed during the Second World War.
This is the house where Anna Frank hid, with her family, from the Nazi occupiers of Holland before being caught and murdered in a Death Camp.
• The Van Gogh Museum is a must. Here you will see some of the most famous paintings by controversial artist. A very definite must on your itinerary!

Squares

Amsterdam is a city of squares, each with its own character. It's a good idea, if the weather is fine, to take a walk through some of the squares, look at the architecture, browse through the shops, enjoy a cup of coffee and just chill out! The most well known square is Dam Square, Amsterdam's central square from where you can easily get a tram or a taxi to all parts of the city. Some of the best Amsterdam hotels are located near the square so you are really close to the center of things.

Canals

Amsterdam is crossed by four central canals and a boat ride is obligatory. Your Amsterdam hotels front desk can give you all the information you need about the different trips available, where they depart from, times and their itinerary. There's a lot more to tell you about Amsterdam, but we've run out of space. Remember the people at your Amsterdam hotels front desk. They are there to help you – take advantage of them!