AmsterdamLively, lascivious
Amsterdam has a unique atmosphere that belies the caricature of the dour Dutch.
Radiating out from the Dam Square, the historic center of the city is ringed by quaint canals and cobbled streets, thronged with bicycles, tourists, houseboats, students, and street performers. The city wears two faces: on one it smiles and beckons hedonistic youth with its notorious Red Light District and liberal view of marijuana use, while on the other it offers some of
Europe's finest museums and art galleries.
For the tourist the joy of Amsterdam is its compactness.
The old part of town is a pleasure to explore on foot, strolling across ancient bridges and down narrow lanes past gabled houses, dropping in to browse in inviting souvenir boutiques crammed with blue and white Delft china and wooden clogs. Pavement cafes and cosy bars offer rest and refreshment. An alternative is to take a circular canal-boat cruise and see the city from the water, peering in on the lives of the locals who live on houseboats lining the waterways.
At night even the most conservative visitor is drawn by the lively atmosphere of the infamous Red Light District, known as De Wallen, which is bounded by the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudeziujds Achterburgwal canals near the Dam Square. Here prostitutes display their charms in brightly lit shop windows and touts encourage passers-by to view raunchy floorshows. The best nightclubs, bars, and the theaters and cinemas are mainly to be found in the bustling Leidesplein and Rembrandtplein.
Getting Around: The central area of Amsterdam is fairly compact and easy to get around on foot. When going further a field, there is a good, inexpensive network of trams, buses and metro lines that all converge at Centraal Station, as well as canal boats and a free ferry service across the IJ Canal. The GVB public transport office at Centraal Station has route maps and a guide to the ticketing system, which is based on zones with the same ticket valid on buses, metros and trams. The I Amsterdam Card offers unlimited transport on buses, trams and metro for up to three days including massive discounts on museums, canal cruises and other attractions. A one day pass costs EUR33 and a three day pass costs EUR53. Another type of travel pass is the Strippenkart; a strip gets stamped every time one boards and remains valid for unlimited transfers within an hour (eight-strip day card: EUR6.40; 15-strip card: EUR6.90; 45-strip card: EUR20.40). After midnight there are night buses that run from Centraal Station to most parts of the city. Taxis are among the most expensive in Europe and renting a car or driving one's own to Amsterdam is not recommended; it is better to park it outside the city and use public transport to get into the center and around. An ideal way to get around is the Dutch way - by bicycle. There are several rental agencies around town (about EUR7 daily or EUR30 weekly), but be aware that theft is common and make sure that both the frame and a wheel is locked to something fixed and solid.
Nightlife: Famed for its nightlife, Amsterdam offers visitors something quite unique when the sun goes down. A mixture of all sorts of entertainment, Amsterdam is sure to have something for everyone from the coffee bars and clubs to the pubs, drugs and women - the priority of which is up to the individual.Amsterdam's nightlife wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for the infamous Red Light District, which serves up its own unique brand of entertainment along the bustling canal-lined streets.The mainstream nightlife centers round Leidseplein, where you can find all the most popular bars, restaurants and clubs which, although not as big flashy as their rivals in
London and
New York, are still the perfect place to showcase your dance moves. And since Leidseplein never really closes, revelers can literally dance the night away. The weekend starts on Thursday night so make sure you get enough sleep in preparation for a big weekend. The trendier clubs usually impose a strict dress code and open at 10pm and close by law at 4am during the week, while on weekends, clubs close at 5am. Live music is very popular in Amsterdam and jazz is a favorite with the locals as many of the world's great jazz legends have settled here. The city offers some fun jazz clubs such as
Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Club on Leidsekruisstraat.Heading away from Leidseplein down Reguliersdwarsstraat, which has some good cafes and clubs, including a few gay ones, Rembrandtplein really comes alive at night with bright light and trendy, sophisticated places to while away the evening. Or for a more relaxed option, take a romantic stroll along the canals, which are lit up at night and watch the city go by.
Climate: Amsterdam has a mild, damp climate but the weather can be variable with temperature extremes even in summer. Spring and autumn especially bring changeable, unsettled weather. In the winter months clear, frosty days are the norm, the coldest months being December to March. Rain is likely all year round.
GroningenThe largest urban center in the northern
Netherlands,
Groningen is an ancient city with a young heart, thanks to its large student population. Old and new blend well in this city, which dates from the third century, but had to be largely reconstructed after bombing in World War II. Its status as a major Dutch educational center has imbued Groningen with a vibrant arts scene, lively nightlife and a wealth of fascinating museums covering various topics from science to comics, and even tobacco.
Through the center of town runs the Herestraat, a wide pedestrianized avenue packed with big name stores. Radiating out from the main street are narrow roads lined with small shops selling local goods and crafts, interspersed with bars, cafes and restaurants.
The city's landmark building is the Martini Tower, adjoining a church on the main square (the Grote Markt), which can be climbed to afford a spectacular view across the city, but its most notable building is the city theater (the Stadsschouwburg), a pink Renaissance concoction with a unique ornate interior, worth seeing as much as the productions which take place on its stage.
Art pervades the city, even in the train station with its magnificent stained glass windows, but not to be missed for art lovers is the renowned
Groningen Museum opposite the station, which houses a permanent collection of 17th-century works (including Rubens'
Adoration of the Magi), Hague school paintings, ceramics, as well as works by Groningen's expressionist De Ploeg group.
With plenty to do and see, and easily accessible by air or train, Groningen has become a firm favorite with visitors seeking to stray beyond the traditional Dutch tourist destinations.
