Holland Netherlands Nederland

Amsterdam got its name from the river Amstel. The Amstel goes through the city from south to north, and flows into the North Sea. The city has received numerous canals and dikes, so that it is not overwhelmed by the Amstel. They run into each other at half-lying circles and provide an interesting look to the city. In the channel are running ferries, in addition to the bicycles, wich count to the usual means of transport in Amsterdam. Other means of transport are Metro, highways, railways to all provinces and the huge Luchthaven Schiphol international airport. Almost the entire city was fortified with piles because of the boggy ground. Many live in floating houses and boats. Although there are countless number of historic buildings, houses, villas on the shores and beautiful old quarters in Amsterdam, there are also some high-rise buildings such as the Rembrandttoren. They are the longest in Amsterdam.

According to the data of 2007, the centre of the capital has ca. 750,000 inhabitants. Approximately 40% of the population of the Netherlands live in the big Randstad conurbation, which also includes Amsterdam. Although officially Amsterdam is the capital, the seat of government is located in Den Haag. The climate in Amsterdam is similar with Germany, only here it rains a little more.

There are many different cultures in Amsterdam. It is similar on cultural institutions. The Paradiso, for example, is the main stage for pop music in the country. Furthermore, there are theatre and concert hall for chamber music, jazz, opera, ballet and classical music. Also, the Madame Tussauds (Waxworks) has a building here. Different markets, countless bridges, cafes and parks and the zoo are worth seeing in Amsterdam.

The Anne Frank House: Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who is known with her diary. She fled with her family during the times of World War II from Germany to Amsterdam. They hid for a long time, but could not miss the Nazi genocide.

Near the Anne Frank House is the Westerkerk church from the early 17th Century. The Van Gogh museum is located in the Potterstraat and has numerous works of the artist. Furthermore, Amsterdam has also other museums with different themes: the theater, shipping, modern art, history of the city, Bible, science, photography, etc.

The most famous person of this city is without a doubt the painter Rembrandt. His home has been converted into a museum and is located in the Jodenbreestraat of Amsterdam. In addition, among other things, his work is exhibited in the Rijksmuseum. The National Museum has many beautiful paintings, sculptures and ceramics from the 16th till the19th Century in the Netherlands.
Other celebrities include: the philosopher Spinoza and the world-famous football players Bergkamp, Cruyff and Gullit.