It hosts over three and a half million tourists every year.
Amsterdam's history dates back to the thirteenth century when it was founded as a fishing village. It was developed around a dam in the Amstel River.
Amsterdam developed rapidly in the 14th and 15th century, but the period of 1585 to 1672 was known as the Golden Age. The 18th century was an era of gold and silver and the city prospered during that time. The period of the early 19th century saw a terrible recession in the area, but from 1813, economic recovery began. It is important to understand this history in order to appreciate the buildings that one sees in Amsterdam today.
There are many interesting sights to see in Amsterdam from the dam, to the canals, to the churches, but the city is most famous for its museums. It houses over fifty museums, with famous ones such as Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum. It is also worthwhile to specifically visit the Oude Kerk, which is an old church with little houses that cling to its sides. Its octagonal bell tower is built in a Gothic-Renaissance style. Dam square is a fascinating area to visit. Here you will find the dam that lies at the center of the city, as well as the Royal Palace which was originally used as the town hall.
Make sure to follow the narrow vaulted passageway that leads to Begijnhof, the quaint garden that is surrounded by old houses. Here you will also find a medieval church and the oldest house in Amsterdam (at number 34). You can take a boat cruise or canal tour along the beautiful canals of the city. This will also give you a view of the famous bridges of Amsterdam.
Due to the high volume of tourist traffic through the city each year, Amsterdam has a large variety of holiday accommodation options available. Visitors can choose to stay in a hotel. These range from luxury styled hotels to smaller boutique type hotels. They can be found by impressive landmarks or overlooking one of the canals. Self-catering holiday apartment rentals are also available throughout the city. You can find apartments that are small single-room apartments or large luxury apartments on the banks of the canals.
Some bed and breakfasts are known as holiday apartments as they do not actually serve breakfast. They are often run by private landlords and they are becoming more popular throughout the city. If you are traveling on a tight budget or are backpacking, a youth hostel may be the right choice for you. Hostels are generally located in the center of the city. If you are traveling to Amsterdam during the summer months, you may be able to stay in one of the campgrounds that open at that time of year. Some campgrounds offer bungalows in case of bad weather. The campgrounds are outside the city, but generally they are in biking distance from town.
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