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Time Zone
GMT + 1 (GMT from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Currency
Euro (€) = 100 cents.
Language
Dutch.Sightseeing
Popular sights include: the Rijksmuseum (State Museum), which exhibits Dutch paintings from the 16th-19th centuries, including The Nightwatch by Rembrandt; Anne Frank’s House, home of the young diarist and her family when they hid from German occupation during World War II; the Van Gogh Museum; Museum Het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House Museum); Heineken Browerij (Heineken Brewery), where the Dutch national beer is brewed. The brewery, which was in operation from 1932-1988, is now a museum, with guided tours every morning. Other interesting places include the Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace); the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church); the Martelwerktuigenmuseum (the Torture Museum); the Munt Tower, which looms over the floating flower market on the Singel canal; the open-air market at Waterlooplein; the Begijnhof (14th-century almshouses around a quiet courtyard); Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Historical Museum) and Schuttersgallerij (Civic Guards Gallery), which has interesting exhibits testifying to Amsterdam’s history and customs; book shops in the Oudemanhuispoort; and the Sexmuseum Venustempel, Europe’s only sex museum.
Shopping
Special purchases include Delft (between The Hague and Rotterdam) blue pottery and pottery from Makkum and Workum, costume dolls, silverware from Schoonhoven, glass and crystal from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam.
Eating Out
Amsterdam has a wide range of restaurants specialising in their own brands of international dishes, including Chinese, Italian, French, Balkan, Spanish, German, American and British. Indonesian cuisine, a result of the Dutch colonisation of the East Indies, with its use of spices and exotic ingredients, is particularly delicious. The most common daytime snack are broodjes (sandwiches), which are served in the ubiquitous sandwich bars – broodjeswinkels. Filled pancakes are also popular. Lightly salted ‘green’ herring can be bought from street stalls. Popular evening dishes include groentensoep (clear consommé with vegetables, vermicelli and meatballs), hutspot (potatoes, carrots and onions) or klapstuk (an accompaniment of stewed lean beef). The most popular brand of beer in Amsterdam is Amstel. Dutch liqueurs are excellent and include Curaçao and Triple Sec (similar to Cointreau).
Location
Europe and Mediterranean, Netherlands
Region
Netherlands
