All of what I'm about to say in this introduction
can be summarized in one sentence: Amsterdam is what you make of it.
And one thing is sure, whatever your choose to do in Amsterdam, be
sure to take plenty of energy and enthusiasm with you. The city offers
so many things to do, that it takes far longer than a few days to
explore it. Another thing that I believe is true is that this is not
a place to visit if you don't have an open mind. Because that's what
Amsterdam is about, tolerance and open mindness. As a frequent flyer
on KLM I go to Amsterdam at least twice a year and even if my stops
are short, I still get to enjoy the city quite often. Every time I
tell my friends in US that I'm going to Amsterdam, the answer
seems to be invariable the same "Are you planning to get high?" It
seems that for most visitors the attraction of the city revolves around
its drug and sex activities. But there's a lot more to Amsterdam than
these trades. As I said you can make your stay in Amsterdam whatever
you want it to be. It can be as fun, as hippy or as sleazy as you
want to make it. All is available for you and that's why I like
Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is an amazingly beautiful city, which has the advantage of
being very compact and therefore easy to explore on foot. The city
is a maze of canals with several drawbridges spanning the canals,
many dating from the 17th century. The buildings lining these canals
only add to the charm, and most of them were also built in the
17th century, during Amsterdam's "Golden Years", when trade was
flourishing. My advice for anyone traveling to Amsterdam is to
spend as many hours as possible walking around the city, just
taking it all in. Amsterdam is one of those great places where you
can wander for hours and just lose yourself in the endless maze of
small streets. Also, I am simply amazed at the variety of museums
to visit in Amsterdam. During my visits to the city, I have only
visited a small part of the places that I would love to see,
places such as the Van Gogh Museum, the Ann Frank House, the
Rembrandt House, and the Rijksmuseum which are not to be missed.
We also enjoyed the wealth of cafes, bars and restaurants all of
which contribute to the city's laid-back ambience. Like almost
everywhere in Europe it always makes me smile in a slightly
envious way that you can sit almost anywhere, day or night, and
enjoy an espresso or a cold beer whilst watching the world go by.
It's hard to find that here where I live - in the USA - , where you
won't find people sitting and drinking coffe for more than 20
minutes.
Amsterdam is a tourist friendly city, very easy for English
speakers since almost everyone here speaks a really good English.
In conclusion, it doesn't matter how long you have, you will
have something unexplored for your next visit.
