Amsterdam The Place
Behind Amsterdam's tourist clichés is a cosmopolitan city with a village ambience and a remarkable breadth of culture.
Amsterdam, the city of water and brick, is unique for the way it balances past and present. Perhaps no community has ever had such a glorious explosion of wealth and culture as Amsterdam during the 17th century, the city's Golden Age. While the legacy of that period is pervasive, the city is hardly devoted to worship of the past. Instead, modern Amsterdam, from the titillation of the Red Light District to the vitality of the contemporary arts, from the energy of the entrepreneurs in their small shops to the fast-growing immigrant fringes of the city, offers a range of experiences that are the result of a remarkable human heritage.
Explore the less beaten paths away from Centraal Station and Damrak and discover the side streets adjacent to the canal circles, with their shops and friendly cafés. In strolling around Amsterdam - one of the best walking cities in the world - you are also reminded continually of how the city was built and how it thrives: on hard-headed business acumen and a sense of community that combines several qualities. Foremost among these, paradoxically, is the desire to be left alone and the willingness to leave others alone - that is, unless they need help. For while Amsterdam is, and always has been, a city of people pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps, it is also a city that believes in spreading its wealth. Money and comfort are important, but so is a happy, healthy society.
Amsterdam is a city of character and of characters. It is a freewheeling city - so feel free.
Updated May 2005
Climate
The Netherlands has a temperate climate, typical of northwestern Europe. Extremes of heat and cold are rare, though the relatively long coastline and flat landscape results in frequent strong, chilly winds from the North Sea. Temperatures in the east of the country, away from the sea, are slightly lower in winter and higher in summer.
Amsterdam itself has a mild, maritime climate, similar to that found in eastern England but with a little more rain, and slightly colder in winter. Average winter daytime temperatures are around 5ºC (41ºF), falling to 1ºC (34ºF) at night. When there is a cold spell, however, temperatures can plummet to -10ºC (14ºF) and canals freeze over.
Summers are quite warm: the July afternoon average is 22ºC (72ºF), falling to around 13ºC (55ºF) at night. Occasional heatwaves see temperatures up to 30ºC (86ºF) and beyond.
You can expect rain at any time of year. Spring is generally the driest time and a favourite for tulip enthusiasts. The advantages of a visit in winter are the cut-price hotel prices and package deals, plus the fact that museums and galleries are pleasantly uncrowded.
See also our online city guide to the Netherlands.