5 Wonders of Amsterdam

The Netherlands are a place of wonder, defined by… liberalism (or libertinism? – maybe both). But it’s also a place of great old history and high culture, so contrasts define it, as well as its (official) capital city, since the Netherlands actually have two capitals (but we’ll get to that later). So here are 5 Wonders of Amsterdam, a city that really does deserve a big (red) tick on your travel list.

1. So did you ever wonder about the name of the country… the “netherlands”…? The lands “below”, as in, “below the sea level”. That means that Amsterdam was kind of built on water; so a few centuries ago, the locals realized that it was… well, kind of sinking (just a little bit). Oups! No biggie, though – the Dutch are a resourceful lot, so they figured they’d support their town with some poles. Now, the town sits on 11 million such poles!

2. The Red Lights District needs no introduction. But even if you are not into very naughty endeavours, it might be worth visiting. A word of caution, though: no pictures!

3. A conflicted genius only recognized after his death, Vincent Van Gogh, with his art and life, is celebrated (albeit posthumously) at the Van Gogh Museum. A tad disappointing though, since there are not very many paintings by the Dutch artist, but reminiscing his life is definitely worth your while.

4. There are over 2500 houseboats on the shores of the Amstel river. On a regular cruise, you can see them. You can even rent such lodgings, although a few decades ago, they were only inhabited by the most pauper of the locals.

5. Bicycles crowd the streets of the Dutch capital city. There are over one million of them! Nevertheless, if you feel more comfortable riding on four wheels instead of two, you can rent a car in Amsterdam and enjoy a road tour of a city that never sleeps and never stops moving and laughing!