Places to Explore

• Canal Rings

  Amsterdam has 165 canals, stretching for 75 km around the city with 1,500 bridges crossing them. The first were developed for defense and then transport, but in the 17th century came an original piece of... (more)

• East of the Amstel

  Compared with many parts of the city, there's a gracious and spacious feel to the Plantage with wide boulevards, parks, and elegant 19th-century architecture similar to the Museum District. It's a nice... (more)

• Jordaan and Leidseplein

  The sock-shaped district to the west of the Canal belt is the Jordaan—pronounced Yore-dahn, the city's most singular neighborhood. Directly below it, marking the midpoint of the Grachtengordel is... (more)

• Museum District

  The Museumplein, which is the heart of the Museum District in the Old South district of the city, offers a solid square mile of Western culture—from the state art collections and Golden Age treasures... (more)

• Old City Center

  Variety really is the spice of life when you're visiting Amsterdam. This city has enjoyed a rich and turbulent history, and so much of it can be seen in the old center where history, sex, education, and... (more)

• The Pijp

  Named for its dirty narrow streets and even narrower houses, De Pijp (The Pipe) began at the end of the 19th century as a low-income neighborhood for workers with cheaply built housing to match. Today... (more)

• Waterfront

  Amsterdam was built on water—it's the source of the city's wealth and cultural history (although Rotterdam has long surpassed it as the world's busiest port). Before Centraal Station was built, the... (more)