DK Travel : Amsterdam : History & Culture

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Albert Cuypmarkt

Shabby but vibrant, De Pijp is a district where a wide mix of immigrants, artists, students and young couples create a heady atmosphere. Albert Cuypmarkt, which has been trading since 1904, is its bustling hub. The street it occupies, once a canal, was named after Dutch landscape painter Albert Cuyp. With around 350 stalls, backed by all manner of shops and ethnic restaurants, it’s an unmissable experience. Typically Dutch food stalls – cheese, fish, waffles – jostle merrily with clothes, fabrics, shoes and bags, all selling at rock-bottom prices.
Allard Pierson Museum

Located in a stately Neo-Classical house built in the 1860s as a bank, this delightful small museum was named after the University of Amsterdam’s first Professor of Classical Archaeology, and contains its archaeological collection. Fascinating exhibits conjure up vivid pictures of life in ancient civilizations; they include Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi, Coptic clothes, Cypriot jewellery, Greek geometric and red-figured pottery, Etruscan metalwork and Roman glassware and statuary. One of the museum’s attractions is its size: even with an extra wing opened in 1994, it is possible to see everything in one visit.
American Hotel

Leidseplein’s most famous landmark is this one-off Dutch interpretation of Art Nouveau by Willem Kromhout (1902), which foretold the Amsterdam School of architecture. Only the exterior is of interest: the interior is as bland as any other chain hotel (in this case, Crowne Plaza). The exception is the hotel’s famous Café Americain, with its stainedglass windows and glass parasol lampshades. The literati who once inhabited it may have disappeared, but it’s a welcome haven from the rigours of Leidseplein.
Amstel River

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a walk along the banks of the Amstel, the river whose mouth spawned a fishing settlement in the 12th century (see c. 1125: First Settlers). In 1222 the river was dammed, and Amsterdam turned from fishing to trade – the beginning of its expansion. Commercial barges still ply the river, passing Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge), inspired by thebelle époque Pont Alexandre III in Paris, the much-loved Magere Brug, and the Amstelsluizen (sluice gates), which help to pump millions of gallons of fresh water into the canals to keep them from stagnating.
Amstelpark

This welcome green space to the south of the city has a rose garden, a maze and an art gallery for adults, as well as pony rides, farm animals and a miniature steam train for children. Best of all, at the southernmost tip of the park, is the well-preserved De Rieker windmill. Built in 1636, it was a favourite of Rembrandt, whose statue stands nearby. Now a private home.
Amsterdams Historisch Museum

An excellent place to start a visit to Amsterdam, this museum chronicles how a tiny fishing village on the Amstel river grew into one of the wealthiest and most beautiful cities in the world (see Amsterdams Historisch Museum).
Amsterdamse Bos

Just a short bus, oldfashioned tramor bike ride away, this attractive woodland park makes a wonderful contrast to the city. Laid out on reclaimed land in the 1930s with the dual purpose of creating jobs for the unemployed and providing more recreation space, the park has woods and meadows, lakes and nature reserves. There is plenty to do: hire bicycles, go boating, eat pancakes, visit the bison and the goats and the Bos Museum, which describes the park and how it was built.
Anne Frank

Teenage victim (1929–44) of the Holocaust. Her eloquent diary has sold in its millions.
Anne Frank Huis

Recently enlarged, this thought-provoking museum encompasses theachterhuis , secret hideout of Anne Frank and her family, as well as background information on the plight of Amsterdam’s Jews and racial oppression.
Anne Frankhuis

The plight of Jews like the Franks, forced into hiding by the Nazis, was brought to light by Anne’s poignant diary; the house where they hid for 25 months is now a museum (see Anne Frankhuis).