The Amsterdam experience

Amsterdam, perched on the plains of the Netherlands, is a beautiful city with a rich cultural heritage and an iconography known the world over. However what perhaps remains its distinctive trademark is the city''s famously progressive approach to drug use and prostitution. This is what brings stag parties and many young visitors to the Dutch capital year after year. However it has so much more to offer tourists, whatever it is you are interested in.

The city is well pictured in the popular imagination as a landscape of beautiful canals. This is indeed the reality, and you too can explore the area by taking a trip along the canals in vessels of all shapes and sizes. With open topped boats all the way to luxury cruisers available for you to jump on board and go and explore the city, you''ll be able to see so much from the unrivalled vantage point they afford.

If you prefer to stay on the concrete and the tarmac, then you won''t miss out either. The city boasts an array of cultural highlights, with fine museums and galleries such as the Rijksmuseum which houses one of the world''s most important collections of paintings from the Dutch masters not to mention quantities of Oriental work and Dutch Golden Age paintings.

A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is undoubtedly an inspiration too, and many flock there frequently to marvel at the bright colours and textures of the tragic painter''s artwork.

Caf? culture plays a big part in the life of the city, and there is a good selection of terrace cafes that can provide those staying in Amsterdam hotels with the chance to take a step back and people watch when the sun shines.

The famous coffeeshops are where it is possible to buy and smoke small amounts of cannabis without falling foul of the law; the official position is that such use is ''decriminalised'' rather than fully legal, meaning that possession and use of the drug is not punishable by law.

The city''s red light district is notorious: certainly taking a walk through the area is an interesting departure. However be sure to take care if you wander through the neighbourhood: it is best explored in a group rather than looking around by yourself.

Walking through the Red Light district is really a unique experience, but one that should be approached sensibly, especially at night, as the area has an unavoidably sleazy element, best to explore as part of a group, rather than alone. It is important to observe the etiquette of the area, and not take photographs of the women working there.

Article Source: http://www.casinoarticlessite.com

Caron Kristan is a freelance travel writer with a fondness for European travel. They recommend Octopus Travel for Amsterdam hotels.

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