The city of Amsterdam is gorgeous! Local attractions include many buildings with centuries of history behind them. The Royal Palace was built in the 1600′s at a time when the Netherlands was one of the most prosperous regions in Europe. The Westerkerk church, completed in the 1630′s, has the highest steeple in the city adorned with an emperor’s crown at the top. The oldest building in Amsterdam is the Oude Kerk (Old Church), located in the Red Light District. The Oude Kerk was consecrated in 1306 with renovations from the 1450′s. Other older buildings include the Noorderkerk, the Petrus and Paulus church, and the Library Ets Haim, the oldest Jewish library in the world. In addition to buildings, Amsterdam hosts one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world as well: the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, founded in 1638.
Because of it’s location and low altitude, water plays an important role in Amsterdam. The city has over sixty miles of canals, most of which were constructed in the 1600′s, primarily to facilitate residential development during a time of heavy immigration. The presence of the canals has given risen to Amsterdam’s nickname, Venice of the North. The water also necessitates the use of windmills to keep the water pumped out. The oldest of these is the Riekermolen, built in 1636. The only windmill open to the public is the Windmill van Sloten, built in 1847.
More modern buildings and attractions abound as well. The Artis Royal Zoo was established in 1837 in the center of Amsterdam. The Scheepvaarthuis (Shipping House) was built in 1913 and is considered a masterpiece of the Amsterdam School of architecture. Amsterdam Central Station, constructed in 1889, is the primary railway station for the city and is built on three islands. All in all, Amsterdam is a city well worth seeing.
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