A brief history of the city

Around the year 1275 a dam was built by fishermen at the Amstelriver, just before the Amstelriver entered the IJ-river. This dam was called the Aemstelledamme (Dam on the Amstel). In the year 1300 Aemstelledamme became cityrights from Floris V. During the years the name was transferred into Amsterdam. more

How to get there

Amsterdam: Capital of Cannabis... You have heard all about it, but where the hell is it actually and how do you get there? more

Map of the city

It is very easy to get lost in the historic center of Amsterdam. And in many cases that's no problem at all, you will enjoy yourself. But sometimes it may be handy to study the map. Small alleys, canals, there are lots of them. more

Drugpolicy

Millions of tourists visit Amsterdam each year. One of the main reasons is because of the attitude the Dutch have towards the possession and consumption of cannabis. The Netherlands, and specifically Amsterdam, is known for its liberal and progressive Drugpolicy. We will try to explain. more

Prostitution policy

Prostitution has long been tolerated in The Netherlands with the reasoning that the world's 'oldest profession' has proven impossible to ban by the government. Prostitution has been made legal in the Netherlands since January 1988, when it was defined as a legal profession. The Red Light District in Amsterdam is a well-known result from this Dutch point of view. more

Transportation

Amsterdam is relatively a very small city. When it comes to distances Amsterdam is no London, New York or Tokyo. The possibilities of transportation in Amsterdam are diverse and all are very suitable to get across the city in a quick and/or comfortable way. more

Practical things

Some practical things which might be handy to know when you're planning for a stay in Amsterdam. Learn about the currency, the voltage, liquor laws, opening hours and more. more

Statistics

Amsterdam: How many people live there? And how many coffeeshops are there? And what about that huge amount of museums? All the statistics of the city of Amsterdam. more