The capital of The Netherlands counts a population of about 800,000 people, so you can talk about a big village here. Amsterdam is mostly known for its canals and the unique architecture of the canal houses, the coffee shops, the Red Light District.
Tourists who have visited Amsterdam will probably add something to that list: thousands of bikes and their owners who cycle across the city like madmen, ringing at tourists who have no idea that they should not walk on the bike paths.
Typical for most metropolises, Amsterdam is also a city that is always under construction. The city has invested a lot in upgrading its neighborhoods and today the results become more and more positively visible. So when you visit Amsterdam, don't go for the 'centre' only, but also to areas like De Pijp (Oud-Zuid), Westerpark, Jordaan, Oud-West, Noord etc. Areas that all add their own unique flavor to the multicultural city and offer great restaurants, bars, markets, parks, boutiques, movie theatres, clubs, museums and other hangouts - Text: Kirstin Hanssen