The City of Amsterdam:

Amsterdam is one of the world's greatest cities and for centuries has been one of the leading centers of culture and art in Europe. From its world-famous museums and historical sights to its scenic network of canals and stone bridges, Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful and compelling cities to visit in Europe.

Amsterdam gracefully and elegantly combines Old World charm with a vibrant and fast paced contemporary life. It's a place where one can enjoy a diverse array of world-class entertainment - from classical music and opera to street performers and open-air theater - and visit some of Europe's most important museums, as well as an array of contemporary art galleries, cult shops, and chic boutiques. Each July an international festival of dance is held at many venues throughout the city. If you are interested in Contemporary Dance, you won't want to miss JULI DANS.

Amsterdam provides all the advantages of a big city - art, history, parks, markets (including the world's only floating flower market!), entertainment, a vibrant night-life, international restaurants, cafés, shopping, and an excellent transportation system - yet it is relatively small, very friendly, safe, and wonderfully walkable! You can get to almost any destination in the city on foot or you can take the Tram. The Dutch preferred mode of transportation is by bike (thousands of them), forming yet another distinguishing feature of this truly unique city. Bicycles are readily available for rent.

The Museum Quarter, where our hotel is located, is considered to be the city's art and cultural center. Amsterdam's most important art museums - the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, and the Van Gogh Museum - as well as many contemporary art galleries and numerous restaurants and cafes are located here. Vondelpark, also in the Museum Quarter, is Amsterdam's largest and most famous park and provides an ideal getaway for relaxing, jogging, people-watching, or enjoying a free concert or theater in the park. Film buffs should be sure to visit Vondel Park Pavilion, a beautiful glass and iron building housing the Netherlands Film Museum. The museum has a priceless collection of international films, as well as vintage items including old projectors, posters, cinema chairs, photos, and magazines.

Amsterdam is a relatively small city that hosts a remarkable number of the world's most important museums, including the Rembrandt House, the Anne Frank House, and a number of other important museums and monuments.

The weather in July is warm, with long days and brilliant light. The sun sets between 10 and 11 PM each day, which is a great advantage for site drawing, painting, and photography, or simply relaxing at a canal-side café and watching the boats float by - or, even better, combining it all!

We strongly suggest you bring along a camera to record your experience.

The links on the left-hand margin of this page will help you explore and learn more about the beautiful, unusual, and interesting things you can find in Amsterdam.