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History & Evolution
Amsterdam was and still is a river that comes floating from the south as sum of the rivers Drecht & Kromme Mijdrecht and ends its course in IJ. That’s why the city was originally founded as ‘Aemstelredamme’, meaning ‘dam in the Amstel’.

The city was founded as a fishing village around 13th century and rapidly developed round a dam in Amstel River at the end of 12th century. During 14-15th century, it underwent a rapid development laying the foundation for Golden Age. Soon in 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain and his successors. The revolt escalated into the Eighty Years' War, which ultimately led to Dutch independence and the imposition of Protestant Calvinism as de facto state religion.

In 1578, the previously Catholic City of Amsterdam joined the revolt and all churches were confiscated for the reformed Protestant worship. The early 17th century made Amsterdam one of the wealthiest cities in world with ships sailing from Amsterdam to Baltic Sea, North America, Africa and present-day Indonesia and Brazil forming the basis of a worldwide trading network.

However, the 18th & early 19th centuries saw a decline in city’s prosperity, as the wars of Dutch Republic with England and France took their toll on it. Further during the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's fortunes reached their lowest point.

Nevertheless, with establishment of Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, things slowly began to improve and people like city planner Samuel Sarphati, who found their inspiration in Paris, started new developments.

The end of 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age when new museums, a train station and a Concertgebouw were built. The Industrial Revolution also reached the city at the same time. Further adding to the advantage was the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, which was dug to give the city a direct connection to the Rhine and North Sea Canal.

Shortly before the World War I, Amsterdam began expanding, new suburbs were built and during the war, the Netherlands remained neutral. However, Germany invaded the country in 1940, taking control of the country after five days of fighting. The Germans installed a Nazi civilian government in Amsterdam that cooperated in the persecution of Jews. More than 105,000 Jews were deported from the Netherlands to concentration camps, of whom perhaps the most famous was a young German girl, Anne Frank and only 5,000 Dutch Jews survived the war.

Nevertheless, after many struggles, slowly over the years, all the colonies of the Netherlands became separate states and in 1940, the country joined NATO while Queen Beatrix succeeded the throne in 1980.

Site-Seeing
Holding the titles like world port, financial hub, cultural fountainhead & entertainment mecca, Amsterdam is surely a city with many faces, in short, Tourist Paradise. Variety indeed is the spice of life when you're traveling in Amsterdam.

The city has enjoyed a rich and turbulent history and today its collection of neighborhoods has a diversity that reflects that history. While array of museums is hard to resist, the best tulips in the world surely won’t let you leave.

The Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum, also knwon as the "Louvre" of Holland, was opened in 1885 and houses the most impressive works of old Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen.

Further the museum contain thousands of other paintings and artifacts in its Asiatic collection, Print Room, Dutch History and Applied Arts sections. A visit to the museum should also include a trip into its delightful garden decorated with bright flowers, fountains, sculptures and summerhouses. Nestled within the garden is a collection depicting five centuries of Dutch architecture.

Location: Jan Luijkenstraat

Anne Frank House:
The Anne Frank House is the historic home where Anne Frank, her family and four other Jewish people hid from the occupying Germans during World War II, after fleeing their native Germany. Today converted into museum, the house is dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank whose family was later caught by Nazis, after two years in hiding, and was then taken to concentration camps, where Anne died.

Anne’s father survived and published her diary, which has been translated into 50 languages, telling the story of how they were saved by local people. The original diary however is on display as part of the permanent exhibition. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits that focus on related issues.

Location: Prinsengracht (Westerkerk)


Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art:
The Stedelijk Museum contains the best collection of Modern art in Amsterdam while closely traces the development in it. The permanent exhibition of the museum focuses on De Stijl, Cobra, Nouveau Realisme, Pop Art, Colorfield Painting, Zero and Minimalist Art while temporary exhibitions on design and applied art are housed in the new wing.

Location: Oosterdokskade 5

The Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis):
Originally designed for use as Amsterdam's city hall, the building dates back to 1648. However, King Louis Napoleon turned the hall into a palace in 1808 and although today it is the official Royal residence, it is mainly used for functions as the family resides in The Hague.

A large collection of Empire-style furniture, chandeliers and clocks dating back to early 19th still adorns the palace.

Location: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal

Van Gogh Museum:
This spacious museum houses a permanent display of several hundred of paintings, drawings & letters of three main artists namely Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin together with other artists of that period.

There is one new section showcasing the museum's history recording its progress with a feature on the development of the new wing designed by Japanese architect, Kisho Kurokawa, built to house the temporary exhibitions.

Location: Paulus Potterstraat 7