Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a city that was founded on personal freedom. It started out as a farming community, but then the early inhabitants turned to fishing, and by the late 1400s, the country had become a great sea power. During that time, the country was an independent republic, unlike other European societies, which were were dominated by Church-sanctioned feudal relationships. Even during the Protestant Reformation, while the Catholics were fighting against the Protestants, Protestants were still tolerated in Amsterdam. Essentially, Amsterdam has always had the sort of live-and-let-live ambiance for which it is famous. A few weeks ago, I spent a weekend wandering around the city.

Why do tourists go to Amsterdam? To stroll past the scarlet-tinted windows of the Red Light district or to linger in the coffeeshops? Well, yes, this is often the case. But there is a lot more to Amsterdam than just those things.

Amsterdam is an incredible city full of canals and bicycles. There's even a bike lane! Boston, please stand up and take note.







The architecture of the city is unique. Those facades adorning the roof are called gables, according to the 2009 Lonely Planet Guide to Amsterdam. They are all over the place and you can also find brick buildings decorated with horizontal stripes.





I didn't get to see any of the parks, but I highly recommend the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. Both places are definitely worth your time and money. It's a good idea to buy tickets in advance, though, since the lines can be long.