What do crosses mean in amsterdam. travel in the netherlands

Some memories from a recent trip, during which I managed to visit the wonderful city of Amstredam.
XXX and Amsterdam. But what about Amsterdam? And besides. That in this city the XXX badge can be found anywhere, and not just on the signs of specific stores. And the range of options is impressive.
Here, for example, the sign XXX" is inscribed on the cement base of the posts that hold the fence along the canals.

It can be assumed that these are the guest workers, who put up posts and made a fence day and night, were impressed by the city and its freedom, from its shops for adults and wrote the inscription "XXX" on each post. Or maybe just one of the chain stores of such specific products took on the cost of installing a fence in exchange for advertising its name "XXX". In general, it seems to be true. Because in addition to the fence, the badge is also found on posts that are scattered throughout the city and delimit sidewalks and the roadway.

The inscription "ХХХ" is not just scratched, but cast from cast iron, as in the old days an ornament was cast on the barrels of cannons. By the way, the columns resemble guns in shape. Although ... I would say that they resemble some of the products from those same stores for adults :-). By the way, the posts come in different colors, I have a feeling that your area has its own color of the posts. There are for example burgundy, brown and blue bars.

Blue ones look very elegant against the background of canals, buildings and sidewalk paving stones. And in general, one of the main monuments in the city center has the same shape as the columns, only it is 10-12 meters in size. Inspires. Phallic images are all around in Amsterdam and somehow this distinguishes the city from other European cities and capitals. And let's not talk about souvenirs in stores: salt and pepper shakers and the shape of a phallus and many other household accessories. Everything is so funny. Another surprise is that the "XXX" badge is also found on municipal transport.

For example, on a garbage truck with reflective "XXX" badges, they can be seen even in dim headlights. Did the sponsors really try here too? You can believe it, of course. But when you see huge flags 10 meters in size with the inscription "ХХХ" fluttering over the buildings in the very center of the city, which are very similar to administrative or cultural buildings, you understand that something is wrong here. Well, can sponsors from adult stores try so hard here too?
Walking under one of the bridges, I could not help but notice the influence of the mystical symbol "XXX" on bridge architects. I did not manage to find out the year in which this bridge was built, but judging by the appearance, quite a long time ago. The bridge seemed to be the same age as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, because it was built in a similar way. And then the magic of XXX was embodied in metal.

The answer turned out to be simple, because this symbol is also found on the coat of arms of the city. And here it definitely doesn’t smell of any sponsors. All the same three letters X flaunt on the coat of arms of Amsterdam on a red background.

Stop. Why the red background? Does it belong to the Red Light District? And isn't it the business of the same sponsors. I think the city authorities would not have allowed this, especially since the coat of arms is many years old.
In fact, the three crosses XXX on the coat of arms of Amsterdam symbolize three eternal troubles that threatened him and which he steadfastly overcame: Fires, Floods, Plague.
Here is such a clue "XXX". So not all XXX that come from Amsterdam. Although those same shops and videos for adults also come from Amsterdam, how prosaic it is. All roads lead to Ams.
Amsterdam is a city of contrasts. And a very beautiful city, not like the others. And it's worth seeing. Just to give a personal impression.
To be continued

26.06.2012

Before Amsterdam, we decided to stop by the hotel and take a room. Who knows what time we'll be back. The road to the town of Volendam, which is located north of Amsterdam on the shore of the bay, still leads along the outskirts of Amsterdam. I had to temporarily call in and move along the ring road. 17:15

Amsterdam new buildings.

Television tower in Amsterdam.

We arrived at Volendam at 17:45. Every town in the Netherlands should have its own windmill!

We parked the car at the supermarket and went to look for a hotel.

Here is our hotel Dolce Vita. There is an Italian restaurant downstairs and our rooms are under the roof.

The parking lot where we parked the car. At the hotel we had a bite to eat, rested and went to Amsterdam.

We arrived at the northern outskirts of Amsterdam almost at eight in the evening. Sasha found out that if we park the car at the P+R parking lot, we will be given a free ticket for public transport to the center and back. And so it happened. Parking in the center is very expensive, because the authorities of Amsterdam literally "clean" the city from cars.

Railroad tracks above the parking lot.

We found our platform, and the platforms here are located on three levels, and we went by train to the center of Amsterdam.

Hippopotamus on frog legs.

We arrived in the center of Amsterdam at 20:15. The train goes 10-15 minutes. Station building.

Map of Amsterdam. Looking ahead, I’ll say that we passed only a fifth of the old city - to the stele, then to the right along the streets and back.

Velo garage.

Traffic lights are metered.

Well, let's go to Amsterdam!

We will visit the sex museum on the way back.

The main street of Damrak leading to the stele (National Monument) and Dam Square. To the left is a small bay with a great classic view.

We turned right into small streets and went to Nieuwezijds Voorburgwai street, where trams run

Here is the historic Dam Square. Stele.

And the national museum, which housed the Royal Palace, which has been the residence of the Dutch monarchs for more than 200 years. On the left is Madame Tussauds, a branch.

Let me tell you some historical facts. The first documentary mention of the city dates back to October 27, 1275. The name of the city comes from two words: "Amstel" and "dam". Amstel is the name of the river on which the city is located, and "dam" means "dam" in translation. In the 12th century it was a small fishing village, but during the Golden Age of the Netherlands, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world and a major trading center. Greenpeace is headquartered in Amsterdam. The three crosses of St. Andrew represent the three virtues of the city: valor, firmness, and mercy. Folk tradition also associates these three crosses with three threats to this city: water, fire, and pestilence. The emblem of Amsterdam consists of three crosses of St. Andrew (although St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of the city, these crosses are also an integral part of the flag). Also on the coat of arms is the Austrian Imperial Crown. There are two universities in Amsterdam: the University of Amsterdam and the Free University. The University of Amsterdam was founded in 1632 as the Lyceum of Education, and initially included two faculties: economics and philosophy. In 1877, the lyceum was awarded the title of university. The Free University was founded in 1880 at the expense of the Protestant community. Until the 60s of the 20th century, almost exclusively students of the Protestant faith studied at this university.

From the square we turned left and went deeper into small streets. Somewhere here is the Red Light District.

Amsterdam canals.

A rickety house. And there are almost all of them.

First swallows.

Marijuana Museum. Don't go.

The street seems to be very close.

Yes, here she is. Girls in red lighting stand in the door-windows and demonstrate their forms.

And so the whole streets! Walk, enjoy, explore...

I thought on one of the bridges...

Guys from England, earn their rocking life.

Let's digress. Here they are crooked houses standing on wooden piles. Remember how Peter 1 built Petersburg.

Let's go back to Krasnye lanes... Here in all such niches with a red lamp there are girls.

If the curtain is closed, then the girl is busy.

So, having seen enough of the Amsterdam beauties, we went to the sex museum. It is quite large, 3 floors, and it has interesting exhibits.

For example, retro porn magazines.

Mannequins from the Red Light District.

These are holiday cakes.

And this is Madame Mata Hari - (Mata Hari, real name - Margareta Gertrude Zelle (Dutch. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle) - an exotic dancer and courtesan of Dutch origin, who became famous for her espionage activities during the First World War. She was shot. The picture of the execution on the wall behind .

Ivory phaloses.

Statuette of the 18th century.

And these are porn movies shot on an amateur movie camera, a sample of 1950! Forerunner of video cassettes and DVDs.

And this is already the 60s.

After the museum, the guys went to admire Amsterdam at night, and we wandered around the nearby streets, to clear our heads.

23:30. We left the center of Amsterdam. We were so thoughtful on the train after what we saw ..

We arrived at the hotel after 12 midnight. Kuzmenchuk and I took a couple of bottles of beer from our room and went to the pier. There were old yachts. Climbing onto the deck of one of them, we sat for about an hour, talking about pirate life and distant lands. The mast creaked, the stars shone and music came from the night tavern.

Amsterdam circa 1662. Canal rings completed.

Amsterdam and its environs around 1770. expansion came to a standstill.

Excavations between 2005 and 2012 have found evidence that Amsterdam's origins are much older than "only" the twelfth century. During the construction of the "Lijn Nord-Zuid" Metro, archaeologists discovered, about 30 meters below street level, axes, a stone hammer and some pottery, all dating from the Neolithic (New Stone Age). This would mean Amsterdam, or its predecessor, would have seen human habitation from around 2600 BC.

medieval feudalism

GIFT LETTER 1275.

Religious strife and rebellion

In the first half of the 16th century, with the advent of the Protestant Reform, there were important Mennonite (commonly called Anabaptist) communities, formed in Amsterdam. Religious tensions grew throughout the empire until in 1534 the Anabaptists of Münster revolted and Emperor Charles V issued a decree persecuting all members of this church. Within two years of Amsterdam's rule, 71 Mennonites are executed and many more are exiled. Executions would continue more sporadically until the 1550s.

The second half of the 16th century brought an uprising in the Low Countries against the Habsburg king Philip II of Spain. The rebellion was mainly driven by a lack of political power for the local nobility and a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the latter supporting the crown. Although Amsterdam started the war on the side of the Crown, he changed sides from Alteratie 1578 and gave his support to William I of Orange. The uprising led to the Eighty Years' War and eventually Dutch independence.

One result of the uprising was that Amsterdam enjoys a certain degree of religious tolerance. Officially only Calvinist worship was allowed, but in practice Catholic "Secret Churchs" in private homes were tacitly allowed, as were Lutheran and Mennonite ones. In the city a large Roman Catholic minority remained, but most of the people belonged to the Calvinist Reformed Church and other Protestant denominations. However, the holding of any public office was limited to members of the official Reformed Church.

During these years religious wars raged throughout Europe and many people fled to the Dutch Republic and Amsterdam, where they sought asylum. Wealthy Jews from Spain and Portugal, Protestants from Antwerp and Huguenots from France sought safety in Amsterdam.

"Golden Age" (1585-1672)

Seventeenth century Amsterdam Golden Age. Shipping from the city sailed to North America, Indonesia, Brazil and Africa, and formed the basis of a worldwide trading network. The merchants of Amsterdam financed expeditions to the four corners of the world, and they acquired overseas possessions that formed the seeds of later Dutch colonies. The most influential of these trading groups was the Dutch East India Company, founded in 1602, which became the first multinational corporation to issue shares to finance its business. By allowing seafarers to invest in the cargo that they are transporting, this created an incentive for individual workers to be assigned to the goods they carried and tightened by the allegiances of corporations where results before they were a seafarer migration agent. Rembrandt painted in this century, and the city expanded considerably around its canals during this time. Amsterdam was the most important transshipment point in Europe and was the world's leading financial center (a position later taken over by London).

Government by regents

By the middle of 1660 Amsterdam had reached its optimum population (around 200,000) for the level of trade, trade and agriculture then available to support it. The city contributed the largest quota in taxes to the States of Holland, which in turn contributed more than half of the quota to the States General. Amsterdam is also one of the most reliable in handling tax claims and has therefore been able to use the threat of withholding such payments to good effect.

Amsterdam canal, s. 1686

Amsterdam is governed by a body of regents, a large, but closed, oligarchy with control over every aspect of city life, and a dominant voice in Dutch foreign affairs. Only people with sufficient wealth and long enough residence within the city can join the ruling class. The first step of the ambitious and wealthy merchant family was to arrange a marriage with the longtime regent family. In the 1670s, one such alliance was that of the Trip family (the Amsterdam branch of the Swedish arms makers) with the burgomaster's son Valckenier extended the influence and patronage available to the latter and strengthened their council dominance. The oligarchy in Amsterdam thus gained strength from its breadth and openness. In small towns, family interest may unite members on political decisions, but contractions through marriages may degrade the quality of members. In Amsterdam, the network was so large that members of the same family could be linked to opposing factions and pursue widely divided interests. The young men who rose to positions of power in the 1670s and 1680s consolidated their positions in 1690 and even into the new century.

The regents of Amsterdam provided good services to the residents. They are largely spent on waterways and other necessary infrastructure, as well as municipal almshouses for the elderly, hospitals and churches. The Regents' favored private investment also helped improve living standards, as the construction of commercially viable and advanced mills brought more efficient processing plants and irrigation pumps to the region, enabling one of the earliest industrial-oriented economies.

Dam Square in Amsterdam, 17th century

Amsterdam's wealth was generated by its trade, which in turn was incurred by the reasonable encouragement of entrepreneurs, regardless of their background. This arrangement was supported by low interest rates for private businesses, while communities ruled by monarchies at the time sought to siphon profits. This open door policy has been interpreted as evidence of a tolerant ruling class. But religious tolerance was practiced for the convenience of the city. Thus, wealthy Sephardic Jews from Portugal were welcomed and granted all privileges except those of citizenship, but poor Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe were much more scrutinized and those who became dependent on the city were encouraged to move on. Likewise, securing a corps of Huguenot immigrants was done in 1681, when Louis XIV's religious policy begins to rule these Protestants outside of France; no encouragement was given to those evicted by the Dutch from the countryside or other towns in Holland. The regents encouraged immigrants to build churches and provided plots or buildings for churches and temples for all but the most radical sects and native Catholics by 1670 (although even Catholics could practice quietly in the chapel inside the Beguinhof).

immigration

The great influence of German immigration can now be seen in surnames, which are often German. The integration of immigrants was smooth. It was not difficult to find work as a craftsman, but craftsmen were forced to join guilds to serve in the city patrol and cooperate with the local area in order to compete with other areas. These were powerful institutions that led to rapid integration, especially since all these institutions were mostly filled with immigrants or children of immigrants. The city council of Amsterdam was made up of people with all kinds of backgrounds: Dutch, German, Flemish, French, Scottish.

pestilence

However, the state of trade of the city meant that it suffered from an outbreak of bubonic plague from 1663 to 1666, believed to have originated from Algiers to Amsterdam. (The plague also broke out in the mercantile center of London in June 1665.) Although there was little initial effect, the influence grew in the autumn of 1663 and in 1664 the wife and youngest daughter of the well-known art collector Ian J. Hinlopen and also Rembrandt's partner Hendrikje Stoffels, fell victim to him that autumn. According to Samuel Pepys, for several weeks at the end of 1663, ships from Hamburg and Amsterdam were quarantined for thirty days. In 1664, 24,148 people were buried in Amsterdam. Over 10% of the population died during this period - anyone who came into contact with the plague was at risk. At the time, people assumed the plague was caused by the digging of new canals.

Surprisingly, tobacco smoke was seen as an effective prophylactic against the plague. With the prospect of plague as well as war with England looming, the English ambassador commented in May 1664: "There are dead last week at number 338 in Amsterdam, and if the plague thus increases within, and Warre His Majestie without him, there will be there is little need for this huge new town that they are doing there." Wealthy people fled the cities to avoid disease, but in the worst pandemic week of 1664 there were 1,041 burials in Amsterdam compared to 7,000 at the end of the summer of 1665 in London, a city twice its size. The mayors warned the public that eating lettuce, spinach or prunes could be unhealthy. Vroedschap closed the theater allowing performances to resume only in 1666, although Jan J. Hinlopen's own death in 1666 is attributed to the plague. The sailors on the ships at sea were relatively safe.

Decline and modernization

The 18th and early 19th centuries saw a decline in Amsterdam's wealth. The Dutch Republic's wars with the United Kingdom and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's fortunes reached their lowest point; However, with the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, things began to slowly improve. In Amsterdam, new designs were started by people like Samuel Sarphati who found their inspiration in Paris.

At the end of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution reached Amsterdam. The Amsterdam-Rhine Kanaal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine and the Noordzee Kanaal to give the port a connection to the North Sea. Both projects improved communications with the rest of Europe and the world dramatically. They gave the economy a big boost.

The Industrial Revolution brought a huge influx of migrant workers from the Dutch countryside to the city of Amsterdam. This happened during the rise of socialism in Amsterdam. The Dutch authorities tried to destroy socialism by treating socialists with violence. During the 1880s and 1890s, fights between police and socialists occurred on a weekly basis. A notable event was the Palingoproer (eel riots) in 1886, when 26 demonstrators were killed in the army after the police failed to control a violent crowd of people watching at the banned game of eel-pulling. The other was the Orange Riots of 1887, which included the destruction of a socialist pub by the orangists and the arrest of the defending socialists, while the orangists were not punished at all. The most popular socialist leaders of the 1890s were those who were in prison most of the time. One socialist was so angry with the police that he tried to kill the chief police superintendent. He was shot through a hole in the caretaker's hat and was sentenced to many years in prison after being beaten by the police. After his release, he was greeted as a hero during a parade with a laurel wreath on his head, while people wept, in crowded streets filled with workers from Amsterdam.

The late 19th century is sometimes referred to as Amsterdam's second golden age. New museums, the Central Railway Station and the Concertgebouw were built. Also built was Stelling van Amsterdam, a unique ring of 42 forts and lands that could be flooded to protect the city from attack. The population of Amsterdam grew significantly during this period.

20th century

During the First World War, the Netherlands remained neutral, but Amsterdam suffered the consequences of the war when food became scarce. When the working women of the class began to rob the army's supply ship, the military brought in. The workers joined their wives in the robbery and the soldiers opened fire on them. Six people were killed and almost 100 were injured.

During the interwar period, the city continued to expand, and most notably west of the Jordaan district in Frederik's Hendrikbuurt and surrounding areas.

In 1932, the dike separating the Zuider Zee from the North Sea, at the Afsluitdijk, was completed. Zuider Zee was no more. The new lake behind the dam was called the IJselmeier. For the first time in its history, Amsterdam had no open communication with the sea.

Anne Frank statue

During World War II, German troops occupied the city. Over 100,000 Jews were deported, including the famous Anne Frank, almost completely destroying the Jewish community. Before the war, Amsterdam was the center of the world's diamond trade. Since this trade was largely in the hands of Jewish entrepreneurs and artisans, the diamond trade largely disappeared.

Amsterdam made a bid for the 1952 Olympic Games (Summer Games) but was unsuccessful. The games went to Helsinki.

During the 1970s, the number of foreign immigrants, primarily from Suriname, Turkey and Morocco, grew strongly. This increase led to an exodus of people to the "growth cities" in Purmerende, Almere and other cities near Amsterdam. However, areas like Pape and Jordan, which were formerly working class, began to look for a place to live for the new wealthy yuppies and students. Amsterdam, which used to be a poor city in the Netherlands has turned into an economically wealthy city, thanks to a new economic trend towards a service economy rather than an industrial economy.

In 1992, an El Al cargo plane crashed into the Bijlmermeer in Amsterdam Zuidoost. This disaster is called Bijlmerramp resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people.

At the beginning of the millennium, social problems such as security, ethnic discrimination and segregation between religious and social groups began to develop. 45% of Amsterdam's population has non-Dutch parents. Large social groups are people from Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, Morocco and Turkey. Amsterdam is characterized by (perceived) social tolerance and diversity. Social tolerance was threatened by the assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh on November 2, 2004 by Mohamed Bouyeri, an Islamic fundamentalist. The mayor of Amsterdam, Jobs Cohen and his alderman for the integration of Abutaleb have formulated a "keep things together" policy that includes social dialogue, tolerance and crackdowns on those who break the law.

social struggle

The Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s made Amsterdam magic center(magic center) of Europe. The use of soft drugs was tolerated, and this policy made the city a popular destination for hippies. The period 1966–1986, however, was described by Gert Mak as "twenty years' urban war" The ( twintigjarige stadsoorlog): a long period of social struggle between the city's radical youth and its government. The war began with the emergence of a local anarchist movement, Prova, so called because they liked to provoke the authorities and bourgeois society with (non-violent) events and Dada-inspired by absurdism. The Amsterdam police hit back at Provo with force; Mak explains the extreme police brutality towards events in the direct after World War II, when Queen Beatrix's coronation takes place inside the New Church on Dam Square. The loss of public sympathy stemming from this event eventually led to the downfall of the squatter movement, and by the mid-1980s it was effectively marginalized.

21st century

In the early years of the twenty-first century, the city center of Amsterdam successfully attracted large numbers of tourists through campaigns such as I Amsterdam. Between 2012 and 2015, 3,000 hotel rooms were built, Airbnb added 11,000 more accommodations, and annual visitor numbers grew from 10 million to 17 million. Real estate prices have risen, making the center inaccessible to city dwellers, while local shops make way for tourists targeting them. These developments have prompted comparisons to Venice, a city already overwhelmed by the influx of tourists.

Construction of a subway line connecting the part of the city north of the IJ to downtown was started in 2003. The project is controversial because it cost three times over budget by 2008 due to concerns about damage to downtown buildings and because construction had to stop and restart several times.

Since 2014, a sharper focus has been placed on urban regeneration and renewal, especially in areas directly bordering the city centre, such as Frederik Hendrikbuurt. This urban renewal and expansion of the traditional city center is part of Amsterdam's Structural Vision 2040 initiatives.

Cultural life

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the cultural life in Amsterdam consisted mainly of festivals. During the last part of the 16th century, the Amsterdams Rederijkerskamer (Chamber of Rhetoric Dietrich Nikolaus Winckel. At the end of this century, the Rijksmuseum and the Gemeentelijk museum were built. In 1888, the Concertgebouworkest was established. From the 20th century came cinema, radio and television. Although studios in Hilversum and Aalsmeeri, Amsterdam's influence on programming is very strong After World War II, popular culture became the dominant cultural phenomenon in Amsterdam.

History of the municipality

When the municipality was created during the French occupation, it covered the city (then only consisting of the central part inside the canals) and the immediate surroundings, less than 10% of the current municipality. As the city grew, it annexed several neighboring municipalities:

Referendum. The opposition was not so much against the creation of a provincial city as it was against the division of the city into parts. Opponents feared that this would destroy the unity of the city. After the referendum, the city's proposal to the province was frozen. However, since 1995, the city parts have gradually become more self-reliant, and neighboring cities have been drawn into the city, politically and economically. In a sense, the provincial city has arrived in the form of "Greater Amsterdam".

further reading

• Cotterell, Geoffrey. Amsterdam: City Life (1972)
• Israel, Jonathan I. The Dutch Republic, Its Rise, Greatness and Fall 1477-1806 (1995)

They came to Amsterdam from Cologne. The road did not tire, we traveled by high-speed ICE train, the journey took only 2 hours 40 minutes. Leaving the station building, they disappeared into the crowd of the same tourists who came here for new impressions and emotions.
Acquaintance with the city began with a bus tour, which lasted about 2.5 hours and also included a visit to a diamond processing factory. Those wishing to buy products could choose them in the salon right there, upon purchase they were awarded a certificate of quality of stones. From the bus we got on the boat and went through the canals of the city.

The building of the railway station was built in 1889 on an artificial island of the Iy Bay, which was poured specifically for this purpose by the Dutch architect Kuipers and is considered the gate of the capital. The center of the facade of the station is decorated with images of the coats of arms of Amsterdam and 14 cities.

Damrak Street, a former canal filled in 1845-1883, runs between the Central Station and Dam Square, from north to south. The main street that takes people from the train station to the center of Amsterdam.


Damrak street. It has cultural centers, many cafes, craft workshops and museums.


In the distance you can see the old church - Oude Kerk - the oldest parish church in Amsterdam, founded in 1306 by the bishop of Utrecht. The church stands in the DeWallen district, which is now the red light district, Rembrandt often visited this church, here he baptized his children. This is the only building in Amsterdam that has been preserved in the same form as it looked at the time when Rembrandt entered it.


The old church is also visible in this photo. Back in 1306, fishermen built a small wooden church on this site dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, sailors, merchants, thieves and the city of Amsterdam. All the next three hundred years, this church was endlessly completed both in breadth and height, and as a result, not just a temple, but a whole city was obtained, consisting of ten chapels, a bell tower and a baptistery. The Oude Kerk never burned, although the quarter survived three terrible fires. On the bell tower, which in 1565, like many other towers of the city, was built on by Hendrik de Keyser, hangs the oldest bell in Amsterdam, cast in 1450. At the end of the week, on Saturdays, at four in the afternoon, the melodic chime of the carillon (a set of small bells) sounds, which was specially made for the Oude Kerk tower by the famous musical master Francois Hemony. The gothic octagonal bell tower of the church served as a guide for sailors sailing to the shores of Amsterdam. On Sundays there are services of the Dutch Reformed Church. And on the red bus we went on a tour of the city. Behind the bus, you can see the stock exchange building (1897-1903 built) by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage, included by UNESCO in the Dutch list of world heritage sites.


"Dancing" houses on Damrak street.

Due to the fact that at one time Amsterdam residents were taxed only for the area of ​​land on which they erected their houses, the townspeople tried to make the first floor narrower during construction, and systematically expanded the usable area upwards, so many buildings hang over the sidewalks. The houses are so narrow that furniture cannot fit through the door. Because of this, on many structures a hook is mounted near the roof, a cable is hooked to it and thus dimensional objects are lifted into the apartment through the window. As a rule, three windows on the floor are really inclined towards the street: this is done in order to make it convenient to drag furniture and all sorts of supplies on the ropes.


This is the place to buy bus tickets. I didn’t see any museum of vodka inside, they sell all sorts of consumer goods and a mini cafe.

The Blue Bridge is a historic bridge over the Amstel River, connecting Rembrandt Square with Waterloo Square. The bridge got its name from the wooden Blue Bridge painted in one of the colors of the national Dutch flag, which has been on this site since about 1600. The name was preserved even after 1883, when the stone spans of the new bridge appeared.

The stone bridge has three passages for ships and is richly decorated. The columns across the bridge and the lantern supports are crowned with the crown of the Austrian Empire. Architects Bastian de Greef and Willem Springer. The bridge is used for car and tram traffic.


One of the most picturesque canals in Amsterdam, the Reguliersgracht, also called the Seven Bridges Canal, was dug in 1664.


Bridge over the Nieuwe Herengracht canal.


In 1658, the "plan of three channels" was put into practice. After that, the city changed a lot. Along the Grand Canals, boulevards, houses and offices of wealthy citizens were built according to strict rules. Even the color of the front door was regulated - green. The width of the buildings was set no more than 8 m. To build a large house, it was necessary to buy several plots. Middle-class citizens and artisans settled on the side streets. The houses were built on piles, which were driven into the swampy, loose soil. The length of the piles reached 13-18 m.


The Bag Museum, located in Amsterdam, is dedicated to historical bags, handbags and suitcases. The museum's collection includes 3,500 exhibits, the oldest of which date back to the beginning of the 16th century. This is one of the three museums of this direction in the world, and it has the largest collection in the world. At first, the museum existed in two halls of a villa in Amstelveen, since June 2007 the museum has been located in a 17th-century building overlooking the most prestigious Herengracht canal in Amsterdam.

Montelbaanstoren tower on the Oudeshans canal.


The Montelbaanstoren tower on the Oudeshans canal was built in 1512 as a fortress tower in the 16th century, the appearance of a clock tower in the city quickly made sure that the clock was on to protect the city. During the Middle Ages, it played the role of a defensive point. The townspeople, who were overjoyed at that tower, never go right, for this they gave the tower a nickname - "stupid Jacob".
Sint Nikolaaskerk, or St. Nicholas Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the center of Amsterdam. Officially, the church was called "The Church of St. Nicholas within the Walls", referring to the oldest city defensive fortifications. The architect Blais (1842-1912) designed the church based on a combination of several revivalist styles, most notably neo-baroque and neo-renaissance.

Church of St. Nicholas.

There are many "houseboats" on the canals in Amsterdam. These are "Weekend-homes", that is, houses where their owners come for weekends or holidays and not only from Holland.


At the pier with this sculpture, the excursion along the canals of Amsterdam ended.


Now left to their own devices, acquaintance with the city continues.
Directly from the Station Square, Damrak Street begins. Its left side is a section of the Amstel River with moorings for sightseeing trams (once boats loaded with grain, fish and whale oil came here, all this was put up for auction on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange) and houses of the 17th-18th centuries picturesquely breaking right into the water ( these are the rear facades of restaurants, clubs and bars). The right one is a continuous row of tourist shops, restaurants, eateries and currency exchange offices, shops, and between them are narrow medieval lanes.

On the streets of Amsterdam, cyclists behave like kings, cars give way to them, they can run red lights and do not pay much attention to pedestrians. The fact is that for bicycles there are paths between the sidewalk and the roadway. Tourists who do not know this often climb these paths and get kicked in the ass.

We go further along Damrak Street and get to Dam, the main and oldest square of the city (the name "Damrak" just means "passage to the Dams"). Back in the 14th century, there was no real square here, it was just a small empty space, known as De Plats, where they traded in freshly caught fish. Later, a small village arose on this site and the first dam was built on the Amstel, which was strengthened and became wide enough for the city square Dam, which was formed from two squares - Middeldam and Platse.
Dam Square.


The main building on Dam Square - the former Amsterdam City Hall, now the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis), - was built by Jacob van Kampen in the middle of the 17th century - the official residence of Queen Beatrix, who constantly lives in The Hague, but when she comes to Amsterdam, she stops here. For lodging, the royal family has always paid a symbolic fee to the Amsterdam treasury - in old money, one guilder per year, that is, € 0.45. This is one of the four palaces in the Netherlands, which Queen Beatrix disposes of by Parliament Decree.


The palace is decorated with a large dome, on the top of which there is a weather vane in the form of an old ship-cog. Kogg is a symbol of Amsterdam. From the balcony of the Royal Palace in 1980, the former Queen of the Netherlands Juliana introduced the new queen, Beatrix, to the people. Prince Willem-Alexander kissed Princess Maxima on this balcony on their wedding day, February 2, 2002.


On Dam Square is a famous historical monument - the National Monument (Nationaal Monument) - a majestic white obelisk with allegorical sculptures, 22 meters high, designed by the modernist architect, a member of the De Stijl group, Peter Oud to perpetuate the memory of the Dutch victims of World War II . The opening took place in 1956.
Wax Museum Madame Tussauds. Located in a huge building in the center of Amsterdam. The idea to create this museum in Amsterdam arose in 1997. It took three years to present to the audience on January 12, 2000 an exhibition of twenty figures that formed the basis of the museum. Now the exposition has more than forty figures and continues to expand constantly.


Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is located next to the Royal Palace. It owes its name to Marie Tussauds, who was born in Strasbourg in 1761. Her mother worked as a wax model housekeeper for Dr. Phillip Curtis. It was he who taught Maria the art of working with wax. In 1777, Marie Tussauds creates her first wax figure. After the death of Phillip Curtis in 1794, his collection passes to Tussauds. In 1802 Marie Tussaud moved to London, in 1835. her first permanent exhibition. Marie Tussauds died in 1850.


Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is a 15th-century Calvinist church on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace.

View of the Nieuwe Kerk from the other side. From the side of the rear facade of the Royal Palace in 1899, the building of the Main Post Office (aka Hofpostkantor - Hoofdpostkantoor) was erected. The author of the Main Post Office is the government architect Cornelis Hendrik Peters. Since 1992, the Magna Plaza department store has been operating here.


Magna Plaza department store.

If you turn shortly after the Royal Palace from Nieuwesides Vorburgwal to the tiny Sint Luciensteeg, then through a large gate in a brick wall you can get to the territory of the Amsterdam Historisch Museum. This museum complex is located on the site of the former monastery of Saint Lucia (1414).

Rockin Street (from Rak-in - "inner passage"), following the bend of the Amstel, leads from Dam to Muntplein (Muntplein) - the square of the former city gate. Approximately in the middle of Rokin, where the equestrian statue of Queen Wilhelmina (1880-1962) stands, the Amstel River reappears from the ground.


Equestrian statue of Princess Wilhelmina on Rockin Street.