According to 800zipcodes.com, Amsterdam officially consists of 7 districts, the most interesting of which is simply called Center (as it is easy to understand – the center). It is here, as a rule, that tourists live 99% of the time. To make it easier to navigate in the Center, you should immediately get acquainted with its main historical quarters: the quaint core of the city is the Old (Oudzeyds) and New Sides (Nyivezeyds), surrounded by the “ring of canals” Grachtengordel, which is easily guessed by 4 practically perfectly even parallel beams. To the left of them is the Jordan region, to the right are De Plantage and Jodenbuyurt (Jewish Quarter).
Oudzids (or the Old part) is the historical center of Amsterdam, it was here that the current capital of Holland began many centuries ago. Among the main attractions are the Oudekerk church and the Red Light District, which occupies most of it. There is no big reason to stay here for the night – the neighborhood is rather non-trivial, the choice of hotels is small, and the prices are somewhat off the charts. The Oudzeids borders the New Side along Damrak Street – this is the main artery of the city, although with the naked eye there is no big difference between the two sides of the street and, accordingly, the blocks.
Nieuwesijs, despite its name, is not such a “new” quarter – its main church with the rather logical name Nieuwekerk (New Church) was built in 1408. However, it has something that Oudzids cannot boast of – respectability and a more relaxed atmosphere, for which the quarter is also often called the “intellectual center” of Amsterdam. The center of the Nievesades is Dam Square with the Royal Palace. Around – the main shopping alleys of the city: Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk.
Surrounding this splendor is Grachtengordel, the legendary district of Amsterdam, whose name can be roughly translated as “canal belt”. Since 2010, it has been considered a UNESCO heritage site, so it’s not harmful to learn the names of local waterways: these are Herengracht (God’s), Prinsengracht (Princes) and Keizersgracht (Imperial Canal). Inside this “pie” of canals are cozy cafes and hotels, the Anne Frank House and the graceful Westerkerk Church.
To the right of the center is Jordan – once a sleeping quarter where the working class settled, which today has acquired the status of the city’s most developed place in terms of infrastructure. There are a lot of hotels, shops, galleries and restaurants, for which tourists love it so much. To the left of the center are the Jewish Quarter and De Plantage: neighborhoods flowing smoothly into each other, where tourists with children can be advised to stay. Rembrandt himself once lived in Yodenbyyurt (or the Jewish Quarter), respectively, the house-museum of this great painter should be looked for here. In addition, the quarter is interesting for the Jewish Historical Museum and the famous Gassan Diamonds diamond processing company. The famous Amsterdam Zoo is located in De Plantage, as well as the old Botanical Garden and two “venerable” museums:shipping and the tropics. Recall that these were quarters of only one district of Amsterdam – Center. It’s time to get to know others.
For example, with Nord, which is located on the other side of the Amstel. There is not much to see here for tourists, but if you have a free half-day or a day, it is worth renting a bike and riding around its outskirts for the idyllic Dutch landscapes. As a bonus – Nieuw Dakota, a new art space that delights all lovers of contemporary art.
Grachtengordel is the legendary district of Amsterdam, the name of which can be translated roughly as “canal belt”. Since 2010, it has been considered a UNESCO heritage site.
The Zuid district is the second most popular place in Amsterdam after the Center. It is here that the legendary Museum Quarter, the amazing Vondelpark and the 100-year-old Albert Cuyp market are located – an attraction no less worthy than the Van Gogh Museum. Here are the most adequate offers for accommodation: not far from the center, and the prices are at the level. Briefly, Zuid is divided into 3 large quarters: Oud Zuid (Old South), De Pijp (Tube) and Zuideramstel. The first is the famous Museum Square – the birthplace of 4 magnificent collections at once: the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelek Museum of Contemporary Art, the Van Gogh Museum and the Diamond Museum. De Pijp, which is named so because of its narrow houses, where each apartment vaguely resembles this musical instrument with its forms, is considered one of the brightest and most colorful quarters of the city. Its center is the wonderful world of the old Albert Cuyp market. It’s probably not worth stopping here for the night, the population is too large and multinational (with immigrants, for example, from Suriname or Morocco), but you can definitely look during the day. Including for the green Sarfatipark. Finally, Zuideramstel attracts with a somewhat atypical architecture for the rest of Amsterdam – part of the quarter was built in the 20-30s. last century.
The Ost district is another place where fans of modern architecture aspire to. Here, on artificially erected islands, unusual residential areas have been built. The highlight of the area can be called the Dappermarkt market with colorful merchants who came to Amsterdam from the most distant colonies. The districts of New West and West are interesting only for their parks and gardens, these are typically bedroom neighborhoods where young middle-class families live, often from exotic countries. Well, in the Zuidost area, there is only one lure for travelers – AjaxArena – the stadium of the legendary Ajax Amsterdam.
Orientation around the city for fresh arrivals – to the Central Station. Standing with your back to the station you can see: straight ahead – touristic Amsterdam, to the left – the Red Light District, to the right – real and traditional Amsterdam.
