Centre of creativity and culture for centuries

Amsterdam was founded in the Middle Ages near a dam on the River Amstel. The city truly blossomed in the early 17th century, when it became the world’s largest centre for trade and art. The historic heart of the city, known as the ‘Grachtengordel’ (canal ring), remains beautifully intact to this day. The area is by no means an open-air museum, but rather the warm, friendly and vibrant heart of the city. The capital city of the Netherlands has been a centre of creativity and culture for centuries. Works by 17th century Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer grace the walls of Amsterdam’s famous Rijksmuseum. The Van Gogh Museum houses several of the artists’ masterpieces. Other cultural treasures include the Anne Frank House, the baroque Royal Palace on Dam Square and the Rembrandt House. Amsterdam can satisfy the cultural pallet of even the most experienced visitor. Amsterdam is the right address for Dutch tulips and windmills too. This side of the Netherlands can be experienced at just 15 minutes' distance from the centre of Amsterdam. The villages of Marken and Volendam resemble open-air museums with their unrivalled display of authentic Dutch houses and windmills. In springtime, tour the spectacular bulb fields or take in the blossoming flowers at the world’s most photographed location: the Keukenhof.