The City of Amsterdam

Key Facts

• Around 850,000 inhabitants
• 1st in the world in the Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2023, based on cost of living, crime rates, healthcare, and environmental pollution.
• Birthplace of the world’s first public stock exchange.
• 20% of population is recent foreign descent, 180 nationalities in Amsterdam and more than 95% speaking English to a high level (Nuffic 2022)
• Over 16,000 performances per year and over 50 world-famous art galleries and museums.
• The bicycle is the most popular form of transport in Amsterdam, with over 400km of bike lanes in the city.
• Amsterdam has more than 30 parks and public gardens and over a hundred tree-lined canals.

Museums and Galleries

Amsterdam is famous for its world-class museums and galleries, housing some of the world’s masterpieces.
There are over 50 museums in Amsterdam catering for every taste.

• Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is one of the biggest and most famous art museums in the world.

• Van Gogh Museum - this art museum is dedicated to the works of the famous Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. The Van Gogh Museum can be found at Museum Square, close to Rijksmuseum.

• Anne Frank House. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Amsterdam is the house where Anne Frank and her Jewish family hid from the Nazi’s during World War II, and where she wrote her famous diary.

• Royal Palace - during the Dutch Golden Age, in the 17th century, the Royal Palace on Dam Square was built as a city hall. The building became the Royal Palace of King Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal house

Music and Events

Amsterdam has one of the best symphony orchestras in the world and a famous concert hall.Paradiso, a club and live music venue, hosts some of the biggest names in international music. Amsterdam regularly hosts big name music events and festivals and theatre productions:

• Kite Board Open - biggest beach event in Europe
• 5 Days Off - electronic music festival
• Grachtenfestival - classical music festival
• Open Garden Days (Open Tuinen Dagen) -  30 best gardens in Amsterdam
• Amsterdam Roots Festival - free music festival
• Gay Pride Amsterdam - one of the biggest gay and lesbian events in Europe

Places of Interest

Kalverstraat

The Kalverstraat is one of the biggest and busiest shopping streets in Amsterdam. Many famous brands have their shops in the Kalverstraat, which was named after the ‘Kalvermarkt’ (calves market) that was held here until the 17th century.

Nieuwmarkt (Chinatown)

Nieuwmarkt is a square in Amsterdam’s Chinatown, with many lively cafés, bars and restaurants. There is a daily market and an organic food market on Saturdays.

Flower Market

The Flower Market in the city centre of Amsterdam is the only floating flower market in the world. There are many florists and garden shops, as well as a big variety of souvenir gifts.

Transport

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is a major European hub with flights all over the world.

Public transport:

• Trains leave Amsterdam Central Station for destinations across The Netherlands and beyond, to the rest of Europe.

• Getting around Amsterdam is easy, with a network of metro, tram and bus services. A public transport chip card (OV –Chipkaart) is an electronic card with a built-in chip for use on all public transport in Amsterdam including trains, buses, trams and metros. The chip card can be topped up with credit in euros. You can buy a public transport chip card with your credit card at Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam Central Station and with cash or Dutch debit card at many other places.

• Cycling is probably the most popular form of transport for short journeys in Amsterdam. The flat terrain and miles of dedicated cycle lanes mean the city is ideally suited to cycling.There are many rental shops throughout the city (see, for instance, http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/bike-rentals/).