VISIT TO EUROPE - NETHERLANDS - AMSTERDAM - II

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY
C/O COL GKS REDDY

Secunderabad - 500015


Visit Netherlands (23 & 24 Sep 2013)

          The Netherlands (i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdərˌlɑnt] ( listen)) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of twelve provinces in North-West Europe and three islands in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders theNorth Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders[9] with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as "Holland", although North and South Holland are actually only two of its provinces.

          The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 20% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level, and 50% of its land lying less than one metre above sea level. This distinct feature contributes to the country's name: in Dutch (Nederland), English, and in many other European languages, its name literally means "(The) Low Countries" or "Low Country". Most of the areas below sea level are man-made, caused by centuries of extensive and poorly controlled peat extraction, lowering the surface by several metres. Even in flooded areas peat extraction continued through turf dredging. From the late 16th century land reclamation started and large polder areas are now preserved through elaborate drainage systems with dikes, canals and pumping stations. Much of the Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills in the far south-east and several low hill ranges in the central parts.

On arrival at Amsterdam Central Station by Train from Brussels (Belgium)

Visit Amsterdam (23 Sep 2013)

          Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the capital city of and most populous within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands though it is not the seat of the Dutch government, which is at The Hague (Den Haag). Amsterdam has a population of 805,166 within the city-proper, 1,563,141 in the urban region and 2,349,870 in the greater metropolitan area. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million 

          Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin as a dam of the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries,the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.



Magna Plaza, Amsterdam


          Magna Plaza is an indoor shopping centre located in a historical building behind the Royal Palace. Built at the end of the 19th century, this former post office is now an exclusive shopping destination with more than 20 stores plus a new exhibition space spread over four floors.

A view of Magna Plaza complex, located just behind the Royal Palace

A closer view of Magna Plaza

Dam Square, Amsterdam

          Dam Square, or simply the Dam (Dutch: de Dam), is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city.

          Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 meters south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 meters from west to east and about 100 meters from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square) and Munttoren. The Dam also marks the end point of other well-traveled streets, Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main red-light district, de Wallen.

          On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone. The square abounds with city pigeons, popular for birdfeeding

Royal Palace, Amsterdam

          The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. 

         The palace was built as a city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The building became the royal palace of King Louis Napoleonand later of the Dutch Royal House. It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk.

The Royal Palace, Dam Square, Amsterdam

Another view of Royal Palace

Madame Tussauds, Amsterdam

          A popular tourist attraction, Madame Tussauds is located at the Dam square, above Peek & Clopenburg department store. More an attractive ride in an indoor amusement park, than an old fashioned wax figures cabinet, Madam Tussauds in Amsterdam has been modernized, equipped with multimedia effects, set to employ actors and extras and like any amusement park it addresses itself mainly to children and teenage visitors.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Dam Square, Amsterdam

Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam

          The Nieuwe Kerk (Dutch: [ˈniʋə ˈkɛrk], New Church) is a 15th-century church in Amsterdam, located on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace. The church is in use by the Dutch royal family for investitures, most recently that of King Willem-Alexander in 2013, and weddings, most recently the wedding of Willem-Alexander to Máxima in 2002. The investitures of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Juliana of the Netherlands also took place there. The Nieuwe Kerk is no longer used for church services but is used as an exhibition space.

Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square, Amsterdam

War Memorial, Amsterdam

          The National Monument (Dutch: Nationaal Monument or Nationaal Monument op de Dam) is a 1956 World War II monument on Dam Square inAmsterdam. A national Remembrance of the Dead (Dodenherdenking) ceremony is held at the monument every year on 4 May to commemorate the casualties of World War II and subsequent armed conflicts.

          The monument was designed by Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud, and the monument's sculptures are by John Rädecker and his sons Han and Jan Willem Rädecker. The reliefs are by the sculptor Paul Grégoire

The National Monument (War Memorial), Dam Sqaure, Amsterdam

De Bijenkorf

          De Bijenkorf (literally, "the beehive") is a chain of high-end department stores in the Netherlands with its flagship store on Dam Square,Amsterdam. It was founded by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845–1889). De Bijenkorf was founded in 1870 by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845-1889), starting as a small haberdashery shop at 132Nieuwendijk, one of Amsterdam's oldest streets. Initially limited to yarn and ribbons and employing a staff of four, the stock expanded gradually. After the death of Goudsmit in 1889, Goudsmit's widow expanded the business with the help of a cousin, Arthur Isaac, and her son Alfred, eventually purchasing adjacent buildings. In 1909, these connecting shops were replaced by a new building.

De Bijenkorf Mall, Dam Square, Amsterdam

A shopping complex in Dam Square, located between Madame Tussauds 

and the National Monument

Other Buildings in Dam Square located between Nieuwe Kerk and De Bijenkorf

A view of Dam Street from Dam Square

Dutch National Museum

          The Rijksmuseum (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛi̯ksmyˌzeːjʏm]) (English: State Museum) is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history inAmsterdam in the Netherlands. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw.

          The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1800 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace and later in the Trippenhuis. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and was originally opened in 1885, but was closed for renovation from 2003 to 2013. On 13 April 2013, the main building was reopened by Queen Beatrix after the ten-year renovation which cost €375 million.

A view of Dutch National Museum from the edge of the Museum Square

A view of the Museum Square, with the National Museum in the background

A closer view of the Dutch National Museum

A cycle Rikshaw of Amsterdam, meant exclusively for the Tourists, 

with the Driver being a qualified Tourist Guide

The Canals of Amsterdam

          Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three maincanals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. The 17th-century canal ring area, including the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan, were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.

A bridge on one of the Canals, just behind the National Museum, 

Beautifully decorated with Hanging Flower Pots

A closer view of the Flower Brigde

A view of the canal from the Flower Bridge

A boat park in one of the canals. The Motor Boats are used for 

ferrying Tourists around Amsterdam

A view of one of the canals, with Residential Houses and wide Roads on either side.

Flower Market, Amsterdam

          The Bloemenmarkt is the world's only floating flower market. Founded in 1862, it is sited in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Singelbetween Muntplein and Koningsplein in the city's southern canal belt. It includes 15 florists and garden shops as well as a range of souvenir gifts. The market is one of the main suppliers of flowers to central Amsterdam. 

A view of the Amsterdam Flower Market. The Row of shops are Floating on the Canal behind, 

with the wares displayed on the canal Bank

Another view of the Floating Flower Market. Note that, the shops

 are only to the left (On the canal side)

The Rear View of the Floating Shops of the Flower Market

A shopping Mall located across the Road from the Flower Market

On arrival at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, on the way to Switzerland

At the check in counters of Schiphol Airport

Note:- The information about the places visited has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia