• Amsterdam is the largest city of Netherlands and also its nominal capital.
• The city consists of the northern part of Randstad which is the 6^th largest metropolitan area in Europe.
• A maximum number of the museums in the world are present in Amsterdam.
• The largest Van Gogh collections in the world are present in the Van Gogh Museum and the Kroller-Muller Museum.
• As it is situated in Hague, the city does not have a parliament.
• The ‘Kohinoor’ diamond of India, the world famous diamond, was in fact cut in Amsterdam.
• With huge stakes driven in the ground, the city is totally built on piles.
• More than 150 canals and 1200 bridges are present in Amsterdam.
• The city of Amsterdam possesses 70 glass topped canal boats.
• Amsterdam is possibly one of the first cities in the world to drown, if the sea level goes up even to some extent.
• More than 300 coffee shops present in the city are permitted to sell up to 5 gm of soft drugs per person.
• It has more than 1 million bikes.
• As many as seven among the top 500 companies in the world, are based in Amsterdam.
• Set in the centre of the city, Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world.
• De Wallen, the oldest area of the city is home to the city’s famous red light district.
• Oude Kerk or the Old Church, located in the heart of the Wallen area, forms the oldest building in Amsterdam.

Car hire in Amsterdam are available from Enterprise, Simply Wheelz, Thrifty, Dollar, Alamo and National.

A red light district is a neighborhood or part of a neighborhood where businesses connected with the sex industry reside. Those include prostitution, strip clubs, sex shops, adult theaters and others. The best known red light district is De Wallen in Amsterdam.

De Wallen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Amsterdam. It is situated in the old part of the city south of the Oude Kerk. It takes a couple of blocks and canals. The legalized prostitution takes place in one room cabins with glass doors that are lit in red. The area has many sex shops, sex theaters, peep shows, a sex museum, a cannabis museum and some cannabis-selling coffee shops.

Tourists and prospective client take a stroll during the streets with the red windows. Usually the prostitutes start work only after dark. After the customer has chosen a girl he approaches and starts negotiations. When a price is reached, he comes in and the curtains are closed.

The vast majority of the prostitutes in De Wallen are foreigners. In the roughly 300 rooms work mostly Eastern European, Asian, and African women. In many cases their activities go hand in hand with other crimes such as pimping, women exploitation, human trafficking, drugs, and killings.

Prostitution in the Netherlands has a long history. It existed and was tolerated ever since the Middle Ages. The industry became legalized during the 20^th century. It is calculated that today there are about 140 licensed brothels and 500 window displays. The industry in Amsterdam alone is estimated to bring in 100 million US dollars per year. The sex industry has a significant impact over the whole touristic appeal of the city. It creates a distinct image of the city that made Amsterdam the tourist destination it is today.

Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar, Thrifty, Payless, E-Z, Simply Wheelz, Enterprise, and Europcar offer good car hire service in the city.

When you think about freedom the first country that will pop up in your head will most probably be the US. But in many cases the Netherlands can be given as a much better example of a society that enjoys many freedoms in a very tolerant, democratic and socially fair society.

Dutch morality and way of thinking are based on a few concepts. Tolerance and personal freedom are considered obligatory. Personal choice and personal privacy are sacred. These morals take an interesting form in modern Dutch society.

Marijuana

In the Netherlands you are allowed to use light drugs freely almost anywhere. On almost every corner of the main streets you can find the so called koffie shops. It is a café where you can choose from a wide variety of marijuana types. You can buy rolled cigarettes mixed with special tobaccos, you can buy your own weed in quantity to roll yourself, or you can sit down and smoke in a bong or some other device.

Compared to local living standards, cost of regular cigarettes and alcohol this kind of recreational method is actually very practical. You can see middle-aged, respectable men stopping on their way back home to buy a joint. You can go to a party or a club, light one and nobody would find it strange.

The so called space cakes are also quite popular. Recently, “mushrooms” were forbidden after a few cases of tourists overusing them and two suicides as a result.

Prostitution

Let’s face it- prostitution is the oldest profession in the world and no matter how traditional or strict one society is it will always exist. In Holland they have taken a much more practical approach to this problem. There it is legalized, controlled and taxed. There are special streets- the red light districts, where such establishments and related to them businesses are located. It is a series of window doors with a small room in the back where you can look, choose and bargain whatever you desire. There seems to be no embarrassment about walking down such a street, no awkward looks to people who might know you. If you choose to use the services of one of those ladies you can be sure that it will be safe and you will get what you have paid for.

The biggest cities such as Amsterdam, Den Hague, and Rotterdam offer a wide variety of services that will satisfy almost any client. The variety is complete- any gender, size, appearance, weight, size, height, color, fetishes that you might be interested in.

Gay Marriages

The Netherlands was the second country in the world (after Denmark) to recognize gay marriages in 2001. Whether two persons from the same sex want to get married and spend their lives together is considered a personal choice and is kept out any political or religious discussions. In such matters the Dutch-ness about personal freedom is more important that what is considered by others as proper or normal.

Euthanasia

Voluntary euthanasia is the practice of ending a person’s life in a painless manner with his consent. It has been legal for some years now in Holland. In order for a doctor to perform such a procedure the patient has to be terminally ill and there has to have the consent of one more doctor before it can be carried out.

In case you have decided to fly over to Amsterdam and try one of the unique service the country has to offer you can rent a car from Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar, Thrifty, Payless, E-Z, Simply Wheelz, Enterprise, and Europcar.

Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands. The city had a population (including suburbs) of 1.36 million on 1 January 2008 and is considered as the largest city in Netherlands. It is the fifth most visited city in Europe. The city’s waterways also increasingly play home to massive cruise ships and cargo vessels from all over the world. Amsterdam is a real, living and breathing metropolis, not just an oasis for tourists, those who like ‘a smoke’ and men in search of extra-marital sex. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Dutch are noted for their tolerance and liberal views and visitors enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the city.

Climate

Amsterdam has a temperate climate and can be visited at any time of year. June to August is crown season when the weather is at its best. It is a good idea to carry rainwear and umbrellas at all times since the climatic conditions are unpredictable. The coldest weather is usually in the months from December to March and clear frosty days can be frequent but snow is unlikely.

Places to visit

There are numerous museums in Amsterdam including the Van Gogh, the Rijksmuseum, Nemo museum, and Anne Frank Museum. The Red Light District in De Wallen is considered on the tourists most wanted list! The Royal palace, Artis zoo, botanical garden, de Jordaan, de Pijp, Albert Cuyp market, Vondelpark, PC Hooftstraat, 9 Straatjes, Westertoren, het Houten Huys and Church of St. Nicholas are the places one can visit when in Amsterdam. The city theatre is at Leidseplein along with cinemas, restaurants and a casino. Rembrandtplein is another lively area with many clubs offering a wide variety of music. Also coffee shops in Amsterdam sell soft drugs to those over eighteen and only in small amounts for personal use. However, buying on the street is illegal. A place like Amsterdam has something to offer everyone!

Airport

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands’ main international airport. It ranks as the world’s 3rd largest by international passenger traffic as well as Europe’s 5th and the world’s 14th busiest by overall passenger volume. Schiphol has its own mortuary, where the dead can be handled and kept before departure or after arrival. People can also get married at Schiphol. Car rental facilities like Avis, Budget, advantage, Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar, Thrifty, Payless, E-Z, Simply Wheelz, Enterprise, Europcar and practical are available at the airport itself.