Amsterdam in Photos

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is one of the most unique places I've visited. It's an economic and artistic powerhouse, home to a long history and beautiful cityscapes; yet equally enticing to the countless tourists who roam the canals here is the storied spectacle of the Red Light District –– in Dutch, De Wallen –– as well as the country's (relatively) relaxed drug laws. I heard someone say that you "have to see Amsterdam to believe it." In that spirit, I thought I'd post a series of photos from my recent trip to the Netherlands, with small notes underneath. Here goes:

The National Monument, located in Dam Square. It was erected in honor of the casualties of WWII. The Netherlands were occupied in the war. Though the Dutch were seen by the Nazis as natural Aryan allies, the threats of pressing Dutch workers into forced labor in Germany, and the increasingly violent actions by German forces against the Jewish population, culminated in the February strike of 1941, the first large example of direct action against anti-Jewish measures in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Dutch resistance kicked off from there. Probably the most famous Jewish resident of Amsterdam during WWII is Anne Frank; more on that later.

Dam Square. One of the most important spots in Amsterdam. On the left is the Royal Palace, originally built in the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, as Amsterdam's town hall. To the right is the Nieuwe Kerk, or "New Church." The Dam is named as such for the dam over the Amstel river that was originally built there in the Middle Ages. The dam got filled in and expanded and soon became the center of the growing city. This is how Amsterdam, or "the dam on the river Amstel," got its name.

One of Amsterdam's many coffeeshops. In Amsterdam, "coffeeshop" is the term for an establishment in which customers may purchase cannabis, as well as refreshments like coffee and snacks. Gedoogbeleid is the Dutch term for the official "tolerance policy" toward "soft drugs," which are distinguished from "hard drugs." It's a bit complicated, but basically this means that while growing and dealing cannabis is technically illegal, the laws are not enforced against small scale use within designated spaces (the coffeeshops). The general idea seems to be to provide a controlled environment for soft drug users, as well as to prevent the kind of growth of organized crime that often occurs when hard-line prohibition is employed.

Though the easy access to cannabis is somewhat sensational for people outside the Netherlands, it conforms to the traditional "tolerance" that characterizes Dutch culture. One Dutchman told me the general attitude is that the coffeeshops' existence eliminates the allure-factor –– that is, if an activity is legal or at least tolerated, it soon loses its appeal. People who are openly spending all their time in coffeeshops, he said, are looked down upon, and that while the Netherlands are seen from the outside as a haven for libertines, it's mostly a veneer.

View along the Damrak. The street is a bustling commercial thoroughfare running from the Dam Square in the South to Amsterdam Centraal train station in the North.

The front of the Nieuwe Kerk in Dam Square. The banners are in celebration of the ascent of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to the throne, which happened in April. The government of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy.

Bust of Johnny Jordaan, a Dutch pop singer.

View along the Zeedijk ("sea dike"). The street is located in one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam, often called the Nautical Quarter because of its proximity to the docks and historical association with seamen. It runs between the Red Light District and Chinatown, terminating in the Nieuwmarkt, or "New market."

The coat of arms of Amsterdam. The popular explanation for the three vertical X's (not actually the letter X, but the Cross of St. Andrew) is that they stand for Amsterdam's three old enemies: fires, floods, and the plague.

View down Warmoesstraat. This is a typical daytime scene in the Red Light District. It's mostly tourist bars, fast food, and coffeeshops. There's a somewhat wilder atmosphere in De Wallen at night, though I didn't take any pictures of that –– for a few reasons, but especially because the prostitutes are known to leave their rooms to chase after, and smash the cameras of, people who take photos.

We took a boat tour around some of Amsterdam's canals and waterways. This is a view from the Damrak canal docks, with the grand Amsterdam Centraal looming in the distance.

The Westerkerk, or "West Church," in the Jordaan district (where Johnny Jordaan got his nickname), on the Prinsengracht, or "Prince's Canal," one of Amsterdam's many canals encircling the city center. It has the highest church tower in Amsterdam. Rembrandt is buried here, and the house where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis is nearby. The chiming bells of the church are mentioned by Anne in her diary.

The entrance to the Anne Frank House. It's undoubtedly one of Amsterdam's top tourist attractions. Lines are known to get outrageously long, considering the relatively small size of the museum. However, it was fascinating to tour through the preserved house and get a glimpse of the confining interior rooms in which Anne and her family here hidden. It brought back memories of reading Anne Frank's Diary, which was compulsory reading for my fifth grade class, and many others all over the world.

The Begijnhof, an extremely old inner court. It contains the oldest wooden house in Amsterdam. It was originally founded in the Middle Ages as a center for the lay religious order of Beguines, so it's a bit like a convent, though the Beguines were not technically nuns. After the Reformation, the chapel was converted into a Protestant place of worship, though the court itself was allowed to remain a Catholic institution. Soon a schuilkerk, or clandestine church, popped up to serve the remaining Catholic community. A number of these "secret" places of worship (mostly Catholic, but could serve any religion that wasn't the official Dutch Reformed Church) were established in Amsterdam. The civil authorities knew about them, but tolerated them, provided their activities were discreet. That last part is important, because discretion is one of the three unofficial planks of the tolerant attitude popularly ascribed to the Dutch; it's often said that if an activity is not harmful to the general public, good for profits, and discreet, it's tolerated.

Het Lieverdje, or "The Little Darling." The small statue is supposed to symbolize the mischievous yet good-natured children of Amsterdam. In the 1960s it was a popular meeting point for members of Provo, a Dutch countercultural movement. They were a left-wing group that often used non-violent tactics to provoke responses from authorities, in order to promote their positions. One of their more famous activities was the development of a city-wide, free bike-sharing program.

The narrowest house in Amsterdam; it's only about one meter wide.

Houses along the Herengracht. The wide, grand houses along the canal are reminders of the great wealth accumulated by Dutch merchants in the Golden Age, when Amsterdam was the capital of a thriving trading empire.

Canal scene. On the right you can see a traditional-looking café, or bar. Dutch and Belgian beers are popular here. Old fashioned cafés in Amsterdam are called Bruine Kroeg, or "brown cafés" ("brown" because of the darkened, cozy atmosphere, as well as the years of cigarette smoke that stained the walls inside). If you look at the row houses lining the canal, you'll see hooks sticking out of the tops of their gables. These are a very common feature among houses in Amsterdam; because of their narrow size and steep staircases, moving in and out of traditional houses is easier when the furniture is lowered from the windows using ropes and pulleys attached to the hooks.