Amsterdam Regional Overview
My Guide Amsterdam is your local guide to the best sights and delights of Amsterdam. A city that doubles as a living museum and constantly shifts from being quirky to elegant and grandeur. Whether you take a boat tour around the splendid canals, explore bustling street markets, lose yourself in the art work of the Van Gogh Museum or visit the fascinating Red Light District you can find everything you need to plan your trip to Amsterdam right here.
In this Regional Info section of the site you can find out about the main regions of Amsterdam. This is based on how we locals see these areas as well as the historical way the city was divided. The most visited areas are the most central and oldest parts of the city and here you can find information on the most popular things to do and see.
It’s always a nice sight to see tourists on hire bikes venturing out to some less visited areas of Amsterdam where you can experience Dutch culture and see how the different types of locals live. Why not visit the multicultural Bijlmermeer for a tour of the Amsterdam ArenA (home of Ajax and the Dutch national football team) and to try delicious Suriname’s food, one of the Netherlands favourite imports. If it’s a sunny day you could hop over to the beach on IJburg. Here you can and try out one of the excellent restaurants on this man made island. You could also take a bicycle out to the windmill on the River Amstel or the tranquil setting of Amsterdamse Bos, the cities very own forest. There are so many things to do and this guide will help you navigate the important parts of the city.
Amsterdam is a city with the atmosphere of a friendly village. The population is approximately 760,000 and the city centre is nice and compact with most people living in smaller flats and historic gable roofed houses with anything up to 5 or 6 floors. This all adds to the cosy atmosphere and the city is small enough to walk or cycle around. There is also an excellent Amsterdam transport system and you can catch one of the many trams, buses or metros running around the city. Although small in comparison to other capital cities Amsterdam is thriving with fun and interesting activities and you’ll be wondering where the time went and already planning your next trip back.
Navigating your way around Amsterdam is all part of the fun and you will definitely need a map for your orientation. The stunning canals and old centre, a UNESCO world heritage listed site, loop around in large semi circles and when you thought you were heading south, before you know it you are going east, west or north again. However, you can always ask one of the friendly locals who will be more than happy to show off their language skills and point you in the right direction.
