2/28/2024 Local Walking Tour 0f Amsterdam

 Started the day off with Rain, so our walking tour was a bit wet. It was however a nice tour hitting some of the highlights of Amsterdam.  Amsterdam, A city of canals, over 65 miles of canals.  Most of the old city was built in the 17th century, with skinny buildings next to or against each other.  Our guide told us that the reason they are so skinny is that the tax was based on the width of the roof, so they built them skinny, tall and deep.


Heading for the old town, our hotel is in the modern part of the city. with the boom in the River Cruise industry, the city build a river cruise terminal and docks for the many boats the arrive here. So Viking uses the hotel, right next to the Cruise Terminal.


We pretty much had to walk single file because of the vehicle and bike traffic.  As you can see from the pictures, most of the roads are Brick.


The flowers are starting to come into bloom.


Typical of many of the canals, there are streets along each side (one way traffic), however many, many more bikes than cars here, as they have a wonderful public transit system and parking fees are rediculous.


The beige building is an Armenian Orthodox Church.  Many of the churches here, just blend in with the area.


One of the many locks on the canal system, the dark building to the right was the Lock Keepers house before automation.



THe building across the canal is the former headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Company, the company that brought most of the wealth to Amsterdam in the 16th & 17th Centuries.


THroughout the city predominately in the Jewish quarter of the city are these "Stumble Stones" , They commemerate the Jewish residents of who were hauled off to various concentartion camps during the Second World War. They are placed in various locations so you stumble upon them and stop to thing what happend to these people.



The dark building was home of the richest family in Amsterdam in the 1700's, If you look closely at the chimneys, they are in the shape of cannons and there is a crest at the top of the building with crossed cannons.  The family that owned it were cannon makers and arms dealers.


Officially the smallest house in Amsterdam.


The Hash, Marajuana and Hemp Museum.  If you go to a "Coffee Shop" in Amsterdam it is to get Marajuana, not coffee


I loved this bicycle cart full of tulips in front of the Grand Hotel


The National Monument in Dam Square commemorating those lost during the Second World and these who were enslaved by the Nazi's


The Royal Palace, everything came to a halt as a diplomatic motorcade arrived at the palace.


"The New Church" which is the location for Royal Weddings, 
Coronations and exhibitions.



  

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