Amsterdam

With around 750,000 inhabintants, 600,000 bicycles (almost one per person), 400 km of cycle paths, 6 windmills, 2,500 houseboats, some 200 coffee-shops, over 50 museums and more ... Amstersdam is a world capital full of surprises.
One of the most multicultural cities in Europe, 34.5% of its citizens are non-western immigrants, Amsterdam is also well known for its tolerance. You will certainly find plenty things to do in this vibrant and innovative city where the old caresses the new in the most stunning ways.

The Koninklijk Paleis and the Nieuwe Kerk

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands that is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Ac of Parliament. In the 71th century, the palace was built as city hall and became the royal palace of king Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal House. The Palace is open to the public but has ever been closed for renovations since 8 September 2005 until June 2009.

Right next to the Palace is De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), a very famous exhibitions hall. with hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, the church is one of the most attended exhibition locations in the Netherlands. It presents large-scale exhibitions on treasures from other countries, cultures and religions (recent exhibitions include treasures of Turkey and Arghanistan). The coronations of the Head of State as well as the national Remembrance of the Dead service take place in this church. Important royal events that took place in the Nieuwe Kerk include the inauguration in 1980 of Queen Beatrix and the wedding between the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima in 2002

National Monument

This white stone pillar was  built in 1956 in memory of the victims of the Second World War. Designed by Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud, the monument statues of men, woman and child, and men and dogs symbolize respectively war, peace and resistance. There are 12 urns at the rear containing earth from the 11 provinces and from the Dutch West Indies. The Dam becomes a central place during the national "Dodenherdenking" (Remembrance of the Dead) held anually on May 4 in the netherlands. SInce 1961, it also commemorates the victims of wars and peacekeeping missions that took place after World War II.

The Red Light District

Many people come here to see the prostitues displaying themselves under neon lights. You can also buy toys at the various sex shops and watch a live shows. But this place has more to offer and we suggest you look at the architecture, as it is a very nice part of the town.

A few tips here though: don't take photos of the prostitutes and don't talk to drug dealers. Besides that, the red light district is a safer place than what we might think, being crowded with tourists as well as locals. Aside from the plenty sex shops, the erotic museum, the hash and marijuana museum, you can also visit one of the several "clandestine" Catholic churces at the Museum Amstelkring, also housing a rich collection of Catholic art.

Nieuwmarkt

Nieuwmarkt and it's neighborhood is a very lively place full of restaurant and shops, lots of them Chinese.

The Zeedijk, its major street, hosts Europe's first Chinese Imperial style Buddhis temple: Guan Yin Shrine.

On the Nieuwmarkt Square you will see the Waag (Weigh House), a bar-restaurant today, it was part of the city fortifications.

You will discover many more sights as you walk down the Antoniesbreestraat until you reach the Waterlooplein: the Zuiderkerk, the Pintohuis (Openbare bilbiotheek), the Museum Het Rembrandthuis, the Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum, and the Stopera (City Hall and Music Theatre on the Amstel)

Zuiderkerk

Hendrick de Keyser has built the Zuiderkerk "Southern Church" in 1603-11. The tower dates from 1614. it was the city's first church built specifically for Prostentant services. Claude Monet has painted the Zuiderkerk and three of Rembrandt's CHildren were buried here (hos hiuse is very near the church on the Jodenbreestraat). The church, which now houses the city government office, the Municipal Centre for Physical Planning and Public Housing, is open to visitors.

 Waterlooplein

Everyday of the week except on Sunday, there is a Flea Market on the Waterlooplein, selling a wide range of goods. It was originally the site of the major Jewish flea market. Prices are a bit higher than at other markets but it's worth a wander.

Right next to the square of Amstel is Stopera, hosting the city hall and the Muziektheater, the latter is the city's opera which offers a high quality program all year round.

The Amstel and around
  

From Waterlooplein, if you walk south on the Amstel, cross the Blauwburg -the Parisian looking bridge on the Amstel, you will arrive to the Rembrandtplein. There are plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars around the square.

if you have time to go to the movies in Amsterdam, choose the Pathé Tuschinki, an amzing Art Nouveau theatre that will send you right back to the twenties.

Negen Straatjes

Bounded by Reestraat, Hertenstraat and Gasthuismolenstraat to the north, Prinsengracht to thw west, Singel to the east and Runstraat, Huidenstraat and Wijde Heisteeg to the South, this area forms the nine "Straatjes" (Little streets). this is an exquisite place for shopping and eating, full of independent shops (designers, antiques, fashion, vintage...), caterers, restaurants, cafés and pubs. A must see and taste.

Jordaan

Once a district for the poor, the Jordaan is today a very praised neighborhood home to many art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants. Markets are held regularly at Noordermarkt, the Westerstraat (the Lapjesmarkt textile market) and Lindengracht. Also located on the edge of this area is the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht. Rembrandt spent the last years of his life here, on the Rozengracht, and was buried in the Westerkerk. On the northern west part of the district is the Haarleemerstraat, also a very nice and busy street with a great diversity of stores, bars and cafés.

 Museumplein

Heart of the arts, the museum square is surrounded not only with some the most important museums in the world: The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum, but also with world-class music hall Concertgebouw. You can spend your whole day wandering from one masterpiece to another, and then end up listening to the finest classical piece by the best performers and orchestras in the world.

ook mijn vriend, dit is het ...
dank u voor het lezen over mijn Precious land.
Ik hoop dat je het leuk vindt en bezoek amsterdam ..

Brussels

Brussels, the capital of Belgium and home to may European Union institutions. Brussels is a bilingual city (Flemish and French) enclaved within the Northern (Flemish) part of Belgium.
In recent decades, the arrival of European officials as well as of immigrants and refugees from all over the world have made it a bustling town with a very colourful, varied population, but also one with increasing traffic and parking problems. But fortunately, there are spaces and parks where anyone can find some quiet and rest away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Town Hall Tower

The Town Hall Tower is located in the Grand Place, the Medieval Market Square, in front of the Brussels Town Hall. The tower, in pure Gothic style, dates from the 15th century. The tower is topped by a gilt statue of St. Michael, the city's patron saint, fighting the dragon. Legend has it that the architect Jean Van Ruysbroeck, commited suicide beacuse the porch looked badly centered. it is a fact that the two wings of the town hall are not of equal size, because they were not built at the same time, and for the same reason, the gate is not in the middle of the tower.

The Maison du Roi

This pretty building is called the King's House in French, but no king has ever lived there. In Flemish it is more appropriately called Broodhuis (Bread House), attesting to the fact that at one time it used to be the Baker's Hall. It was subsequently rebuilt to house the administrative offices of Charles V. It is here that the martyrs of the Reformation, Henry Voes and Jean Van eschen as well as Egmont and Hornes were executed. Today, it hosts the Museum of the City of Brussels.

Manneken Pis

One of the Popular sights in Brussels is Duquenoy's sculpture of a little boy relieving his bladder, called Manneken Pis. There are several anecdotes about the origins of the statue. One of them say that the little boy was found resorting to his natural kind of fire-extinguisher to douse an arsonist's fuse, thus saving part of the town from what might have been a murderous fire at the time when many houses were still built in wood. Most tourists expect a large statue; actually, it is hardly 2 ft tall. But the shops around the statue sell copies in all sizes and substances. Brusselers find it a bit surprising that while the city has so many beautiful things to show, it is this little statue that proves to be one of its major tourist attractions. Manneken Pis has a whole wardrobe of costumes. Famous foreign visitors and heads of state will sometimes thoughtfully offer him a suit of clothes. The costumes are displayed at the Brussels Historical Museum at the Grand Place.

The Galeries Saint Hubert

The Galeries Saint Hubert, built in 1846, feature luxury shops and cafés, a famous tavern, a cinema and a theater. They provide a link between the surroudings of the Town Hall Square and the National Opera. Smaller side galleries are the universe of antiquarians and librarians.

Saint Michael's Cathedral

The Gothic cathedral of Saint Michael is known to Brusselers as Sainte-Gudule (an apocyphal saint). In front of, a statue of the late king Baudouin, who was loved as a symbol of national unity in a country divided by ethnic and linguistic strife between Flemings and Walloons.

The King's Palace

The King's Palace, built near the Brussels Park, hosts the King's offices and services and plays a mainly ceremonial role. The King and Queen's residence is a palace just outside town, linked to the centre of town by means of the Royal Avenue. The Belgian flag, black, yellow and red, flies from the palace when the king is in the country.

The Flea Market

In the centre of the Marolles quarter we can find the Brussels Flea Market. This is where the real Brussels dialect, a strange mixture of Flemish and Belgian French, can still be heard at times; though like much of the rest of Brussels, it has become very international.

Place de Brouckére

In the centre of town, at the meeting-point of two large downtown avenues, Brouckére is a busy spot, alive with commercial and cultural activity both during the daytime and at night. It is the home of the Metropole Hotel, Famous for its Art Nouveau dcoration.

Rue de la Loi

The Rue de la Loi (Law Street) is one of the main inroads into central Brussels, and is chronically congested and polluted : in the morning by people going to work, in the evening by people seeking recreation downtown, and on weekends by trucks and cranes attending to various bulding sites. This narrow-looking urban canyon, lined with the buildings of the EU, corporations, banks and insurance companies, leads straight from the European quarter to the government quarter, and beyond that into the city centre. Recently, the five lanes of the street have been reduced to four in an attempt to "humanize" the street and make room for pedestrians, cyclists and the handicapped.

The Free University of Brussels

The University of Brussels was founded in 1834 by the Freemasons as a non-confessional alternative to the Catholic University of Louvain. The hall and tower in the picture, now part of the main library, were built between the two World Wars in a style of reminiscent of American colleges. Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, where the University was built, was the site of the 1905 World Fair. The statue in the foreground is of Theodore Verhaegen, the founder of the University. Every year, on November 20th, students celebrate the birth of their University by a noisy, beery parade in the centre of town.

dus dat was mijn reis naar Brussel.
hoewel ik ga er gewoon voor een nacht, ik nog steeds genieten er echt van.

Ik hoop dat je het leuk vindt