Amsterdam Is A Watery European Destination

If you're thinking about a vacation to the Netherlands, making some time for a visit to Amsterdam has to be on your itinerary. Vacationers to Amsterdam constantly report that the city is not only attractive to look at, but also presents a great deal of enjoyment simply walking around its beautiful canals while patronizing its intimate cafes.

It is the most water-laced city in the world where canals and harbors take up at least one-fourth of its surface area. Amsterdam's waterways have defined its very being as well as contributing to its continued growth.

A City Holding Back the Sea: Amsterdam is founded in about 1251 when the "Dam" that was built to hold back the Southern Sea was constructed and contributed to its name. Originally called "Aeme Stelle Redamme," this Medieval Dutch phrase actually means "dam in a watery area."

Although the original Dam is still visible in the heart of the city, more and more land throughout the centuries was regained from the sea and the former barrier that was placed between the River Amstel and the Southern Sea is now land-locked. In fact, the last piece of the river that led to the Dam was finally given over to land traffic in 1922. There is a subway line being built in the old riverbed today.

Canals Turn Into Pathways: Originally, the first canals were built for both water management and city defense. But, as the city expanded during the Middle Ages, the successive defense waterways wound up inside the city walls losing their function yet acquiring a new one - local transportation.

A system of water-borne transportation was created that allowed placement of commercial warehouses along old waterways where trading goods could be stored until they were transported to a harbor full of ships that sailed out to all far flung points of the globe. Amsterdam became known as a world-class shipping and commerce capital.

English Is Spoken: Cities in the Netherlands, specifically Amsterdam, take pride in the fact that their citizens are multilingual. Most everyone speaks fluent English, plus some also speak German and French as well. The ability for Amsterdam citizens to communicate with English-speaking people has also influenced the city being a choice location for traveling tourists from North America and the United Kingdom.

In fact, many young people from the nearby United Kingdom are known to take holidays in Amsterdam renting vacation apartments as a way to maximize their holiday spending money.

A Tolerant Society: Amsterdam has always been a popular vacation destination in Europe for young people due to its extremely high tolerance for various nontraditional forms of behavior and dress. Amsterdam has always been noted as a place for the sale and possession of cannabis, which has been decriminalized.

Along with a generous spattering of nighttime activity, this wide-open ability to be genially acceptable to young partiers has given the city this reputation for welcoming all sorts of people.

Many people who have vacation in Amsterdam reflect that the city possesses great charm because it is a far cry from most European city centers producing a great deal of noise and traffic. This also makes the city one of the most popular vacation destinations in all of Europe where vacation rental apartments can make your stay feel as if at home.