Amsterdam: Venice of the North

Amsterdam is the beautiful capital city of The Netherlands and there are almost one million people currently living there. The city attracts more than eight million tourists every year, making it the most visited destination in The Netherlands by far.

Amsterdam has a vast number of canals running throughout the city, meaning it’s often dubbed the Venice of the North. There are more than one hundred kilometres of canals, almost one hundred islands and around 1,500 bridges.

The architecture in Amsterdam is fascinating. There are several narrow, luxurious canal houses with opulent facades; look closely and you’ll see that they’re tilting to the side as the ground shifts under the weight of the building it’s supporting. Quirks like this one give the city such delightful character and make it utterly charming.

Thanks to the massive number of canals and bridges within the city, the easiest and most popular way to get around is by bicycle. It is estimated that more than 60% of the residents of Amsterdam use their bike on a daily basis, and renting one is a great way for tourists to get around. Blend in with the locals and get around the city quickly using the dedicated bike lanes to see much more of Amsterdam than you can on foot.

Nightlife is synonymous with Amsterdam, and the hedonistic atmosphere brings young travellers from all corners of the globe to party in its world-famous nightclubs. The city also hosts more than 300 festivals each and every year, attracting thousands of visitors. There are cultural, music, culinary, and sporting festivals and various others.

No visit to Amsterdam would be complete without taking a boat ride down some of the canals and marvelling at the city from this different perspective. There are many short boat tours that are perfect for those who’d like to see Amsterdam from the water.

If you visit Amsterdam between March and May then a visit to Keukenhof Gardens, a short drive from the city, is an absolute must. There are more than seven million flowers in bloom in these beautifully manicured landscape gardens and the effect is dazzling.

Amsterdam is an incredibly accessible city by land, sea and air. Why not charter a private jet to Amsterdam with Chapman Freeborn and arrive in style. The closest airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is just 10 miles from the city and can be reached quickly by train and car. Lelystad Airport and Hilversum Airport are also both within 35 miles of the city.

Images courtesy of Moyan Brenn