Amsterdam Overview

Amsterdam, being the capital of Netherlands, has myriad of canals, and is now one of the world's most accessible and top tourist attractions.

The city of Amsterdam is rather compact and offers a truly unique experience, with all its different races and religions living harmoniously together.

Amsterdam is filled with bicycles, tourists, house-boats, students, and street performers. The city also boasts more trees per square metre than any other capital in Europe.

There are world-famous museums containing the works of Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and 17th- and 18th-century gabled houses that line the waterways, through to the house where Anne Frank hid during World War II, and the infamous Amsterdam red light district. This is a real, living and breathing metropolis, not just an oasis for tourists, those who like 'a smoke' and men in search of extra-marital sex.

Amsterdam facts and figures

Area : 166 square km

Population : almost 735,500

Time zone : GMT/UTC +1

Electricity : 220 - 240 volts, electrical sockets have two round holes

Average January temp : 3.3°C (38°F)

Average July temp : 16.6°C (62°F)

Annual rainfall : 815mm (32.1 inches)

Airports : Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Country Dialing Code : 31

Area Code : 20

Parks : 28