Notre Dame de Paris, also known as Notre Dame Cathedral - Paris (France)
Tour of European capitals Part I - Amsterdam (Holland/The Netherlands):
A tour of European capitals, started as a work journey and then, why not, continued as a pleasure one.
I had to attend to a meeting in Amsterdam on the 13th, so I hopped onto my trustworthy Audi A4 and drove for a whole 14 hours in a row. After crossing Switzerland (damn be th1 110 km/h limit of their motorways), all of Germany (no limit yeah, but often not much faster because of the bad weather, bad roads and some 120 km/h limited areas) and a good deal of Holland, we finally reached AMS.
Amsterdam is a very singular city: traditional and monumental on one side, it's very "open" on the other. It's a place I wouldn't reccomend being out while it's dark
Amsterdam(Holland/The Netherlands)
Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city, which had a population (including suburbs) of 1.36 million on 1 January 2008, comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.
Its name is derived from Amstellerdam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed. The seventeenth-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.
The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2010, Amsterdam was ranked 13th globally on quality of living by Mercer, and previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, Anne Frank House, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually.
Sightseeing/Tourist attractions in Amsterdam(Holland/The Netherlands)
♦Church of St Nicholas (Sint Nicolaaskerk - Amsterdam)
The Sint Nicolaaskerk (Church of St. Nicholas) is a Roman Catholic church in the centre of Amsterdam.
Officially the church was called St. Nicholas inside the Walls, i.e. the oldest part of the Amsterdam defence works. The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912) designed the church basing himself on a combination of several revival styles of which Neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance are the most prominent models.
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with more than a billion members. Its leader is the Pope who is head of the College of Bishops. A communion of the Western church and 22 Eastern Catholic churches, it comprised a total of 2,795 dioceses in 2008.The Church defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity. It operates social programs and institutions throughout the world including schools, universities, hospitals, missions, shelters and charities.
The Sint Nicolaaskerk (Church of St. Nicholas) - Amsterdam
♦Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam)
The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of four palaces in the Netherlands which is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. The palace was built as city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century. The building became the royal palace of king Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal House. It is situated in the west side of Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk.
♦Dam Square/the Dam (De Dam - Amsterdam)
Dam Square, or simply the Dam (Dutch: de Dam) is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city.
Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 meters south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 meters from west to east and about 100 meters from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the AmstelMuntplein (Mint Square) and Munttoren. The Dam also marks the endpoint of other well-traveled streets, Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main red-light district, de Wallen. River from Centraal Station to
On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone. The square abounds with city pigeons, popular for birdfeeding.
The Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) and Dam Square(de Dam) in Amsterdam
♦The Venice of the North -Amsterdam City Canals (Amsterdamse grachten)
Amsterdam has been called the "Venice of the North" for its more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. The 17th-century canal ring area inside the Singelgracht is put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
"Venice of the North" - Amsterdam
♦ Leaning buildings in Amsterdam
These buildings on the picture are actually leaning dramatically and it's fairly common in Amsterdam.
A leaning building - Amsterdam
♦ Windmill in Amsterdam (Windmolen - Amsterdam)
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails. The main use is for a grinding mill powered by the wind, reducing a solid or coarse substance into pulp or minute grains, by crushing, grinding, or pressing. Windmills have also provided energy to sawmills, paper mills, hammermills, and windpumps for obtaining fresh water from underground or for drainage (especially of land below sea level).
Comments
Gigi
Bellissime foto...
biebs172
Amsterdam > Paris
Weed ooOOo!~
jackerxx
hahah I was just going to say...beautiful country...horrible world cup team.
jasondarulooo
ne1l007
apes2008forever
joaopedrolevy
C'est la plus belle ville dans tout le monde! J'aime Paris! Vive la France!
John
That's impressive man, 14 hrs driving, Id go nuts!!!!!!!!!!!