Modern Amsterdam, perfectly preserved the appearance of the Middle Ages, is the largest financial and industrial center in Europe. It houses the offices of many international organizations, banks and corporations. The industrial power of the capital, represented by aircraft and shipbuilding, chemical, wood and oil refining industries, provides the city and the country with financial well-being. In addition, the city is considered the European center for high-quality diamond cutting and trade, which brings him considerable income.
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- Self-Guided Tour of Amsterdam: Attractions
Amsterdam is a popular tourist capital of Europe, where hundreds of thousands of tourists come every year who have something to see here.
Main railway station building
A self-guided tour of the center of such a city-monument is not only very interesting in terms of cognition, but also a lot of aesthetic pleasure. The starting point of the journey is the magnificent building of the main railway station of the capital, designed by two prominent architects Kuipers and Adolf van Gendt in the 80s of the 19th century.
This huge building is a real neo-Renaissance castle, combining a work of architectural art and a universal transport facility of the city. From here you can go anywhere in the world by long-distance trains; tram and bus routes start here; near metro station and taxi rank. Those wishing to make a water cruise along the canals also leave from here. Pryvokzalnaya Square is a place for impromptu concerts of various musicians and not only: there are all sorts of swindlers and pickpockets here who must beware.
The majestic building of the railway station, crowned with gabled spiers of clock towers, rows of arched windows, arouses the sincere admiration of everyone who arrives here.
Schreierstoren Tower
The next object that deserves the attention of tourists is the Schreierstoren tower, built in 1487 as a fortress. It was installed in the place where the wall protecting the city turned at an acute (schray) angle, hence the name of the tower. There is another, more sentimental version of this: here the wives saw off their husbands who were sailing and cried, so the tower got its name from the word "schreien" - to cry. During the period of hostilities, it served as a reliable defensive outpost of the city.
Now the Streyerstoren tower is a unique monument of medieval architecture, on the walls of which there are memorial plaques with the names of the famous navigators and discoverers of the Englishman Hudson and the Dutchman Barents. The first discovered the Hudson River and Manhattan Island, the second organized an expedition to India across the northern seas.
Church of St. Nicholas
The entire central street of the capital of the Netherlands, along which the excursion takes place, is a kind of attraction, where literally every building is a memorable testimony of the distant and close past. The Church of St. Nicholas is a religious symbol of Amsterdam, a temple of the Catholic faith, a place of pilgrimage for city residents and tourists, located in the very center of the main Damrak street. The main entrance leads from the street, and from the side of the temple, a beautiful panorama of the canal opens with a picturesque bridge over it, from which tourists inspect the church and the buildings adjacent to it.
Built in 1885-87. the architectural shrine embodied the features of two styles of that era - neo-Renaissance and neo-baroque. Three spiers of the church are crowned with crosses, two of them are located on the front towers, between which there is a round rose window. The third is on a massive octagonal tower in the background. The statue of St. Nicholas is located in the upper niche of the pediment. In the round stained-glass window below there is a bas-relief depicting Christ and the four evangelists.
The recent restoration "refreshed" the interior of the temple, decorated with sculptures of saints, stucco, wall paintings, illuminated by huge stained glass windows. The restored 19th century organ allows concerts of organ music to be held here, making a deep impression on those present. The chapels of Mary and Joseph are equipped in the corner niches as a sign of respect and reverence for the parents of the Savior.
Dam Square
If you walk along Damrak to the intersection with Rocky Street, you can find yourself on Dam Square - the most significant historical site in Amsterdam, because this rectangular parade ground was formed on the site of the former dam that gave rise to the city. Over time, its (dam) territory expanded, rammed and gradually became a flat place surrounded by the buildings of the future capital under construction.
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The dam has become its "heart" - the central Dam Square, where historical buildings and other attractions are located. On the western side of the square are the Royal Palace, the New Church - an example of the Gothic of the 15th century. To the southeast is the famous, infamous Red Light District. In the northern part, everyone sees a symbol of grateful memory - a Stele in honor of the Dutch who died in the war of the 40s. Here you can also admire the splendor of the architecture of the Krasnopolsky Grand Hotel and the huge Benkorf supermarket. Day and evening, the square is always filled with people looking at architectural monuments and feeding flocks of pigeons.
Berlage Stock Exchange Building
A popular tourist attraction is the Berlage Stock Exchange building. The long red brick structure embodies the Art Deco style. The author of the project was a native of Amsterdam, whose name the stock exchange bears, who in his brainchild reflected the principle of rationalism in architecture: austerity, laconic lines, a minimum of designer decorations, the natural beauty of bricks. The monotony of the brick walls is broken by decorative seams painted with white paint, giving them a festive look.
This style has become very common in the world; similar decor can be seen in Russia, France and other European countries. Three arched front entrances, a bas-relief above them, rows of narrow windows make the building look like an architectural object of medieval Gothic. One of the corners of the building is marked by a monument to the defender of Amsterdam, the national hero of the Dutch - the valiant knight Geisbrecht, sung in the Vondel drama Geisbrecht van Amstel.
Monument to Jan Kuhn
The second corner of the Stock Exchange is occupied by a monument to another national hero of the Netherlands - Jan Kuhn, an admiral who established the colonial rule of the Dutch in Indonesia, which played an important role in the economic prosperity of the state. The niche of the facade immortalizes the memory of the author of historical books about the state, a famous lawyer who played an important role in legitimizing the wars of conquest by the Netherlands - Grotius Hugo.
Statue Attacking Bull
On the square in front of the stock exchange, there is an expressive statue "Attacking Bull", made in black. It was created by the talented American sculptor, Italian Arturo Di Modica, famous for his "sculptural bulls" standing in 5 cities around the world. Full of fierce strength, the mighty black bronze bull is a symbol of the importance and energetic unpredictability of the stock market.
At present, the building of the former stock exchange houses various entertainment establishments, the thematic museum “Stock Exchange Berlage”. It hosts significant celebrations and receptions. An important marriage ceremony took place here between Prince Willem of the Netherlands and Maxima, a citizen of Argentina.
A self-guided tour of the center of Amsterdam allows you to fully experience the flavor of the ancient streets of the ancient city, imbued with the spirit of the Middle Ages, and see the wonderful modernity of the prosperous European capital.
