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Home › Articles › International Travel › Amazing Amsterdam

Amazing Amsterdam

Gateway to the Arts and Trades

By Tara McLellan

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Perched on the northern edge of Europe, along a convergence of rivers and the North Sea, the city of Amsterdam has grown to become one of the most exciting and prosperous cities in the Netherlands, in Europe and in the world. From its world-famous port to its collection of top museums and cultural centers, open markets, beautiful canals and influential roots in world history, there are seemingly endless reasons to visit this city.

The City's History
Beginning as a tiny fishing village some 700 years ago, the city soon grew to attract trade, industry, the arts and foreign visitors, many of whom decided never to leave. Trade began in earnest with the importation of beer and a competitive edge in the herring trade. Soon the city became a center of commerce with the trade of imported wood, grains, iron-ore, furs, cod and spices.

Along with its busy port, the city developed a supporting economy to service the business community and international trade with professions such as cartography, printing, banking and insurance. The city blossomed into, and remains to this day, the biggest in the Netherlands.

The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of building, as the city saw an economic boom under the Dutch East Indies Company, a collection of shipping companies that traded in exotic imports from the Indies and Americas. The city's noted network of canals was constructed and buildings grew tall. Poets, playwrights, artists and philosophers moved in as the culture of the young grew. Amsterdam became the nominal and cultural capital of the Netherlands, although the seat of government would be moved to the Hague.

The beginning of the 20th century saw war and change as the country suffered through both world wars, the deportation of vast numbers of the city's Jewish community under Nazi rule and the upheaval of the entire economy after Germany's surrender in 1945. With peace restored, the city emerged once again as a center for trade, travel and culture. Schiphol airport was developed as one of the busiest, and best run, European airports. Meanwhile, the Port of Amsterdam follows in the city's grand tradition as one of the largest premiere ports in the world.

The City Today
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