NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is situated opposite the Royal Palace and approximately 10 miles from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. It is surrounded by department stores, boutiques, and shopping alleys. Numerous sights, museums, and theaters in the historic city center are within walking distance. Hotel amenities include the private landing dock for boats, the two restaurants, and the lounge ...more
With its characteristic canals - surrounded by narrow, low, crooked 17th century houses - Amsterdam is, without doubt, one of the most charming capital cities in Europe. Here, you do your sightseeing trip by boat, the shops are small and offer personal service, and the cafes often have tables on the pavement, facing the water.
With a rich cultural life and wide range of entertainment, Amsterdam is a full-scale capital city which has managed to retain its small-town feel.
A look at the map of the city shows that there are almost as many canals in the centre as there are streets. While most streets look more like alleys - short and narrow - the canals are much wider. For this reason, not many Amsterdam residents drive a car in the city; it is easier to travel round by boat or tram. Apart from this, bicycles are the most popular and practical means of transport in Amsterdam but it is also an excellent city to explore by foot.
Admittedly, you can easily get lost in Amsterdam, where the streets wind round like threads in a spider's web - but there is nowhere else that is so pleasant to get lost in! Beautiful house facades, tulip sellers, street musicians and crowds of people are Amsterdam in a nutshell. Wandering aimlessly between the Central Station and Vondelpark is an entertainment all by itself.
Anybody looking for serious entertainment will not be disappointed. In recent years, increasing numbers of modern restaurants and bars have opened in areas such as Jordaan and De Pijp, even though Leidseplein still has the densest concentration of restaurants.
Present-day Amsterdam is more about cocktails in modern lounges, but the national mentality is extremely liberal and social. Here, everybody can be themselves and still fit in.
