People go to this cosmopolitan city for many reasons - it's a capital of commerce, culture and fun. Amsterdam is nourished by a wealth of museums, concert halls and avant-garde theatre and dance venues, and its relaxed and tolerant attitudes draw those looking for a creative, anything-goes atmosphere. Large number of beautiful tree-lined canals are bordered by streets with rows of narrow, gabled houses and 17th century warehouses, making Amsterdam a architectural treasure-house. At three-quarters of a million inhabitants, Amsterdam is much smaller (but no less interesting) than many European capitals, and much of the city centre can be comfortably explored on foot. It's a dazzling city to visit and an easy city to learn to know, for almost everyone speaks English.

Amsterdam is a network of canals with intersecting streets ad squares that anchor major areas of interest and help to orient visitors. Marking the centre of the city is venerable Dam Square, dominated by the Royal Palace (used today for ceremonial occasions only), historic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church - new in the 15th century, that is) and the World War II National Monument. Another major square, Museumplein, lies to the south and west. It's bordered by major art museums, the US Consulate and the Concertgebouw, with its near perfect acoustics. Upscale shopping streets, such as Nieuwe Spiegelstraat with a host of antiques shops, lead away from it. Nearby Leidseplein is a third important square frequented by tourists who seek out its theatres, restaurants and night-spots.

The canals, many of them under a canopy of arching trees and lined with gracious homes and colourful houseboats, wrap around the historic city centre in a series of semicircles. The oldest and innermost canal is the Singel, embracing the Dam Square area. Curving around beyond it are three other significant canals, each forming a wider semicircle than the one inside it: the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. Intersecting the canals are smaller cross-canals and streets.

The Amstel River cuts a broad swath through much of the city. On the east is the old Jewish Quarter, largely rebuilt, and the Waterlooplein, with the flea market and 12-year old Stopera (city hall and opera). West of the major canals is the Jordaan, built in the 1700's for the working class and now an enclave of boutiques, restaurants and artists' lofts.

These panoramas are each approximately 150K in size and have been compressed for the internet - to see the original high quality panoramas you should buy the cities of Europe CD which has 450 different movies for you to see.

N.B: Each of the Panoramas will open in a second window and so to avoid confusion we advise you to close the window before you choose another panorama.


Panorama One

Panorama Two

Panorama Three

Panorama Four

Panorama Five

Panorama Six


Camelot International have a number of high quality hotels and apartments that you may wish to view. All the properties are available for you to book through the internet at very compettitive prices and all bookings over three nights will receive a free copy of the "Cities of Europe" CD.


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