Wednesday, December 31 2014, 12:50PM
What many visitors of Amsterdam don't know is that there is no public transport in the Netherlands between 8pm and midnight on New Year's Eve.
Trains, buses, metros, ferries and trams in Amsterdam stop their services after 8pm.
The exception in Amsterdam is the [....]
Friday, December 26 2014, 7:47PM
The Dutch Railways will decrease the number of trains tomorrow (Saturday December 27), because of the expected snow.
The measusre is intended to create 'space' in the timetable to deal with delays, because of the expected weather conditions.
About 50% of all train [....]
Wednesday, December 24 2014, 12:23PM
The City of Amsterdam has published an official information film about the 'killer coke', the cocaine that is really heroin, and that caused three deaths in Amsterdam recently.
It advises to ignore street dealers, to avoid any risks.
The film also explains the [....]
Thursday, December 18 2014, 3:30PM
The City of Amsterdam has made a tax deal with the apartment rental website Airbnb.
Airbnb is going to levy tourist tax for all rentals in Amsterdam, and pay it to the City of Amsterdam.
It is the first such tax deal of Airbnb with a city outside the United [....]
Monday, December 15 2014, 12:00AM
The Illuminade (part of the Amsterdam Light Festival) has opened for the public.
The Illuminade consists of a number of light art works, that are placed outside. In the information kiosk in front of the City Hall / Opera House (see map below) you can get a map with a [....]
Sunday, December 14 2014, 11:24PM
The new train schedule for 2015 (which started today) means Schiphol Airport is connected with Amsterdam every night.
In the night, there is a train between Amsterdam Central Station and Schiphol Airport every hour. The connection is a direct connection and takes only [....]
Saturday, December 06 2014, 4:49PM
In Amsterdam it is now possible to buy cheap (E 2,-) test kits, to test if the cocaine you bought contains heroin.
Recently, 3 tourists have died after using white heroin that was sold as cocaine, and 14 persons have been hospitalized (but survived).
Amsterdam [....]
Tuesday, December 02 2014, 11:52PM
Amsterdam is stepping up its efforts to warn tourists to Amsterdam about the fake cocaine that is being sold, and which has caused 3 casualties up till now.
Today the City of Amsterdam has sent out a mass text message to tourists' mobile phones, about the dangerous [....]
Thursday, November 27 2014, 9:48PM
It has become sort of a tradition: the Amsterdam Light Festival has started for the 3rd year in a row, after two successful editions.
The ALF 2014/2015 lasts until January 19 2015.
The Festival consists of two main parts:
1. Water Colours (the boat route)
During [....]
Thursday, November 27 2014, 12:49AM
Two British tourist have been found dead in a hotel room in Amsterdam South. The Amsterdam health department put up electronic warning signpost in fron of Central Station.
The police say it is likely they died of using white heroine, that was sold as cocaine.
Earlier [....]
Thursday, November 20 2014, 11:05AM
Tonight at 7pm starts the traditional turning on of the holiday season illumination of the Bijenkorf department store, with a light show and street theatre.
The will be accompanied by street theater company La Fura dels Baus.
'The turning on the lights' event is held [....]
Monday, November 17 2014, 6:47PM
Today the yearly Michelin stars list for 2015 was published. It shows that Amsterdam keeps on getting more restaurants with a star, with more stars, every year for 6 years on a row.
The 2010 Michelin guide listed 5 restaurants in Amsterdam, with 6 stars. Since then, [....]
Saturday, November 15 2014, 8:11PM
Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, will arrive in Amsterdam again this Sunday (November 16).
The yearly Sinterklaas parade in Amsterdam is the largest world-wide.
Sinterklaas is an age-old Dutch tradition, at which children get presents. Sinterklaas is [....]
Monday, November 10 2014, 10:20AM
Today is a national commemoration service for the victims of the MH17 plane crash of July 17.
The service is held in the RAI Conference Center in Amsterdam, in the presence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
298 Persons who died in the crash in Ukraine will [....]
Monday, November 03 2014, 5:27PM
The Amsterdam GGD (the health department) has issued a warning against buying cocaine from street dealers.
About 10 tourists became sick after buying cocaine from street dealers. The GGD has found that some 'cocaine' is really white heroin. If you think you take [....]
Tuesday, October 28 2014, 4:45PM
The EYE Filminstituut has restored some very old movie footage about Amsterdam. The movies are published on YouTube.
The films date from the early 20th century, some as early as 1900.
Beautiful Amsterdam (
Read More
Saturday, October 25 2014, 12:44PM
At 3 o'clock in the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clock will go back one hour.
This means the 2014 summertime (daylight saving time) has ended again.
The summertime always ends in the last weekend of October, in the night from Saturday to Sunday.
The [....]
Tuesday, October 21 2014, 10:16PM
As of today, a smoking ban has become effective for all pubs and bars in the Netherlands.
Smoking was already prohibited in most places (bars, restaurants, hotels, etc.), but an exception was made for small cafes without staff and a maximum floor space of 70 [....]
Monday, October 20 2014, 4:51PM
A 41-year old woman died after visiting the Amsterdam Dance Event. She is the third victim.
She too probably died of drugs, possibly polluted XTC. The police have warned against polluted XTC, and advise that if you possess any XTC to either throw it away or have it [....]
Sunday, October 19 2014, 5:36PM
Last night, 2 visitors of ADE events have died. They both probably died because of drugs use.
One man from Serbia (aged 33) died after leaving Club Lite. The other victim was a 21-year old Dutch man who visited an ADE event in the Westergasfabriek grounds.
ADE is [....]
Wednesday, October 15 2014, 10:03PM
Amsterdam will be the scene of numerous dance parties and events, this coming weekend.
The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has developed into the world's most important get-together for dance music.
Music creators from all over the world come to Amsterdam to meet, do [....]
Monday, October 13 2014, 11:23AM
Last weekend, 4 UberPOP drivers have been arrested in Amsterdam, while they offered taxi services deemed illegal.
Taxi drivers in Amsterdam need to have a license, and UberPOP drivers don't have a license. The taxi app UberPop (part of Uber) provides a platform for [....]
Wednesday, October 01 2014, 9:16AM
Today is the start of the 'Drie Dwaze Dagen' in the Bijenkorf department store.
Drie Dwaze Dagen ('Three Crazy Days') is a yearly shopping event in the Bijenkorf department stores. Every day there are special discounts on many items, and like every every year the [....]
Tuesday, September 30 2014, 5:04PM
Today, Queen Máxima opened the new museum Micropia, in Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. The museum is located on a new square, Artisplein, given to the city by Artis Zoo.
Micropia is about the invisible life on and in your bodies: microbes, bacteria, viruses etc. Micropia [....]
Tuesday, September 16 2014, 11:26AM
Sofia Asgari was a sensation on 'Holland's Got Talent', and now she will perform in Amsterdam, on September 20.
September 20 is the second edition of the free open-air classical music festival 'Klassiek op het Amstelveld'.
One of the main performances will be by the [....]
Thursday, August 28 2014, 3:43PM
Friday evening, August 29, is the start of the annual Uitmarkt Amsterdam, which celebrates the start of the cultural season.
The Uitmarkt consists of many (samples) of shows that are scheduled for the new season. These shows are in principle all for free (this means [....]
Saturday, August 23 2014, 10:21AM
Today is the traditional main event of the Grachten Festival: the open-air concert in the Prinsengracht, near the Pulitzer hotel.
On a floating pontoon in the canal, the Georgian violonist Lisa Batiashvili and her husband the French hobo player François Leleux will [....]
Wednesday, August 13 2014, 9:32AM
The first Prada shop of the Netherlands has opened in Amsterdam, in the P.C. Hooftstraat.
At last, the fashionistas will be able to buy Prada clothes and accessories in Amsterdam, at the corner of P.C.Hooftstraat and Honthorstraat (P.C. Hooft number 63H to be [....]
Tuesday, August 12 2014, 11:36AM
Since a few weeks, you can not only store your luggage at the Central Station of Amsterdam, but there is also DropandGo.
The service appears to be an instant success. Tourists can leave their luggage here while they are waiting to check in their accommodation, or [....]
Monday, August 04 2014, 6:57PM
The famous water lily Victoria Amazonica flowers this evening, in the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus.
For the occasion, the botanical garden is open from 7 to 11 pm. The Hortus only knows the afternoon before when the Victoria will flower, and not always is it possible to [....]
Saturday, August 02 2014, 9:04AM
Today (August 2) is the most important event of the Amsterdam Gay Pride Week, the Canal Parade.
The parade is a long line of 80 decorated boats, each with their own theme. The parade follows the route along the entire Prinsengracht (starting at the West-side of the [....]
Wednesday, July 30 2014, 9:21AM
Uber launches UberPOP in Amsterdam today. It says prices will be 50% lower than regular taxis.
Uber works with an app on smartphones, to connect taxi drivers with taxi clients. It operates worldwide and has been active on the Dutch market since 2012.
As of today, [....]
Tuesday, July 22 2014, 11:48PM
For the first time since 1962, the Dutch government has announced a National Day of Mourning.
The Day of Mourning is for the victims of the flight MH17, that crashed in Ukraine four days ago, costing the lives of all 293 people on board, of which 193 Dutch [....]
Tuesday, July 22 2014, 3:34PM
On Wednesday evening (July 23) there will be a silent walk in Amsterdam to commemorate the victims of flight MH17.
The City of Amsterdam has given permission to the organization of the event.
The walk will start at 8pm on Dam Square. The route will go via the [....]
Friday, July 18 2014, 9:54AM
Because of the crash of flight MH17 yesterday, the Dutch government has asked to fly the Dutch flag half mast on government buildings.
Yesterday, a Malaysian Airlines plane, that departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, was shot down over Ukraine. All passengers and [....]
Friday, July 11 2014, 9:03AM
The heavy thunderstorm that went over Amsterdam around 3am last night, has cost a life.
A man was hiding for the weather at a tram stop on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, near the Royal Palace at Dam Square, when the lightning hit a tree. The tree fell over, on the tram [....]
Wednesday, July 09 2014, 10:21AM
The soccer match Netherlands-Argentina will be shown on a mega tv screen after all, but not in the centre of Amsterdam.
The location will be the ArenaPark, which is located close to the Amsterdam Bijlmer train/metro station.
The match starts at 10pm, and may last [....]
Tuesday, July 08 2014, 7:07PM
As of tomorrow, July 9 2014, travelling by train in the Netherlands is only possible with an OV-chipcard. This was already the case on buses, trams and metros, so now the OV-chipcard is the only option for all public transport in the Netherlands.
The OV-chipcard has a [....]
Monday, July 07 2014, 5:08PM
From Tuesday 8 July, passengers taking direct flights to the United States will be subject to an additional screening of electronic devices in their hand luggage. Electronic devices have to be taken out of their protective sleeves and switched on. Electronic devices [....]
Thursday, July 03 2014, 1:32PM
The movie 'The Fault in Our Stars' is so popular that Amsterdam has announced it will replace the bench along Leidsegracht that plays a role in the film. The bench that is used in the movie has disappeared, and nobody knows where it went.
The bench is [....]
Wednesday, July 02 2014, 11:04AM
The Israeli pop star Dana International will be on the Jewish boat in the 2014 Amsterdam Gay Pride canal tour.
She won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with her transvestite act. The winner of the 2014 Contest (Conchita Wurst) also will be on one of the boats in de [....]
Sunday, June 29 2014, 8:35AM
Tonight at 6pm will be the World Champion soccer match Netherlands - Mexico. On Museumplein square there will be a large tv-screen again, and that will be the last time.
On Museumplein square will be a large tv screen where the match will be shown. This will be the [....]
Friday, June 27 2014, 10:38AM
Today the museum the Mauritshuis in Den Haag (The Hague) will be re-opened, after a long renovation.
The Mauritshuis' most famous painting is 'Het Meisje met de parel' ('Girl with a pearl earring' by Johan Vermeer.
During the 2-year renovation of the Mauritshuis, [....]
Wednesday, June 25 2014, 4:49PM
The department store De Bijenkorf and Dam Square have been evacuated after a bomb alert.
First, the department store de Bijenkorf (where the bomb threat came in) was evacuated around 3.30pm. Then, the evacuation zone was expanded by the police to cover the whole of [....]
Monday, June 23 2014, 11:38AM
Conchita Wurst, the Austrian winner of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, will be guest on one of the boats of the Amsterdam Gay Pride.
The main event of Amsterdam Gay Pride is the Gay Pride boat parade through the canals of Amsterdam. In 2014, this will be held on [....]
Monday, June 16 2014, 10:06AM
City cleaners in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen are on strike from today until Wednesday.
Thursday they will start work again. Garbage will not be collected during the strike, litter bins on the street not emptied and the streets will not be cleaned.
The strike [....]
Friday, June 13 2014, 9:52AM
The World Championship matches in which the Dutch team plays will be shown on a large tv screen on Museumplein, just like in 2010.
Tonight at 9pm (Friday June 13) will be the first match played by the Dutch soccer team in Brazil, against Spain.
The Museumplein [....]
Friday, May 09 2014, 10:17AM
The world premiere of the stageplay 'Anne' has taken place yesterday evening, in the presence of King Willem-Alexander, and of Buddy Elias (88 years old), a nephew of Anne Frank and the only still surviving member of the Frank family.
The play is about the life of [....]
Sunday, May 04 2014, 10:13AM
The Amsterdam Central Station will be cleaned today, despite the fact there's a strike by the cleaners going on.
The reason is that today is May 4, Remembrance Day, the day the victims of World War II are commemorated. A lot of visitors of the ceremony on Dam Square [....]
Saturday, May 03 2014, 11:50AM
On May 4, the victims of the Second World War (and all subsequent wars) are commemorated throughout the Netherlands.
May 5 is Liberation Day: on May 5 1945, the German Nazi regime capitulated, and Holland was officially liberated.
The main national ceremony for the [....]
Monday, April 28 2014, 4:52PM
Although 2014 had the first King's Day, as 2013 had the last Queen's Day, it was business as usual in Amsterdam - very orange and very busy.
This year, the dance parties were organized on several locations just outside the city center. The idea was to take the [....]
Tuesday, April 15 2014, 1:05PM
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam received 2.7 million visitors in 2013. This is an all time record for the museum.
The result is spectacular, because the management expected about 1.5 million visitors. The previous year record for the Rijksmuseum dates from 1975 with 1.4 [....]
Monday, April 14 2014, 10:32PM
Ronald Leopold, director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, has said that the new Anne Frank play is distasteful.
'Anne', the new stageplay about Anne Frank is due to have its premiere on May 8, in the brand new theatre Theater Amsterdam, [....]
Monday, April 07 2014, 2:22PM
A 21-year old Italian man jumped before a bus in the centre of Amsterdam (at Rokin) last week.
He died after the bus drove over the man. His girlfriend saw the accident happen. The bus driver was very shocked and may get psychological support.
The accident happened [....]
Saturday, March 29 2014, 11:25AM
Today, Daylight Saving Time ('Zomertijd') 2014 will start in the Netherlands, and throughout the rest of Europe.
At 2am in the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks are moved forward one hour, to 3am. This will happen in all member states of the European Union [....]
Thursday, March 27 2014, 10:04PM
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia about Crimea has unexpectedly led to a painful situation for the Amsterdam Allard Pierson Museum.
The museum has an exhibition (since February 7, 2014) about [....]
Tuesday, March 25 2014, 11:01AM
On Saturday March 29, there will be the Open Tower Day. Nineteen high buildings will be open for the public for free.
The list includes modern (ABN Bank head office) as well as old towers (Old Church, Westerkerk, Zuiderkerk).
All towers are free to visit (except [....]
Monday, March 24 2014, 11:27AM
A new night ferry connection over the IJ river has started: the Nachtelijk Westveer. It connects the NDSM-wharf with Amsterdam Central Station.
The night ferry has been initiated because there are now several restaurants and cafes that are open after midnight. The [....]
Friday, March 21 2014, 6:54PM
President Obama will visit the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam on March 24 in the morning.
Because of the presidential visit, strict security measures will apply. The Rijksmuseum will be closed on Monday, until 1pm.
As the President will arrive by helicopter on the [....]
Friday, March 21 2014, 6:08PM
The local elections of March 19 have led to a spectacular result in Amsterdam: for the first time in the 68 years' existence of the PvdA (the Dutch Social Democrats), the PvdA is not the biggest party in the Dutch capital.
The big winner of the 2014 local elections is [....]
Monday, March 17 2014, 1:06AM
Starting March 16, there is a new ferry connection over the river IJ, which connects Java island / KNSM island with Amsterdam North.
The ferry, called 'Oostveer' is an experiment of 1 year, to see if it is successful.
The ferry is operated by the GVB, is accessible [....]
Friday, March 14 2014, 1:39PM
The brand new Theater Amsterdam, specially built for the stageplay 'Anne', will get a sophisticated translation system for foreign spectators.
Foreign spectators get a tablet with a headphone on request, with which they can follow what is being said on stage. The play [....]
Tuesday, March 11 2014, 10:26AM
President Barack Obama of the United States will visit Amsterdam on March 24.
The visit takes place just before the Nuclear Security Summit that will be held on March 24 and 25 in The Hague.
Many government leaders from all over the world will attend the summit, [....]
Monday, March 10 2014, 12:09PM
The opera house of Amsterdam, the Muziektheater, has changd its name into 'Nationale Opera & Ballet'.
The reason is a merger of the Nederlandse Opera, the Nationale Ballet and the Muziektheater as of January 1. The Nederlandse Opera has been renamed to Nationale [....]
Monday, February 17 2014, 6:45PM
Amsterdam has given in to the growing pressure of the market: home owners are now allowed to rent out their apartment to tourists.
Amsterdam has long been fighting the phenomenon of people renting out their apartment(s) to tourists. This was a problem because, [....]
Thursday, February 13 2014, 5:12PM
Starting February 12, the P+R parking rate is only 1 Euro per 24 hours, if you park after 10am.
The rate of 1 Euro per 24 hours applies only if you enter before 10am on working days, or in the weekend.
If you enter after 10am on a working day, you pay E 8 for the [....]
Tuesday, February 11 2014, 2:51PM
The South East Jazz Festival has changed and grown into the Amsterdam Jazz Festival. It will be held on June 7, 2014.
The Amsterdam Jazz Festival will be held in, and organized by, the Amsterdam Arena (holds max. 50,000 spectators). The Arena's main [....]
Sunday, February 09 2014, 8:27PM
Inhabitants of the famous open-air 'museum' Zaanse Schans complain about the increasing number of visitors.
The Zaanse Schans is a village that consists of a collection of historic windmills and other historic buildings. Other than some people expect, [....]
Saturday, January 25 2014, 3:11PM
In 2013, the City of Amsterdam collected an all-time record of euro 166 million on parking fees.
This is euro 9 million more than in 2012.
The record is caused partly by an increase of the cost of parking licences for inhabitants of Amsterdam, and by an expansion [....]
Tuesday, January 21 2014, 4:52PM
An exhibition to celebrate 50 years of the Barbie doll has opened in the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam.
Fifty Barbies, dating from 1960 to 2010, will be shown in the exhibition. Throughout the years she has been a reflection of the times, displaying trends in [....]
Saturday, January 18 2014, 4:23PM
The Grasshopper, one of the most well-known coffeeshops in Amsterdam, is no longer allowed to sell marihuana.
The coffeeshop, located in a prestigious old building close to the Central Station, was visited a lot by tourists, for whom it is one of the first coffeeshops [....]
Wednesday, January 15 2014, 10:55PM
After two temporary exhibtions in Amsterdam, the Body Worlds exhibition has now settled in Amsterdam permanently.
Close to the Central Station, on Damrak, the exhibition that became world-famous with its dissected human bodies has found a permanent location.
Today [....]
Wednesday, January 15 2014, 2:51PM
As of 1 January 2014, one source of confusion has been solved: all Amsterdammers now live in Amsterdam.
The municipality of Amsterdam consists of two areas. Amsterdam proper and the South East part of Amsterdam (with neighbourhoods Bijlmer, Gaasperdam, [....]
Tuesday, January 07 2014, 11:00AM
On Thursday January 9, there will be a parade of illuminated bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates, in short any unmotorized vehicle in the centre of Amsterdam.
The parade is part of the Amserdam Light Festival.
It is free to participate in the parade [....]
Monday, January 06 2014, 11:36PM
The famous pop theater De Melkweg (near Leidseplein) announced it has cancelled a performance (March 16, 2014) by the Jamaican reggae musician Sizzla.
By cancelling the show, De Melkweg adopts another policy than in 2012, when protest by gay organizations against the [....]
Saturday, January 04 2014, 2:26PM
Sunday January 5, 5pm, a big pile of christmas trees will be burnt on Museumplein (behind the Rijksmuseum).
People can bring christmas trees for the pile from 4pm, near the skating rink behind the Rijksmuseum.
