In the 16th and 17th century non-Dutch immigrants to Amsterdam were mostly Huguenots, Flemings, Sephardi Jews and Westphalians. Huguenots came after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, while the Flemish Protestants came during the Eighty Years' War. The Westphalians came to Amsterdam mostly for economic reasons – their influx continued through the 18th and 19th centuries. Before the Second World War, 10% of the city population was Jewish.

In 2008, there were 140 festivals and events in Amsterdam. Famous festivals and events in Amsterdam include: Koninginnedag (Queen's Day); the Holland Festival for the performing arts; the yearly Prinsengrachtconcert (classical concerto on the Prinsen canal) in August; the 'Stille Omgang' (a silent Roman Catholic evening procession held every March); Amsterdam Gay Pride; The Cannabis Cup; and the Uitmarkt. On Koninginnedag—held each year on April 30—hundreds of thousands of people travel to Amsterdam to celebrate with the city's residents.

Amsterdam, one of Europe's smaller but densely populated capitals, has many attractions for visitors. The town's most famous sight is the system of canals, which spreads over the whole city centre.

Museums

The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is the national museum of the Netherlands.
The Van Gogh Museum specialises in works by Vincent van Gogh.
The Stedelijk Museum specialises in modern art.
The Rembrandt House Museum specialises in works by Rembrandt van Rijn.
The Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht 263.

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Hotel ABBA, Overtoom 118-122 (Vondelpark, Tram: Overtoom or Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat), ☎ +31 20 618 3058. Cheap but clean hotel, close to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum.

Publications

Amsterdam Weekly. An English-language free cultural weekly published every Wednesday. It provides coverage of Amsterdam city life, and an arts and entertainment calendar.

Architecture

Idyllic Canals & Houses with Hoists

Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centers in Europe, with about 7,000 registered historic buildings. The street pattern has been largely unchanged since the 19th century — there was no major bombing during World War II. The center consists of 90 islands linked by 400 bridges, some of them beautifully lit at night.

Amsterdam is home of the Eredivisie football club Ajax Amsterdam. The stadium Amsterdam ArenA is the home of Ajax. It is located in the south-east of the city next to the new Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA railway station. Before it moved to its current location in 1996, Ajax played their regular matches in De Meer Stadion. In 1928, Amsterdam hosted the 1928 Summer Olympics. The Olympic Stadium built for the occasion has been completely restored and is now used for cultural and sporting events, such as the Amsterdam Marathon.