| Anyone who has been to Amsterdam will quickly tell | | | | Holland America, offer canal excursions. With towering |
| you there are three major attractions: museums, | | | | church steeples, majestic buildings and apartments built |
| canals and tulips. All three offer their own unique range | | | | with strict space-saving engineering, Amsterdam is |
| of beauty that continues to draw flocks of tourists | | | | truly home to the brownstones found so commonly in |
| from around the world. Before booking your next trip | | | | New York City. Called Canal Houses, you'll see these |
| to Amsterdam, take a closer look at the wonders this | | | | remarkable structures dotted all over Amsterdam. |
| ancient city has to offer. | | | | One site you'll certainly want to view is the Centraal |
| Museums in Amsterdam | | | | Station. Easily mistaken for a palace by tourists, the |
| While most people with even a vague familiarity with | | | | twin clock towers (one is actually a chronometer) are |
| Amsterdam will recognize the names Rijksmuseum, | | | | just part of its magnificence. Made of red stone, the |
| Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, this regal | | | | Centraal Station is adorned with architectural |
| city has many others from which to choose. | | | | adornments including carvings and spires. It is truly |
| Located at the center of Dam Square, the | | | | amazing! |
| Amsterdam Historical Museum was once the city's | | | | |
| orphanage. Focusing on what those native to | | | | Tulips in Full Bloom |
| Amsterdam call its Golden Age (in the 17th century), | | | | |
| this museum highlights more prosperous times when | | | | According to some accounts, tulips made their way |
| Amsterdam was the richest city in the world. | | | | from their native Russia to Holland in 1562. The original |
| There is even a museum for kids. The NEMO | | | | color of the tulip is red. However, through |
| museum focuses on science and technology and | | | | pre-engineering and a few accidents, the Dutch |
| offers children four floors of experiments and | | | | crossbred an entire rainbow of colors including yellow, |
| exhibitions to explore. This giant, green, boat-shaped | | | | orange, purple, pink and white plus variegated and |
| building is easy to spot. | | | | other varieties. |
| Canals | | | | After many years of bulb development, tulips finally |
| | | | became a prosperous trade for Holland. In fact, tulips |
| No trip to Amsterdam is complete without a tour of | | | | became so quickly acclimated to the atmosphere and |
| the canals. Bearing a striking similarity to Venice, | | | | thrived so gloriously that Holland (especially |
| Amsterdam has a landscape swirled with waterways. | | | | Amsterdam) is now known as the tulip capital of the |
| The four main city center canals are Prinsengracht, | | | | world. |
| Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Singel; however, | | | | From lavish gardens filled with tulips and other blooms |
| smaller versions are found throughout Amsterdam. | | | | to the Artis Zoo to splendid buildings, Amsterdam |
| Because the canals take you right up to much of the | | | | offers both education and entertainment for the entire |
| city's stunning architecture, they are the perfect way | | | | family. |
| to tour the sites. This is why many cruise lines, including | | | | |