Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ThE WALk BEgINs
• From Dam Square, leave the McDonald's, the mimes, and the tour-
ists behind, and head to the place where real Amsterdammers live. Face
the palace. Slip (to the right) between the palace and the New Church
(Nieuwe Kerk), and you'll see the facade of the red brick...
Magna Plaza Shopping Center
Built in 1899 on top of 4,560 pilings, this “modern”-looking build-
ing symbolized the city's economic revival after two centuries of
decline. The revival was brought on by
the opening of the North Sea Canal and
increased industrialization, capped by a
World's Fair in 1883. The shopping cen-
ter, originally the main post office, now
houses 40 stores. On the ground floor (on
the left), the cheery cheese ladies (Diane
and her mom, Coby) would love for you
to try their Gouda—free and gener-
ous samples of three or four kinds, with
explanations.
• Exiting Magna Plaza, go left—walking
50 yards on busy Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal,
then left again on tiny Molsteeg. (Like bike lanes all over town, the
pink/maroon pavement alerts you that this stretch of street is actually a
bike path—keep to the sides.) From here, it's a straight shot west (though
the street changes names along the way) past the Anne Frank House and
into the Jordaan.
Bicycles
At the intersection with Spuistraat, with its pink-paved bike path,
see the rows of bicycles parked along the street. Amsterdam's
750,000 residents own nearly that many bikes. The Netherlands'
16.5 million people own 16.5 million bikes, with many people
owning two—a long-distance racing bike and a junky in-city bike,
often deliberately kept in poor maintenance, so it's less enticing
to the many bike thieves. Locals are diligent about locking their
bikes twice: They lock the spokes and then use a heavy chain to
attach the bike to something immovable.
The efficient Dutch appreciate a self-propelled machine that
travels five times faster than walking, without pollution, noise,
parking problems, or high fuel costs. On a
fiets
(bicycle), a speedy
local can traverse the historic center in 10 minutes. As you explore,
enjoy the quiet of a people-friendly town where bikes outnumber
cars. Notice how 100 bikes might be parked along the road, yet
they blend right in. Then imagine if each bike were a car. Notice
