Introduction - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 2

taste of the latest chocolate into your mouth.
This book is selective, including only the top sights in these
three great cities in hopes that you'll enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
The best is, of course, only my opinion. But after spending more
than half of my adult life exploring and researching Europe, I've
developed a sixth sense for what travelers enjoy.
About This Topic
Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels is a personal tour guide
in your pocket. Better yet, it's actually two tour guides in your
pocket: he co-author of this topic is Gene Openshaw. Since our
first “Europe through the gutter” trip together as high-school bud-
dies in the 1970s, Gene and I have been exploring the wonders of
the Old World. An inquisitive historian and lover of European
culture, Gene wrote most of this topic's self-guided museum tours
and neighborhood walks. Together, Gene and I will keep this topic
up-to-date and accurate (though for simplicity, from this point
“we” will shed our respective egos and become “I”).
In this topic, you'll ind the following chapters:
Orientation includes tourist information, specifics on public
transportation, local tour options, helpful hints, and an easy-to-
read map designed to make the text clear and your arrival smooth.
The “Planning Your Time” section suggests a schedule for how to
best use your limited time.
Sights provides a succinct overview of the most important
sights, arranged by neighborhood, and rated:
sss —Don't miss.
ss —Try hard to see.
s —Worthwhile if you can make it.
No rating—Worth knowing about.
The Self-Guided Walks and Tours take you through the
must-see attractions in Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh
Museum, Anne Frank House, a city walk, the Jordaan neighbor-
hood, the Red Light District, and more), nearby Haarlem (the
Grote Kerk and the Frans Hals Museum), Bruges (a city walk,
Groeninge Museum, and Memling Museum), and Brussels (a city
walk, an Upper Town walk, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts
of Belgium).
Sleeping describes my favorite hotels, from budget deals to
cushy splurges.
Eating serves up a range of options, from inexpensive pubs to
fancier restaurants.
Smoking covers Amsterdam's best “coffeeshops,” which
openly sell marijuana.
Shopping gives you tips for shopping painlessly and enjoyably,
without letting it overwhelm your vacation or ruin your budget.