The center of Amsterdam has a lot of charming architecture dating from this period. It’s an excellent city to tour on foot or bicycle. However, Amsterdam may boast a lot of 17th century architecture, but that's about all that's old fashioned about the place.

In summer one of the best places to go for a relaxing afternoon is the Vondelpark. It is a great park, right in the center of things and very lively. With a bit of luck you can catch a (free) outdoor concert. There are also a few trendy places in the park where you can sit and have a beer, such as the Blauwe Theehuis.

Amsterdam was originally built on the shores of the saltwater 'Zuiderzee' but as a result of centuries of land-reclamation projects the city now borders the freshwater of IJsselmeer.

The center of Amsterdam is shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded by four famous canals called the "Singel", "Herengracht", "Keizersgracht" and "Prinsengracht". These are best to walk along if you want to see the city’s beautiful gabled houses.

There are lots of interesting small shops for browsing and bigger shopping centers in one of the passages for example in the old post office, which is right behind the central Dam Square (on which you can find the Dam Palace).