There are lots of interesting small shops for browsing and there are also bigger shopping centers. C

Amsterdam is one of the coolest cities in Europe. Beautiful, hip, and laid back, with lots to do, lots to see, food from all over the world and friendly pelee days inn people. A visit to this very beautiful city is like taking a walk into the 17th century, as the center of Amsterdam has a lot of charming architecture dating from this period. While it may boast a lot of 17th century architecture, that's about all that's old fashioned about Amsterdam.
You have a choice to make: stay near the airport, or in an outlying area, or stay in the center of the city. If you're staying pelee days inn near the airport , there are a number of hotels, varying in price from high-end to inexpensive. (On the inexpensive side is the Etap chain.) Even the inexpensive have shuttles to Schiphol, so you can catch the train to the Centraal Station in the heart of downtown. Hotels in the outlying areas will require pelee days inn a rental car, not a bad choice, though for travelling in the Netherlands. The far side of the country is only a few hours away. Downtown hotels put you in the center of the action. pelee days inn Downtown has a great tram system and an all-day or multi-day pass is easily obtained at the Information Center steps away from the front doors of the Centraal Station. (A nearby modern hotel is Hotel Sint Nicolaas, and they are great for referring you if they are full. A real unique experience is the Amsterdam Botel -- yes a "boat" that is a hotel, right in the central canal near the train station.)
Amsterdam is an excellent city to tour on foot or bicycle. Trams and buses make the touring even easier. You might consider getting the I amsterdam pass at the tourist center in Schiphol, which comes in 24/48/72 hour denominations pelee days inn at varying prices. It gives you free access to several Amsterdam museums , free ticket on public transport within the city, free canal cruise, 50% discount on P+R parking ,
In summer, one of the best places 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 pelee days inn concert near the water. There are also a few trendy places in the park where you can sit and have a beer, such as the Blauwe Theehuis. Surrounding the park are museum destinations : the Rijksmuseum with its expansive collection of Dutch art and an impressive pelee days inn gift shop; and the Van Gogh Museum with everything Van Gogh and a large gift shop.
If you like to watch people strolling by, another perfect place is Leidseplein.  Leidseplein(=square) is bustling pelee days inn with activity and terraces in summertime. Another pelee days inn nice square pelee days inn is Rembrandtplein , with an abundance of nice cafes and terraces. pelee days inn If you like spare ribs - visit De Klos just off the Leidsestraat. Beer is everywhere and it is all good.
Amsterdam was originally built on the shores of the saltwater Zuiderzee, pelee days inn but as a result of centuries of land-reclamation projects Zuiderzee was renamed Ijsselmeer after it was separated from the  sea by a dike and became a freshwater lake.  Thus 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. The canals are called 'De Wallen' (the walls) in Dutch, because the
There are lots of interesting small shops for browsing and there are also bigger shopping centers. pelee days inn Clusters of shops can be found in the pedestrian-only pelee days inn side streets  and in the old post office , which is right behind the central Dam Square , where you also find the Dam Palace.
And then, of course, there is the world famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Red Light District , which consists of several canals and the side streets between them, south of Centraal Station and east of Damrak. It gets its name from the red lights that mark the places of business -- which often include a preview window. That tapping on the glass you hear is the invitation pelee days inn to "come up and see me sometime!" Despite the area's reputation, prostitution itself is limited pelee days inn to certain streets, mainly side streets and alleys, and while there are some seedy adult shops and peep show bars, the whole area has a heavy police presence, and many security cameras. To "redeem" your "red light" tour, you might want to stop in to the ancient Sint Nicolaaskerk (Church of St. Nicholas ), across from the Centraal Station pelee days inn and in front of the "red light" district. Amsterdam was a city of ships and sailors, home to traders and banking. St. Nicholas was patron of sailors.
Amsterdam Centrum (downtown) is still a residential district, with many bars and restaurants as well as historic buildings and museums; this is, after all the oldest part of the city. An example of the old blending in with the new is the gothic pelee days inn Oude Kerk (Old Church) on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, the oldest in Amsterdam, which is now surrounded by window prostitution. The Old Church is a museum of sorts on the famous Dutch West Indies Trading Company.