Amsterdam leg of Egg Sucking Mind Vacation 09

The Prostitution Information Center (PIC) is the brainchild of a former prostitute Mariska Majoor who got it approved in the August of 1994. Right in the heart of the Red Light area of Amsterdam, the PIC doles out information about prostitution in the broadest way possible. Whether you are here purely for educational and informative reasons or looking for a night of fun, be sure to drop in for the very essential information about the Red Light. Apart from individual information, they also organize group informative sessions and tours of the surrounding area.

The Red-Light district, or De Wallen as it is called in Dutch, is one of Amsterdam's oldest neighborhoods (and specializing in the world's oldest profession). Although walking around the red light district can feel a bit voyeuristic, it is proof of Amsterdam's liberality and social tolerance and merits a quick tour. The area, which operates at all hours, is its most vibrant at night, when both customers and tourists come out to walk the streets. Red lights line the windows facing the canal, where women stand in order to advertise to their clientèle. (Note: it is illegal to take pictures or video of the windows.) The streets surrounding the Red-Light district also offer shopping and theatres, as well as a museum devoted to erotica.

Kalverstraat is a tourist site in itself. You can't imagine all of the stores lining this single street. This is certainly the destination for those looking for the usual main street fare with shops like Tie Rack and Sacha. The Kalvertoren, a covered mall located on Kalverstraat—close to the Munt—is also brimming with general commercial shops, as well as delightful little coffee shops and great places to grab a quick, rejuvenating lunch. For a truly outstanding bite to eat, hop over to Vroom and Dreesman. The store itself offers nothing remarkably unique, but the restaurant is worth the visit alone. From the Dutch chain HEMA to the enigmatically named Ron's Exclusive, these streets offer a little something for every wallet.

Minutes away from the Centraal Station, Dam Square is a town square located in the historical center of Amsterdam is one of the important locations in the city. Renowned for its archetype buildings and frequent events the Dam square is a well-known and frequented tourist spot. The Netherlands National Monument is a 22 meters high war memorial obelisk dedicated to the memories of victims of the Second World War. The obelisk is embedded with 11 urns containing earth from the surrounding provinces and a 12th from the cemetery of honor in Indonesia.

The Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt) is located in the heart of the city, near Kalverstraat, Leidsestraat and next to the Munt Tower. Have a look inside the shops floating on barges on the Singel Canal. They sell everything flower-related; from seeds and bulbs to unique flowers such as black tulips. Don't be surprised if you find flowers or bulbs in colors you have never seen before. This is a great place to visit, even if you don't plan to buy. If you want to take the products abroad, be sure that they have export certificates.

The Torture museum is a must see for any gore fanatic, if you like movies like Saw and The Hostel—this place should appeal to you greatly. Be warned, the torture instruments aren't for the faint hearted. It's dark atmosphere just adds to the whole experience of knowing how people were actually tried or forced to talk with the help of these horrific devices. Some of the famed devices are the Skull Cracker, The Heretic Fork, The Rack and The Inquisition chair. Unimaginable as it is, you will walk out with a sigh of relief, thanking the heavens that times have changed.

Since 1973, this museum has housed the world's largest collection of Van Goghs, including paintings, drawings and letters. The museum also has a large collection of works by some of Van Gogh’s contemporaries and friends like Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as a number of older artists whom Van Gogh admired, including Léon L’hermitte and Jean-François Millet. The museum features regular exhibitions highlighting art toward the end of the 19th Century.

The Albert Cuyp, situated near the famous former Heineken brewery is Amsterdam's largest and busiest daily market. From Monday to Saturday it is packed with local shoppers rather than tourists. You can buy anything here; from fresh fish to fresh fruit and from fabric to footwear. Of course, you'll have to try the delicious traditional Dutch herring with onions and pickles. You can also find many exotic foods and herbs at this market, stocked by and for the non-Dutch Amsterdam community. In general, the prices are low but make sure you are getting your money's worth. By visiting the Albert Cuyp market you'll get a taste of the authentic multi-cultural side of Amsterdam.

In 1864 Gerard Adriaan Heineken took over De Hooiberg (the haystack) brewery, at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. This takeover purchase laid the foundation for one of the world's largest modern breweries. In 1868 the company started construction of the Heineken Brouwerij situated at the Stadhouderskade. It has been out of use since 1988. Nowadays it serves as a company museum and a meeting and information center. It shows you the history of Heineken breweries, the horses' stables, a pub, the old copper brewery house, a film theater and exhibitions.

Located on Amsterdam's famous Prinsengracht, the famous building which hid the Frank and Van Pels families and Fritz Pfeffer during the Holocaust and Nazi occupation of the Netherlands is now a museum. Visitors enter the building and begin a tour of the downstairs area which once housed Otto Frank's company and hid the famous secret annex above. Visitors will see the bookcase hiding the door to the hiding place and venture upstairs to the small space shared by eight people hiding for their lives. The annex is now devoid of any furniture, but plaques along the way provide information about each individual room, its occupants and their daily routines while in hiding. The last room is a moving tribute to the Franks, Van Pels and Pfeffer, of whom all died in Concentration Camps except for Otto Frank, as well as the millions of victims of the Holocaust. There is also a display of numerous versions of Anne Frank's Diary, the found after the war and published by her father Otto. This is truly an obligatory and sobering experience in Amsterdam.

The St. Nicholas Church is one of the biggest and grand Roman Catholic churches in Amsterdam. St. Nicholas is a reminiscence of many revival style's of architecture, the dominating ones being neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance. Ornate sculptures, dome's and the three-aisled cross-basilica are a sight to relish. A 19th century Sauer Organ inside the church is largely used for concerts and spiritual services. The active parish has three choirs and gather for their choral songs every Saturday.

The Kattenkabinet is one of the only museums in the world which features a collection of objets d'art wholly centered around the theme of the cat. This lovely animal was a holy symbol for the ancient Egyptians and still is in this museum. The collection is intended as a comprehensive portrayal of the cat in art and culture through the centuries. Pictures, drawings, paintings, sculptures, even some works from world famous artists such as Picasso and Corneille are presented in this special colleciton. A wide selection of publications and articles can be found on sale in the shop.