Amsterdam is the historic capital city of the Netherlands. With origins as a 12th century fishing village, it rose to become one of the world’s great ports. Its renowned canal ring was built in the 17th century during the Golden Age when Dutch art, science, military and trade flourished.
Today Amsterdam remains an important international economic and transport hub attracting millions of visitors annually.
Where is Amsterdam?
The Netherlands is a flat northern European country bounded by Belgium (south), Germany (east) and the North Sea. Amsterdam is located in the north-west part of the country.
The coordinates of the city are 52°22′22″N 04°53′37″E.
The lowest point in the country is Zuidplaspolder near Rotterdam at 7m below sea level. Amsterdam Schiphol airport is located 4m below sea level.
The highest point in the Netherlands is Vaalserberg in Limburg at 323m.
The Netherlands is part of the Schengen area agreement which allows open borders between European member states. See visa entry requirements into the Netherlands
The Netherlands uses Central European Time (CET) which is 1 hour ahead of UK time.
Is it Netherlands or Holland?
This question brings up much confusion to some visitors.
The Netherlands comprises of 12 provinces each with its own provincial government:
Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland.
Amsterdam is located in Noord-Holland (North Holland) whilst Den Haag and Rotterdam lie in Zuid-Holland (South Holland).
These 3 cities and Utrecht make up the central Randstad ring of cities which has over 7 million inhabitants.
Because the two Holland provinces traditionally held the seat of power and wealth, the whole country was often referred to as Holland.
Even Dutch sports fans cheer on their national team with “Hup Holland!”
What is the Population of Amsterdam and the Netherlands
According to the city council, Amsterdam has population 931,000.
The Netherlands has a population of 18,052,000 inhabitants.
Business Hours in Amsterdam
Standard business hours in Amsterdam are 09:00-18:00 during the week although on Mondays some shops open at 11:00 and a few smaller museums are closed.
Weekend shopping hours are generally 09:00-17:00 (Saturday) and 12:00-18:00 (Sunday). Late night shopping is on Thursday until 21:00.
Note that Dutch people traditionally eat at around 18:00 in the evening and some restaurant/cafe kitchens can close relatively early (say 21:00) by international standards.
Public Holidays
See our guide Public Holidays in the Netherlands for more info including the school holidays.
Public holidays for 2025 are 1 January (New Year’s Day), 20/21 April (Easter Sunday/Easter Monday), 26 April (King’s Day), 5 may (Liberation Day), 29 May (Ascension Day), 9 June (Whit Monday), 25/26 December (Christmas Day/Boxing Day).
Public holidays for 2026 are 1 January (New Year’s Day), 5/6 April (Easter Sunday/Easter Monday), 27 April (King’s Day), 14 May (Ascension Day), 25 may (Whit Monday), 25/26 December (Christmas Day/Boxing Day).
Money in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is part of the Eurozone which uses the Euro € currency.
The most commonly used note denominations are €5, €10, €20 and €50.
The €100, €200 and €500 notes are rarely used and are not accepted in many shops.
The Dutch central bank issues euro notes signified by a letter “P” on the serial number.
Coins in use are the 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents plus the 1 and 2 euros.
The country does not commonly use the 1 and 2 cents coins – prices are rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. For example, you would pay 2 euros if the total price ranged between 1.98 and 2.02; you pay 2.05 for price totals between 2.03 and 2.07.
ATM machines for cards are found at various points around the city – although their numbers are being slowly reduced in the seeming drive to impose a cashless society.
The main Dutch banks are ABN Amro, ING and Rabobank.
Payments by debit card are popular and the use of contactless is widespread. Credit card payments are slowly becoming more accepted by many retailers.
Tipping in the Netherlands is not expected though rounding up a standard restaurant bill to the nearest 5 euros is generally appreciated.
Miscellaneous Amsterdam info
Amsterdam Weather: Netherlands has a temperate, oceanic climate with cool winters and mild summers. Average daily high/low temperatures are 6°C/1°C (Jan), 14°C/5°C (Apr), 22°C/13°C (Jul), 15°C/8°C (Oct).
With 133 days of precipitation per year always be prepared for rainy weather at any time!
The Dutch language is spoken in the Netherlands – however many people can speak English reasonably well. Local cable TV will have CNN, BBC World, BBC1 and BBC2 available. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video streaming services are available in the Netherlands.
In terms of electric power, the Netherlands uses the standard 230V 2 pin plugs.
Telephone: The Netherlands country dialling code is +31. The Amsterdam city code is (0)20.
Call 112 for emergency services.
Pre-paid SIM cards can be easily bought from telecom shops, supermarkets or HEMA.
Mandatory ID law: It is obligatory for all individuals over the age of 14 to carry a valid form of identification. Acceptable forms of ID are Dutch ID cards, Dutch residence permit, Dutch or European passports, Dutch or European photo driving license.
Those from outside Europe need to show a passport with a valid entry permit. Copies of ID are apparently not valid, the original must be produced. Failure to do so carries a €60 fine.
In reality many visitors do not carry a valid ID, for example preferring to leave their passports in the hotel safe. Just be aware that police and public transport ticket inspectors could ask you to produce ID in some cases.
Strict no smoking laws are in effect at all work places and public buildings in the Netherlands – this includes cafès, bars and restaurants.
There are 165 coffeeshops in Amsterdam and they are permitted to sell small amounts (up to 5 grams) of marijuana and hashish to customers over the age of 18. However the number of establishments is being reduced.
Note, smoking tobacco is not permitted in coffeeshops.
Although possession of soft drugs up to 5g is illegal under the Dutch Opium Act, this is not enforced.
Amsterdam is also well known for its red-light district located in De Wallen area of the city centre.
Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands and regulated by the local authorities. The minimum legal age for a prostitute in Amsterdam is 21. Be aware that you should not take photos of the prostitutes working in the windows.
Last updated 6 February 2025. This article was first published in 2019 and has been regularly updated.
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