Shopping

From its earliest days Amsterdam has been a trading city. First, trade centered on the fish that the original dammers of the Amstel caught in the river and on the Zuider Zee; later, during the 17th century, Dutch East and West India companies' ships carried back spices, furs, flower bulbs, and artifacts, all of which would be bought and sold in Amsterdam.

The fish were sold where a major department store -- De Bijenkorf -- now stands, and early townspeople brought calves to market on Kalverstraat, still a popular shopping street. The luxury items available today are the same sort of goods Dutch merchants sold in the 17th-century Golden Age, and the junk you buy in Waterlooplein's flea market is much the same as it has been for hundreds of years.

Adding a modern dimension to this tradition-laden scene are the funky boutiques scattered around Amsterdam, and adding sparkle are the diamond cutters. Amsterdam has a full range of shopping options, from small and highly individualistic -- perhaps eccentric -- boutiques showcasing small-name designers to chains, department stores, and malls.