Offbeat and Alternative

Amsterdam's streets constitute an offbeat and alternative spectacle all by themselves. But you can also explore sex in the city, bizarre museums, and creations so ugly they could be modern-art masterpieces.

Special Events

In keeping with Amsterdammers' enthusiasm about life, every day is filled with special events. Some of Amsterdam's best freebies are its street performers, whom you find primarily on Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.

April 30 is Koninginnedag (Queen's Day); locals and out-of-towners crowd the streets to enjoy performances, parades, markets, and general merrymaking. The area around the Homomonument becomes a huge outdoor dance club.

June to August, Vondelpark hosts open-air concerts -- check at the VVV Amsterdam tourist office for dates and times. June also has the Holland Festival, an extravaganza of music, dance, and other cultural activities that take place all over the city. There's a different theme each year.

The August Gay Pride Festival in Europe's gay-friendliest city is a big event. A crowd of 150,000 turns out to watch its highlight: the Boat Parade's display of 100 or so outrageously decorated boats cruising the canals. Other draws are street discos, open-air theater performances, a sports program, and a film festival.

In September, the Jordaan Festival showcases this old neighborhood peppered with small inexpensive restaurants, secondhand stores, and unusual boutiques and galleries.

The single most important event in the Netherlands, however, is the flowering of the bulb fields each spring from March to mid-May. Two-thirds of all the cut flowers sold in the world come from the Netherlands. The best flower-viewing areas are between Haarlem and Leiden and between Haarlem and Den Helder.