Amsterdam

by Rodney Bolt

Amsterdam makes other cities look as if they just haven't tried. It boasts more canals than Venice and a more famous Red Light District than even Bangkok's. Plus a range of fine museums - from the Anne Frank Huis to the Rijksmuseum - that makes Paris look narrow-minded. And then there are the hundreds of 'brown bars' that make even London's pubs seem characterless. This guide is packed with ideas for a romantic weekend, gable-spotting or hitting the bars. You'll find personal recommendations and insider knowledge that will help you locate the best of the city, from the Grand Canals to the harbor islands. 100 hotels, 180 restaurants and 90 bars, plus clubs, theatres, music venues and festivals - all hand-picked. There are 21 detailed maps, plus 12 pages of full-color maps with grid-references to help you find all the sights and recommendations in this guide. (5 x 8 1/2, 302 pages, color photos, color maps)

281 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

Rodney Bolt was born in South Africa. He studied at Rhodes University and wrote the play Gandhi: Act Too, which won the 1980 Durban Critic's Circle Play of the Year award. That same year he won a scholarship to Cambridge and read English at Corpus Christi. He has twice won Travel Writer of the Year awards in Germany and is the author of History Play, an invented biography of Christopher Marlowe (HarperCollins, 2004) and The Librettist of Venice, a biography of Lorenzo Da Ponte (Bloomsbury, 2006), which was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award. He lives in Amsterdam.