Amsterdam is a city famous for legal prostitution, coffeeshops, numerous museums, beautiful canals and the teeming masses of bicycles. What makes city so special is the tolerance and liberalism: the Dutch had the world’s first homosexual marriage, Amsterdam is home to the biggest gay scene in Europe and the world’s oldest profession is legalized since 1800. As a consequence the famous Red Light District is still very much alive, where prostitutes of all sizes, shapes and nationalities are selling their bodies. When the night falls, the real atmosphere of this sinful district appears. Beautiful young girls, wearing too much make-up and clothes that reveal more than cover, are seducing men that are passing by. For 15 minutes in a small room behind the curtains they charge 50 euros or more. The country has set certain limits, so the girls engaged in this profession must be 21 years. Meanwhile, there is no upper age limit, so in one of the 380-odd windows sits the oldest prostitutes that is 84 years old.
One of the first associations when we think of Amsterdam is certainly marijuana. In fact, there is a false belief that marijuana and products containing THC are legal. A Dutch liberal spirit pervades the police also so they turn a blind eye to soft drugs for personal use (you can safely carry up to 5 grams). That is why you are accompanied by the smell of freshly smoked joint everywhere; the strongest smells come from the famous coffeeshops. These pubs in Amsterdam are in business of serving cannabis, not cappuccinos. On smokers menu you can find space cakes and cookies also. Coffeeshops are legal since 1976 as a way of separating marijuana smokers from the users of hard drug in an effort to deal with that problem. And it worked. The Netherlands has less 'problematic' drug users than most other European countries. Coffeeshop attract tourists and locals as well as celebrities. Even Lady Gaga took the day off in Amsterdam during her European tour and spent some time in one of the coffeeshops.
Amsterdam is interwoven with many picturesque canals, which unlike the Venetian does not give off an unpleasant odor. The city has almost 800,000 inhabitants and about 600,000 bicycles. In the late 20th century Dutch awareness of the environment grew by leaps and bounds, therefore such a huge number of bicycles. Citizens dutifully sort their rubbish and protest over scores of projects of potential detriment. City-center congestions have been reduced by cutting parking spaces and bike lanes have been made. In this eco-spirit, there are
27 Stayokay hostels throughout the Netherlands that received the European Eco-label certificate as the first hospitality chain in Europe. This means that they limit water and energy consumption (heating systems are all serving Ecolabel specifications; several hostels also using sun-energy and all electricity usage is green) reduce waste production and encourage their guest to act environmentally friendly. But when you are in a hospitable environment of
Stayokay hostels you will not even notice how quickly you can merge with the surroundings and become eco. Delicious Dutch food is prepared by excellent cooks that at your request prepare biological and local food. There is also no problem for vegetarians or patients with celiac disease. Stayokay hostels all around Netherlands friendly welcome backpackers, schools, families, friends, eco-tourists, as well as business meetings. A lot of guest probably choose Stayokay hostels because of the unique buildings in the middle of city centers (there are three Stayokay hostels in Amsterdam) or in beautiful countryside throughout the country (for example: two medieval castles in Domburg and Heemskerk, the famous Cube-houses in Rotterdam, modern design in Zeeburg, Maastricht, Texel, Noordwijk, Egmond and Soest and a Norwegian-style hunting lodge in Gorssel).
After a busy day sightseeing or cycling everybody needs a tasty dinner that is even better in a company of travelers from around the world. And after a day full of new impressions the best way to relax is a nap in a clean and comfortable bed. All of this is offered in
Stayokay hostels, where you will sleep with peace, as on this vacation you did something not just for yourself but also for the environment.
