- Category
- History, Orientation
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Location
- Amsterdam
Amsterdam's Old Town
Into the City Center
As we continue, we'll catch a glimpse of Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage Site: the architectural marvel of the canal belt. (If you want to spend time getting to know this area properly, we have a Dutch Golden Age Tour that can help with that.) Along the way to the canal belt, we may also stop in at the Begijnhof courtyard, a time capsule of the 17th century. We’ll take time to discuss Amsterdam’s economic flourishing during those years and how that success has made the city what it is today.
FAQs
As of April 2020, Amsterdam has prohibited walking tours from passing prostitution windows in the city center. While this may be a topic for discussion on your Introduction to Amsterdam tour, you will not spend time in the Red Light District itself.

Art historian and curator Lora received her Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam. She got her M.A. in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin and went to Knox College in Illinois, where she received her B.A. in Art History and Integrated International Studies. She was the curator at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (Istanbul Modern) and prior to that worked at the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas, USA. She regularly publishes on modern and contemporary art as a member of AICA (International Association of Art Critics) and as a National Correspondent for the European Museum Forum (EMF).

Alette has an MA in Art History (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) and holds a Ph.D. in the History of Science and Technology (University of Twente, Enschede). For both her thesis and her dissertation, she researched the intricate relationship between nature, art and science in the 20th century (thesis) and the 17th century (dissertation). Sculpture parks, ornamental gardens, and botanical gardens form the sites of study. As an independent scholar, she presents papers and writes articles on this subject. Alette also teaches art history and lectures on topics such as 17th-century Dutch art and architecture, 18th century Empire design, garden architecture, and landscape engineering. She has curated several exhibitions and stood at the basis of the exhibition Black is Beautiful on the image of black people in Dutch art history. She lives in the city where she was born: Amsterdam.

Giorgio is an architect specialising in sustainable and performance-based design. While busy with his thesis work in archeological restoration, he took part in several surveys of the Roman and Greek ruins of Kos. He moved to Amsterdam in 2012 and has continued to work within local architectural firms since. He has a genuine passion for cities and enjoys telling stories and sharing his interest with others.
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