24/7 international student guide amsterdam 2015-2016 table of contents 24/7 layar 4 03:00 Editorial 5 transport & communication 24 hours with Jenna 42 01:00 Biketrip 44 the netherlands Public transport 46 Regional Pride 8 Private transport 48 Dutch recipe 10 Communication 51 History 12 Addresses 53 Geography 12 Dutch society 13 04:00 Dutch cuisine 13 living & working Media 14 24 hours with Neomi 56 Religion 15 How to behave 58 Holidays 15 Places to live 60 Addresses 19 Student housing 60 Renting privately 61 02:00 Housing corporations 61 amsterdam Commercial agencies 61 7 days in Amsterdam 22 Hotels and hostels 62 Geocaching 24 Student jobs 62 History 26 Money matters 63 Architecture 27 Addresses 65 Local government 28 Special places 29 05:00 Quarters 29 students & studying Squares 31 24 hours with Violet 68 Parks 32 Crossmedia 70 Beaches 34 Student population 72 Around Amsterdam 35 Student facilities 72 Attractive cities 35 Course materials 73 Events 36 Libraries 73 Addresses 38 Social contacts 74 International Student Organisations 75 isn Amsterdam 76 Addresses 78 table of contents 06:00 08:00 going out health 24 hours with Jorge 82 24 hours with Alexandra 120 Dutch cocktails 84 24 hours healthy 122 Where to go? 86 General emergency Restaurants 86 number 124 Pub food 87 Emergency services 124 Lunchrooms and cafés 87 Medical assistance 124 University restaurants 87 Hospitals and emergencies 125 Bars 88 Psychological assistance 126 Clubs 89 Health insurance 126 Music 89 Sexuality 126 Addresses 91 Homosexuality 127 Pregnancy 127 07:00 Drugs and alcohol 128 arts & culture Addresses 130 24 hours with Bugrahan^ 98 Contemporaries 100 09:00 Culture in Amsterdam 102 sports Discount cards 102 24 hours with Dennis 134 Cultural centres 103 Workout exercises 136 Art museums 103 Students sports clubs 138 Other museums 105 Fitness clubs 138 Theatres 106 General sports clubs 139 Festivals 107 Sporting events 140 Cinemas 108 Addresses 141 Film festivals 109 Cultural cafés 110 10:00 Shopping 110 index Shopping streets 111 From A - Z 150 Shopping malls in the town centre 112 Notes 155 Markets 112 Time to meet us 158 Specialty shops 112 Colophon 159 Supermarkets 114 Emergency numbers 160 Late-night shops 114 Addresses 115 24/7 layar time to add a new dimension Amsterdam comes alive with the extra digital content hidden between the pages of this guide. We invite you to explore the videos, websites, photos and other gems that are available 24/7 through layar. When you spot the layar logo on one of the pages, grab your phone and scan the page to access our special selection of extra content – some of which we’ve made especially for you. Unfamiliar with layar? It’s an app that you can install on your phone, both for Android and iOS (Apple). Make sure to download the right app with this logo: After that, all you need is an internet connection and you are good to go. Spot the logo, scan the page and enjoy! 4 editorial time to explore Dear international students - it‘s time to explore Amsterdam! In Amsterdam there are things to do and places to go to, 24/7. To make your time in Amsterdam as much fun as possible we have designed this student guide for you, by students for students. If you like culture or if you wish to know where your friends are having a drink, take this guide. We will tell you which hotspots and hidden treasures to visit any time of the day or night. You can also find everything about transport and communication, health, sports and going out on the town. To make you enjoy our city even more, we offer you some great recipes, an interesting cycling route outside of Amsterdam, a geocache challenge, and we use a layar app with which you can scan various pages in this guide, pointing you to the YouTube channel, the bike route, our recipes and more. Our three departments of editors, designers and producers have been hard at work to make your 2015-2016 International Student Guide Amsterdam as interesting and informative as we could. We hope you will have a great time in Amsterdam! 5 01:00 the netherlands the best time of our dutch lives even if you spend most of your time in amsterdam, you still might want to know something about the rest of the netherlands. national customs and holidays need explaining. it’s also nice to know about our religions. you might even find our history to be interesting! and did you know that an eighth of our country is below the sea level? what is more, the greater part of the netherlands would be under water if we didn’t have our dikes and dunes. 7 regional pride what makes our provinces special manon afsana mathijs limburg noord-brabant zuid-holland ‘After all the hustle and bustle ‘On a normal day in Brabant ‘My favourite spot in Zuid- in Amsterdam, I love getting you will always meet someone Holland is Kinderdijk, with its a breath of fresh air on the you know, and then you’ll 19 authentic windmills. This shores of the Reindersmeer in always be having a good time. area is beautiful in winter and Limburg. It is a beautiful area In cities with many tourists, to my mind an absolute must- where you don’t meet zillions I feel anonymous. In Brabant see for international students. of people per square kilometre. you certainly don’t. The best I go there every winter with my It really gives me peace.’ thing about Brabant is, of mother and brother.’ course, the carnival! In 2016 it is celebrated in weeks five and six.’ 8 dennis janneke dennis gelderland friesland groningen ‘Gelderland is special to me ‘What makes Friesland special, ‘I love Groningen as they because of its large number are the down-to-earth people organise lots of events for of old country houses with their and their beautiful language. young people there. Venues rich history. It’s also great to This language resembles both close late/early in the morning, go to the Sprengbekken near Dutch and English. We love so you can party all night. And, Spaanse Graven, an area of speed-skating and if there of course, fc Groningen, the wondrous beauty. Luckily is enough ice we skate the local football club is the best I live nearby.’ Elfstedentocht (the Eleven Cities thing about Groningen.’ Tour) of almost two hundred kilometres. Go to Leeuwarden if the Tour is held.’ 9 boerenkool met worst dutch recipe: mashed kale & potatoes with smoked sausage This is a traditional, simple Ingredients (will serve you Preparation Dutch dish. In the cold winter and three of your friends!) 1. Put the kale at the bottom of a months, there is nothing that • 1kg potatoes saucepan. After you have peeled the Dutch love more than • 600g kale (boerenkool) and washed the potatoes, cut a plate of mashed potatoes • 2 smoked sausages them into smaller cubes and with boerenkool (kale), and (rookworst) place them on top of the kale. with rookworst (Dutch smoked • 25g butter or vegetable oil Add salt to taste and fill the sausage). Although the original • 1 tablespoon vinegar saucepan with enough water to recipe is simple, there are a lot • pepper and salt cover the potatoes. Put the lid of variations for the meal to suit on the saucepan and put it on everyone’s tastes. Kitchen utensils a medium fire and bring to the • potato masher boil. After 10 minutes, the kale • large saucepan will have boiled down to half • potato peeler the size. • large bowl 2. Remove the wrapping from the sausages. Put them in the saucepan on top of the kale and potatoes. Cook on a medium fire for another 15 minutes. Take the sausages from the lets get saucepan and keep them hot cooking! under a cover. 10 3. Pour the water from the Some variations kale and potatoes into a bowl • If you like spicy food, add and keep it. Mash the kale and chilli sauce or powder. potatoes in the saucepan with You can also add mustard the masher. Add butter and instead. vinegar, and mash again. Add some of the water until the kale • If you like your mash fresh and potatoes are smooth and and sweet, add some apple creamy. sauce. 4. Add pepper, salt, and perhaps some more vinegar, to taste. • For a rich and salty taste add 5. Cut the sausages into slices. 100g of grated old cheese. Either put on top of the mashed dish, or keep separate. • For an Asian touch add some 6. You can now serve this powdered cayenne, ginger, traditional dish to your friends ground coriander, cumin and or family. Enjoy! laos. Add garlic to taste. • For a Middle Eastern touch add shawarma spices or shawarma meat. 11 history The history of the Netherlands as a nation began in 1568. The province of Holland led the country into a war of independence against the Spanish Empire, in defence of religious and economic freedom. Independence was declared in 1581, and in 1648 the nation gained international recognition as the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. In 1813, after the French occupation, the Netherlands became a unified state and a constitutional monarchy under King William i of Orange. The Royal Family Since the Netherlands became a monarchy in 1813, the country has been ruled by the House of Orange. Today the reigning head of state is King Willem-Alexander. His eldest daughter, Princess Amalia, is heir to the throne.