| Amsterdam > Entertainment and Culture |
Amsterdam offers a diverse array of world-class entertainment, as for centuries has been one of the leading centers of culture in Europe. A variety of performances are staged in hundreds of venues throughout the city. There is also plenty of low-cost entertainment from the multitude of street performers and live bands in bars and cafes .
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| Theaters |
All year round, every night of the week, you can find quality, English-language theatre in Amsterdam. Most of the major theatres are centered around the Leidseplein , within an easy stroll of each other. The easiest way is to drop by the theatres' box offices, where you can browse programs, ticket prices and availability. |
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| Cinemas |
| Amsterdam has over 50 cinema venues, where films are shown in their original language, with Dutch subtitles. The Tuschinski Theater deserves a special mention. Constructed in 1921 as exotic mixture of Art Deco and Amsterdamse school style, it features a luxurious foyer, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cinemas in Europe. |
| Music |
| Amsterdam is bustling with live music, it is the city with a rich tradition in classical music and opera . In summer concerts can be enjoyed in one of the city's beautiful parks. |
| Ballet and Dance |
| There are two world-class ballet companies in the Netherlands. The renowned Dutch National Ballet is one of the resident groups in the Muziektheater , the repertoire encompasses both classical and modern dance. Another one, the Netherlands Dans Theater regularly performs in venues throughout the city. |
| Nightlife |
| As the evening falls, Amsterdam really starts to sparkle. Around Leidseplein you will find the Stadsschouwburg (City theatre) and other theatres, lots of cafes, restaurants, cinemas, the casino, the Lido theatre with live entertainment and those famed cultural and music centers, Paradiso and Melkweg. Both Paradiso , and De Melkweg offer an extremely varied music program: rock, pop, dance, rap and world music, including big-name bands |
| Coffee Shops |
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The soft drugs are available in coffee shops for people who are over 18. Don't buy any drugs on the street. This is illegal, dangerous and, if caught by the police, the only trip you'll make is down to the police station.
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| Red Light District |
The camera in a slash/circle sign behind many of the windows, along with the furious tapping on glass of the women themselves will inform you that taking a camera into the Walletjes, Amsterdam's red light district, is a serious breach of etiquette. One of the district's security crew may remind you - destroy your film; may even ask you to leave, or worse. No cameras in red light district!
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| Prostitution in Amsterdam |
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Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands from 1815 and in 1996 the Dutch government started to tax it. According to statistics there are now over 25,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands and over half of these are said to be illegal immigrants. Like many cities in the world there are a large number of brothels in Amsterdam but unlike other cities there are a large number of red lit windows in the Red Light District. |
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