The Dam Square, above, lies at the heart of Amsterdam. The Paleis (the royal palace), the national monument, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and a major department store border it, and a major internal transportation corridor (Damrak/Rokin) runs through the center of it.

Amsterdam's Centrum is characterized by narrow streets and dense development interspersed with public squares, such as the Leidseplein, shown below. Street life is an important facet of Amsterdam's atmosphere; sidewalk cafes line the public squares, and part of the Centrum is reserved as a pedestrian district.

The canal system is a key feature of the Centrum. The above image, taken in the University district, is the intersection of two canals and several small streets. Because properties were formerly taxed based on their width, the narrow buildings seen here are typical of the Centrum.

This crowded shopping street, part of the pedestrian zone, seems to have been invaded by American fast-food restaurants. The entire Centrum is 'ground-zero' for tourism, so the businesses here are a mix of tourist services, such as currency exchanges and gift shops, and more typical CBD establishments like department stores, restaurants, and banks.

Amsterdam's infamous red-light district lies in the North-East part of the Centrum. Besides the window-prostitutes, live sex shows, 'coffeeshops' and sex shops for which it is known, one can also find an interesting variety of attractions: The street shown above, for example, is the heart of the city's gay leather area, and also boasts a new-age bookstore and a hip lesbian bar.

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