Amsterdam

The IGCA 2022 Congress takes place in the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Amsterdam has a long and eventful history. The origins of the city lie in the 12th century when fishermen living along the banks of the River Amstel built a bridge across the waterway near the IJ, which at the time was a large saltwater inlet. Wooden locks under the bridge served as a dam protecting the village from the rising IJ waters, which often flooded the early settlement. The mouth of the river Amstel, where the Damrak is now, formed a natural harbour, which became important for trading-exchange from the larger judgeships into the smaller ships that sailed the merchandise deeper into the hinterland.

 

Today, Amsterdam has close to 800,000 inhabitants making it the biggest city of the Netherlands. However, Amsterdam is small enough to explore by bike so we encourage you to grab a bike at the hotel and to visit the hotspots before or after Congress. 

Never been to our Capital? Have a look at the video for some inspiration! 

 

Rijksmuseum, museum of the Netherlands, in Amsterdam. Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages to the present day. The most prominent painting is Rembrandts' Nachtwacht which is a must-see if you love paintings from the 1700s. 

Visit the Rijksmuseum website.

When you wish to visit a tourist attraction during your stay in Amsterdam, you cannot pass up on the Van Gogh Museum. The Van Gogh Museum has the world’s largest collection of paintings, drawings, and letters by the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. This influential artist hardly needs an introduction, as his extensive body of work is amongst some of the most well-known in the history of modern art. A trip to the Van Gogh Museum is an essential part of your experience in Amsterdam. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon admiring the beautiful Van Gogh paintings and works by his contemporaries, as well as learning about the fascinating history of this prolific artist. 

Visit the website of the Van Gogh Museum.

Anne Frank is one of Amsterdam’s most well known former residents. The Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam is where she lived in hiding with her family for more than two years during World War II. Now converted into a museum it contains a sobering exhibition about the persecution of the Jews during the war, as well as discrimination in general.

Visit the Anne Frank House website.

Do you fancy some shopping after the IGCA Congress? Hop on the train to Haarlem (approx 15 minutes), one of the best places to do some shopping! Small retailers and familiar high street stores can be found in Haarlem. From the Haarlem train station, it just takes a short walk to enter the shopping district. 

And once you're done shopping, you can go back to the train station to take the train to Zandvoort which is only 10 minutes from the city centre to have a late-night dinner at the beach!

Whether you want to have a run (approx. 15 minutes to do 1 round) or a stroll, the Vondelpark is the place to be.

Just go to the Leidseplein and walk through the gates of the Vondelpark to see how tourists and natives are enjoying this park in the middle of the city centre. 

You might know the Netherlands is big in gardening, but apart from that our country is pretty small. It's ideal to combine the IGCA Congress with a few days of sightseeing. Have a look at the video to find some inspiration. Places we can recommend are all within 90 minutes from Amsterdam:

• Gouda, yes, the city of cheese!
• Rotterdam, the second biggest port in the world
• Groningen, the most northern city (approx. 2 hours)
• Haarlem, a city of shops
• Utrecht, in the middle of the country
• Maastricht, enjoy Southern hospitality (approx. 2 hours)
• The Hague, hosting many international organisations
• Delft, city of blue porcelain
• Leiden, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands
• Amsterdam, our capital