Whether you yourself are a fan of an occasional joint or not, you were probably aware of the furor the Dutch government created when it attempted to impose the so-called 'weed pass' in 2012. The news that Dutch coffeeshops could potentially be cut off from tourists sent shock waves around the global weed-smoking community for obvious reasons: if there is one thing Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general is famous for abroad it is the fact that it is one of the few places in the world where anyone can quasi-legally consume marijuana (weed is not really legal, but it is tolerated).

A weed pass would, for all intents and purposes, put an end to the famous Dutch marijuana cafes that locals like to ironically call coffeshops (although they often do have top-notch espresso machines). Only people with a legal weed pass would be able to purchase and consume marijuana in a Dutch coffee shop, and a weed pass would only be available to legal Dutch residents. Basically, in one swift motion, tourists would be cut off from coffeeshops even as the shops continued to become one of the biggest tourist landmarks in their own right. Coffeeshops would be forced to function like country clubs with exclusive membership limited to 2000 members per shop.

As you can imagine, both city officials and local coffeeshop owners were horrified - coffeeshops bring in huge tourist revenue throughout the country. Almost immediately, 19 coffeeshops and several interest groups took the government to court to fight this proposed legislation. They lost, in spite of the fact that it is illegal to discriminate against EU citizens based on their residency, and the weed pass was rolled out in the southern parts of the country on May 1st 2012, with plans to kick in in the northern parts soon after.

Obviously the plan was full of loopholes in terms of its intended purpose: stopping small-scale drug trafficking - what would stop me buying joints for all my non-member friends, for instance? Thus, in spite of the fact that the weed pass plan kicked in in 2012, everyone assumed it would fail to spread to the northern parts of the country in 2013. And they were right: the cities of Haarlem and Amsterdam (both in the north) poked holes in the legislation until only a severely watered-down version remained. In November 2012 the Minister of Justice, Ivo Opsteleten, scrapped the plan to fully nationalize the weed pass in favor of letting municipalities decide on coffeeshop/weed pass-related measures by themselves.

The story finally got some closure yesterday when the court in the Hague ordered the Dutch government to pay reparations to companies in the Dutch south that had already implemented the weed pass and seen their revenue suffer as a result. The Minister of Justice Ivo Opsteleten will be appealing the verdict, but at this point it is pretty evident that the whole weed pass initiative was a colossal waste of time and we are back where we were in 2012. Ah, Dutch bureaucracy.

Not many visitors to Amsterdam are aware that behind the many admittedly narrow canal houses there is usually a luscious green space. Sometimes the private gardens are so big that there is actually another house in the back! As most houses are physically connected to one another, the private gardens usually combine to form a large green space behind each row of canal houses that is not visible from the street.

To those of you who have walked the streets of Amsterdam for yourself and have never had a chance to visit a local canal house this may come as quite a revelation. Amsterdam is in general such a cramped space, packed full of gorgeous 17th century architecture and canal-abundent infrastructure that one tends to assume that the entirety of the living spaces are likewise as narrow. In truth, the houses themselves often are; however, the tradition of having a large green space in the back of your house (once upon a time likely used to keep livestock, grow food, and do other household tasks) is so well ingrained in the structure of Amsterdam architecture, that many of the trees found in these gardens are several hundred years old and as such protected by law from being cut down. Sometimes you'll even find a pond or a small garden house converted from an old carriage house. All of this is quite rightly usually completely inaccessible to the many visitors Amsterdam welcomes every year. However, one weekend a year for the past twenty-odd years about thirty Amsterdam private gardens are opened to the public as part of the "Open Garden Days Amsterdam" (or "Open Tuinen Dagen") festival. As an additional bonus, visitors often get a chance to pass through the actual canal house, an experience that gives an amazing insight into every day Amsterdam life (as well as the lovely interior architecture of many canal houses). Each year there is also a different theme for the festival: for example, this year's theme is "400 Years of Canals" to celebrate, you guessed it, the 400th anniversary of the completion of Amsterdam's canal ring.

If you are in Amsterdam, on June 14th, 15th, and 16th, make sure to check out the festival. The houses are open to the public from 9am-5pm each day, and the pass for the route  is 15 euro.

reinoudk / Flickr Creative Commons

More and more museums are posting their collections online and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum is no exception.

In fact, they've gone above and beyond. Instead of just posting some high quality images, they're enabling online visitors to not only download the photos but modify them as well.

That's right, using the tools provided, you can clip, manipulate, or modify any one of the works available on the so-called Rijksstudio.

Then, you can share it with your social networks or print it out to create t-shirts, tattoos, and even toilet paper.

The only thing you can't do is use the photos commercially unless you choose the purchase a high resolution version of the image.

The museum's goal is to add 40,000 images to the Rijksstudio each year until all of the one million artworks housed in the museum are available to the public.

Most museums are very precious with quality digital versions of the pieces in their collections. In this age of the internet, it's very difficult to maintain control over your copyright. The advantage the Rijksmuseum has over other museums on the same mission is that much of the Rijksmuseum collection predates Dutch copyright laws, meaning that most of the works are in the public domain.

As Taco Dibbits, director of collections at the Rijksmuseum, asserted in an interview, since the museum is a public institution, the objects and artwork housed there belongs to everyone. And that includes the general public. It's only right that we have access to these works of art as well.

Over two million visitors have logged into the Rijksstudio since the free service went online in October 2012. So far, a total of 125,000 works featured at the Rijksmuseum have been made available to Rijksstudio users.

The Rijksmuseum collection spans eight centuries and includes masterpieces by the likes of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Mondrian, and Van Gogh.

Photo credit: maurobrock / Flickr Creative Commons

Sure tourist who come to check out Amsterdam think it's a pretty spectacular city. As it turns out, those of us living in the Netherlands think it's a pretty spectacular city too... to live in.

So reports the Atlas for Municipalities, a publication put together each year comparing the attractiveness of the 50 largest municipalities in the Netherlands. It takes a look at things like infrastructure, cultural offerings, poverty, accessibility, and crime rate.

This year's report - the Atlas' 15th edition - named Amsterdam the most attractive city in the Netherlands to live in.

Now you might be thinking "Well, of course. Amsterdam rocks!" But here's why these results are so interesting...

Amsterdam was given this distinction despite having one of the highest crime rates in Europe. It also had a higher rate of poverty and a high percentage of residents on welfare.

As with traveling to any destination, be sure to keep your valuables in a safe and secure place, keep your personal belongings with you at all times, and keep a constant eye on wallets and purses.

Where Amsterdam outshone the other municipalities in the Netherlands was in its wide range of job opportunities and immense and varied cultural offerings.

If you're coming here for a short trip as opposed to a more permanent stay, never fear - there's plenty for you to see, do, and tell stories about for years to come.

Not sure where to start? Here's a list of five of the many awesome reasons to visit Amsterdam.

Amsterdam (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn)

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations. Every summer thousands flock to the Dutch capital to experience its uniquely charming atmosphere. If you’re looking at booking a few days away here’s 5 very good reasons to visit Amsterdam.

Bars and Cafes

A major draw to Amsterdam is the wonderfully diverse bar scene. There are the cosy traditional ‘brown cafes’ such as In’t Aepien so-called due to their dark wooden interiors where locals meet up and chat over a few drinks. For grandeur there are the spacious and stylish grand cafes such as Cafe Americain in the Eden Amsterdam American Hotel. The high-end cocktail bars such as Bar Dvars with its extensive cocktail menu or the terrace canal views from Cafe van Zuvlen.

Save money for beers and look into booking one of the cheap summer offers at places like Co-op Travel.

Van Gogh Museum

Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings are housed in Amsterdam. You can see first-hand 700 of his most famous works including the legendary ‘Sunflowers’. Being one of the biggest tourist attractions in Amsterdam it’s advised you go early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Rent a bike

Cycling is as synonymous with Amsterdam as tulips and clogs. You can zip around with ease by hopping on a bike and heading off on the vast expanse of bike lanes that connect the city. There are plenty of rental places dotted around to hire your wheels. Remember to always pay attention, with bikes, cars and trams it can get busy.

Anne Frank Museum

Hidden behind a bookcase in a canal-side house is the annexe that hid Anne Frank from the Nazis during the Second World War. It is a highly popular destination for tourists who flock to see this sobering exhibition. To avoid the guaranteed queues it’s best to arrive early or visit after 7pm.

Red Light District

Arguably one of the most famous areas in Amsterdam is its Red Light District. The oldest part of the city really isn’t as seedy as you would expect. It is the base for the local licensed sex trade but many visitors to the city curiously wander the cobbled streets as innocently as with any other district.

Take a break

Amsterdam really is one of those places that can genuinely cater for everyone. You can be as busy or as laid back as you fancy. Fill your days exploring the rich cultural heritage or lounge in the sun with a beer. Take things at your own pace this summer with a visit to the Dutch capital.

Amsterdam Expo is rolling out the red carpet, but not for the kind of celebrities you may be expecting.

Step aside, Angelina. Out of the way Johnny Depp. 'Cause the stars of Pixar just rolled up!

Starting May 30, all your favorite characters from such Pixar classics as Up, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E will be on display at the Pixar: 25 Years of Animation Art Exhibition. More than 500 pieces of art from the archives of Pixar Animation Studios in California will be on display through 27 October.

The international exhibition includes the seven-minute-long documentary The Making-of Monsters University. Just in time to celebrate the Dutch release of Monsters University on 10 June.

Though it may seem odd for computer animation to warrant its own exhibition in a museum, just a quick visit to the event page on the Amsterdam Expo website makes it obvious what fine art goes into creating these films that we all love so dearly. As John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar says "Computers don’t create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil animation. What creates computer animation is the artist."

The exhibition is based on the three essential aspects of making a Pixar film: Character, Story, and World. Two media installations will also be featured - The Artscape, original drawings by Pixar artists in more traditional mediums than what we associate with Pixar, such as pastels, charcoal, and gouache; and The Toy Story Zoetrope, of which you can see a sneak peak below.

Coming right from a stint in Hamburg, Germany, the exhibition is making its way around the world, having already gone through the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, Finland, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Italy.

The Netherlands have succumbed to Eurovision Fever. Well, within reasonable limits, after all the Eurovision is no World Cup, nor even the Olympics. Nevertheless, this year for the first time in almost a decade, the Dutchies are sincerely excited by the fact that this year they actually stand a good shot at winning.

And a lot of that excitement has to do with Anouk, the Netherlands' 2013 entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. The Netherlands have competed in the Eurovision since its inception in 1956; since then, the nation has missed out on participating in only four annual contests, and has won it a total of four times, most recently in 1975. However, at some point in the decades since 1975 it all went downhill for the Dutchies since on Tuesday Anouk became the first Dutch entry since 2004 (when the semi-finals round was first enforced) to even qualify for the finals.

Anouk was a beloved artist even before this years Eurovison: she is regarded as the most popular female rock singer in the country, first appearing on the scene in 1997 with her breakout single "Nobody's Wife." Since then, she has topped Dutch and Belgian charts time and time again and, unsurprisingly, has a new album coming out today. The song she is performing at the Eurovision Song Contest this year, the self-penned "Birds," has anthem-potential - understated, but powerful. And, let's face it, this cannot be said about most of Eurovision's contestants, least of all about some of the recent Dutch acts: here's Sieneke's "Ik Ben Verliefd (Sha-la-lie)" of 2010 for comparison.

Anouk is also saving the Dutch government oodles of money by offering her services to the nation on the condition that she would not be made to compete with other hopefuls for the honour. Due to her obvious talent and popularity, TROS television station (the Dutch broadcasters of the Eurovison) were more than happy to comply and not hold the usual expensive and not terribly popular television contest. News of Anouk's progression to the final may be slightly bittersweet for TROS director Peter Kuipersn, however. As the winning nation traditionally hosts the subsequent year's contest, Anouk's winning the competition would mean TROS being obliged to fork over millions of euro to host next year's competition, in spite of the fact that they are currently debating a merger with AVRO television station to secure a financial future for both companies.

Get your orange shirts and Dutch-themed face paints out, find a bar broadcasting the contest, and here's to Anouk winning the damn thing this year!!!

Moyan_Brenn / Flickr

The 2013 Copenhagenize Index doesn't seem to think so. The report recently crowned Amsterdam the world's most bicycle friendly city. And with 149 other cities to contend with, the competition was pretty fierce.

It's not difficult to see why Amsterdam would be given this distinction. Despite the sheer saturation of bicycle traffic in and around the city center, cycling in Amsterdam still manages to be a laid-back and pleasurable affair.

Amsterdammers, out-of-towners, and even tourists enjoy cycling around the city en masse. And, once you've grasped the rules of the bicycle path, so to speak, cycling in Amsterdam proves to be quite an enjoyable experience (though perhaps not for pedestrians).

Amsterdam is one of three Dutch cities to make the top 20 on the list. Utrecht came in at a solid third place and Eindhoven took a comfortable 6th. France, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Brazil, and Hungary also had cities in the top 20.

Though the Index professes that Amsterdam is one of the few places where urban cycling is enjoyable, they assert that "Amsterdam could benefit from some creative thinking and innovation to improve cycling conditions and increase the modal share even further," and go on to say, "We love cycling in Amsterdam but it would be more enjoyable if we didn't have to guess what the next stretch of cycle track will look like."

Agree or disagree (and, if you've never cycled in Amsterdam, now's as good a time as any), the Dutch certainly do love their bicycles and it shows. And the cycling culture is nothing if not alive and well in Amsterdam.

So, come on! Just hop on your bike and go.

It has recently come to my attention that the Amsterdam Hermitage is an incredible museum. I don't know how or why I have until now missed out on this realization but I feel rather silly. I probably should warn you that I am a huge museum buff (is that even as a thing? if not, it should be), my favorite types of museums being those that focus on history and culture. The Hermitage falls precisely within this category, focusing both on Russian and Dutch history... so, a niche market, but a niche I'm in love with. (I'm at best tepid about art museums, mainly because I find my patience runs out fairly quickly as I have very very little knowledge of the art world... that said, I loved the Rijksmuseum, mainly because it focused Dutch artists, who with their immense contribution to realism never fail to blow my mind).

But I digress. One of my fellow expat acquaintances and I were discussing Amsterdam's many museums, and she mentioned that she had recently visited the Hermitage and was surprised to discover that it was a spectacular museum. I hadn't been, and was somewhat surprised to discover this. The truth is, that the Amsterdam Hermitage often gets passed over in discussions of Amsterdam's landmark museums because, as a fairly new satellite of the St. Petersburg Hermitage, the original Hermitage, its often assumed that the Amsterdam Hermitage is just the Original's smaller younger sibling. Unlike many other museums in Amsterdam, the Hermitage is a millennial  having been opened to the public in 2009. Nevertheless, the collection screams longevity in a way most centuries-old museums could only dream about.

The assumption that just because the museum is a newbie it isn't a goodie is severely misguided. First of all, Amsterdam has a very old and surprisingly direct link to the St. Petersburg Hermitage and the Russian royal family, the founders of the St. Petersburg Hermitage. The first Russian royal to take a Western direction for the rule of his nation was Peter the Great, and he in turn took great inspiration from the time he spent in and around Amsterdam. In fact, the very first piece of art purchased for the collection that ended up becoming the St. Petersburg Hermitage was a Rembrandt.

As a result, the museum has a decidedly imperial flavor to it. You can tell it was greatly influenced in its design but its elder Russian sibling - the sense of history and grandness is much the same. Several of the items on display are personal relics of Peter the Great himself - the tunics worn around Western Europe and cities like Amsterdam and Vienna that so inspired him to force abandonment of traditional Russian dress among nobles, a grandiose personal carriage, as well as many other personal effects. Other exhibits include historical artifacts, beautiful gold jewelry, unique court documents, and weapons - basically, anything and everything that would make a European history buff weep with excitement. Much of the collection has been brought in specifically from the St. Petersburg Hermitage, and other items have also been gathered from museums around the Netherlands.

And secondly, look at the damn thing - it's freaking beautiful!

Catch the "Peter the Great" exhibit at the Amsterdam Hermitage until September 13th 2013.

Flickr Creative Commons/

When you think of the Netherlands, you think of windmills. Or is it "when you think of windmills, you think of the Netherlands"?

Either way, one thing is certain: if you spend any amount of time in the Netherlands, you're bound to see at least one windmill. And that includes visits to Amsterdam.

In fact, there are eight seventeenth century windmills in and around the city.

You've got De Otter on Amsterdam West's Kostverlorenvaart, the last of a group sawmills to the west of the Buitensingelgracht built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

Then there's De 1200 Roe (Riekermolen) and De 1100 Roe (De Ookmeermolen), polder mills on the west bank of the river Amstel that work to drain the Jewish quarter.

The last remaining chalk windmill in the Netherlands, d'Admiraal in Amsterdam Noord sits along the Noordhollandshcanal. A hop, skip, and a jump away is the former flour mill De Bloem/De Blom, located on the Haarlemmerweg.

De Gooyer is a retired flour mill in Amsterdam Oost right next to Brouwerij 't IJ which serves a variety of traditional Dutch beers, all brewed on site.

Last, but not least, let's not forget the Molen van Sloten (the Sloten Windmill), a draining mill on the outskirts of Amsterdam.

Every year, the Netherlands celebrates these beautiful, historic landmarks with Windmill Days, and there's no better time to check out these eight beauties. This year, Windmill Days (Molen Dagen) will be taking place on the 11th and 12th of May.

While Molen van Sloten is always open to visitors, De Otter, De Bloem/De Blom, and De Gooyer will be participating on Windmill Days.

And then, of course, you can swing by the other four mills for photo ops.