You may just aimlessly wonder around or join me on this true story walk that will not miss anything important on Amsterdam night life.

Lets start opposite the central station. Here you will find original medieval sluice that still function. Closed by used to stand Schreiers Tower; many women cried here as their husbands were departing for years long trips. Those whose husbands died on the voyages had to support themselves and that’s how prostitution started blooming in Amsterdam. Sailors stopping here after a long voyage could finally get here what they were dreaming about for long months on the sea. Women and Drink! Not necessarily in this order.

Take the Zeedijk Street (sea dike) you will be walking along the system of dikes that protected the city from the sea. Don’t miss the "in den Aepjen" (in the monkey) café; it is one of the two only remaining wooden houses in Amsterdam. Here sailors used to drink to get more carriage for seeking other pleasures of life. Some of them were encouraging themselves that much that at the end of the night they had no money to pay the bill. One sailor was asked to bring the monkey from traveler in stead. Many others liked that way of paying and soon place become full of monkeys…and lice. Can you imagine that?

House stayed, but life monkeys are gone now, just a Dutch saying - you spent the night in the monkey (meaning: you are in trouble) is still alive. So don’t spend the night in the monkey, too much spirits doesn’t elevate your spirits. Head south along the Voorburgwal canal to the old Church. This church from 1250 is beautifully lit and hides such a treasures as organ and pulpit from 1640 or a grave of Rembrandt’s first wife Saskia.

Letting your eyes enjoying the beauty of this old building make sure you don’t turn round, your eyes would fall on something else-old as well, but nowhere near to be beautiful.

Old Church is at the edge of the red light district so all around you are really unhealthily looking creatures in the so called sexy underwear. Interesting view, but I would not touch any of them with a stick of the broom. So how come they have clients?

Ah, I see now, the coffee shops are the secret to the beautiful woman in the windows. One joint for 3 euros, can make a woman worth 80 euros look like one charging 400. Well let them to it if that’s what it takes and lets go together to see real culture of night Amsterdam.

Amsterdam has many theaters with programs adopted for foreigners. We decided to see the musical Rembrandt. At the theater we got the headphones that abbreviated what is going to happen in the breaks between songs so we could perfectly follow the story. Musical had a really high quality and we were pleased to close the evening this way.

The name Amsterdam was derived from the dam in the Amstel river, built in 1170. The square formed around the dam became the heart of the historical town. Lets start our tour right here at the Dam square (main square, no one can ever miss it). The impressive building from 1653 in front of you is called Royal Palace which hosted the city government. Next to it, is a well-worth-visiting New Church built in the late 14th century when Old Church became too small. A big change of the interior design happened after the 1578 prohibition of Catholicism when a new pulpit had to be placed in the church. A new protestant pulpit was done by sculptor A.J. Vinckenbrick and it took him 16 years.

Follow south Kalver Straat to poetic stop at Beguinage courtyard where the English Church takes you back to 1150 when the first unmarried woman settled here to help the sick. Later on, they started to be called Beguines. Most of medieval houses were replaced but the one at number 34 has a preserve wooden façade from the 15th century. The gravestone of the Beguine Cornelia Arents is right on the pavement you walk upon as she refused to be buried in the no-longer-Catholic Church. Apparently, her grave is still decorated with flowers every second May since she was reburied here in 1655, any other day you have to be really patient and observant to spot her gravestone. If you come here, you will also learn about the miracle of Amsterdam that supposedly took place here.

Stop for a cup of coffee to relax a bit and refresh your senses as the tour will continue through the prettiest parts of Amsterdam in the Day-Time Walk (Part 2).

From now onward, the walk continues around romantic canals, reflecting tall colorful buildings at any time of the day. All buildings are tall because taxes used to be based on the width of the building. Why they are so colorful I don’t know, but it looks really good. Stop at the Velvet rampart, this is the oldest canal in the city dug between 1342 and 1380. Just rich families originally lived here, dressing always in velvet, hence the name. At the corner of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, the Archterburgwal and Grimburgwal is a proud of 17th century renaissance: The house on the three corners with three beautiful step gables.

Continue through Oudemanshuisprt (tiny street between the houses) till the next channel (Oudezijds) and turn right-south to follow it till Staal Street. This area was well known for cloth industry. For many years Rembrandt’s last great group portrait "The wardens of the Amsterdam drapers" hung in one of the houses in this street. This area is supposed to be the prettiest part of Amsterdam. Its blue bridge and skinny bridge keeps inspiring generations of artist for centuries. Return to Oudezijds and follow it to the north. The NH Doelen hotel used to be a tavern where militiamen would eat and drink. To make the place more cozy, Rembrandt’s 1642 painting the "The Night watch" hung here. On your right you can see the tower of South Church-first protestant church built after reformation.

Keep going north along the canal. After few minutes walk you will be standing in the New Market square. The building in front of you some 500 years ago used to be one of three main city gates and it also served as the defense tower. In 1617, the old weight house became too small and so this place started to be used. The first floor had another function; the guilds sit here.

The walk can be cut short by heading north via Zeedijk and crossing the canal to visit one of the oldest museums in Amsterdam; the Museum Our Lord in The Attic. This museum lets you wonder some 350 years back in the history, from daily life to the surprising church in the attic. Private churches become very popular after the prohibition of catholic religion. Thanks to Calvinism (that people refused to accept) we can admire this private church preserved from the 17th century.

From here you can wonder around the heart of old Amsterdam back to the Dam square. There is much more to see but we should preserve something for night walk as Amsterdam changes its face radically between day and night.