Westpoort (Western Gateway) is located in the north-western part of Amsterdam and covers the main harbour and industrial area of the city. It is one of the 8 boroughs (stadsdelen) of Amsterdam.
Westpoort (Western Gateway) is located in the north-western part of Amsterdam and covers the main harbour and industrial area of the city. It is one of the 8 boroughs (stadsdelen) of Amsterdam.
Marvelous view on board of a cruise ship in Amsterdam's harbour
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
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The port of Amsterdam is the 4th busiest seaport in Europe. In the Dutch Golden Age the port was one of the main harbours of the Dutch East India Company.
The port is located on the banks of the IJ and the North Sea Canal, that was dug between 1865 and 1876.
The Port of Amsterdam is also the 3rd biggest cruise port in Europe with 140 sea cruise ships and 1500 river cruise ships. Almost 700,000 cruise passengers per year visit Amsterdam. Amsterdam has 2 cruise terminals: the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam in the city centre, and one behind the locks in IJmuiden.
Unlike the other Amsterdam boroughs, Westpoort has very few permanent inhabitants (only 198 inhabitants in 2018). It is rather an industrial area - with businesses, offices and industry - than a neighborhood.
The area around Sloterdijk Station transforms in full swing from office area to a mixed work and residential area. In the coming years 2,000 houses will be built in the surrounding of Station Sloterdijk. Recently many hotels have opened their doors in former office buildings.
The office environment is quite boring and you do not really feel like you're in Amsterdam, but it is very easy and convenient to travel to the city centre. It takes only 5 minutes by train to get to Centraal Station. Hotels near Station Sloterdijk in Westpoort are very cheap compared to hotels in Amsterdam city.
In summer, the Meininger hotel acts as a youth hostel. Large groups of teenagers - mostly from England, Germany, France and Spain - use the hotel as a base to discover Amsterdam.
In wintertime the hotels are not fully booked.
Rent a bike at one of the bicycle rentals in the old city of Amsterdam, take the ferry and visit and discover the beauty of the Amsterdam Waterland. The panorama is spectacular as you are able to view kilometers of meadows, water, shores, cane fields, dikes, villages and typical farmhouses.
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