What! no elevator?
That is correct, no elevator (to access
our section for for disabled travellers, click here).
Did
you know that in the golden olden days the Dutch paid tax on the width of
the front door?
Well, the block of buildings in which Clemens Hotel is situated, is not only
a Historical monument, but also has a rather narrow door, hence the steep
staircase. The original owner was obviously very canny and this way avoided
paying any extra tax.
Thus, no space for an elevator. Bear this in mind when packing your
suitcase, as few hotels in this price range Holland, have elevators
| Did you know that Amsterdam is one of the few cities
in Europe that has the best maintained historical buildings? Amsterdam is certainly one of the most important intact historical city centres in the world. The entire inner city is made up the of the most wonderful canal houses, each of them different to the next, most of them commissioned by wealthy merchants as private homes.. Now unfortunately many of these magnificent houses have been sold or rented out to wealthy companies such as banks and lawyers. Many have also been divided up into gorgeous apartments… they cost the earth! Take a walk along any canal and compare the ornamented gables on the building. I enclose a link below for those of you interested in reading more of these wonderful monuments and be sure not to miss the information about the gables, they make unusual & delightful photos for even the most amateur photographer. There are so many different types of monuments ranging from Gothic to Renaissance, this site is well worth a visit. Just what makes a particular building a monument? Well first of all it has to be more than 50 years old and of course of some historical interest. Once a building has been declared a historical monument, no structural changes may be made without permission from the Dutch Historical Board. http://www.bmz.amsterdam.nl/adam/index_e.html For those of you who have the sense of adventure in your soul, I suggest a cycle tour of these remarkable buildings. I enclose a link to a route laid out especially for you! Return afterwards to Clemens and enjoy a pot of tea with me and let me know how you enjoyed it! |