Amsterdam Tourism

Located in the western part of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a highly urbanized city. It is known as the ‘Venice of the North’ because of the thousands of kilometers of canals which runs through the city. There is a man-made forest known as Amsterdamse Bos which lies North West of the city. Apart from this, there are parks which offer a touch of green to the city.

Anne Frank Huis

Everybody knows about Anne Frank and her diary. Here in the Amsterdam city, there is that house where Anne Frank and her families remained underground in order to escape the wrath of Nazis subjected to the Jews. Her bedroom, as she described in her diary has been recreated. Here is a glass enclosure, her original diary is put on display. The main section of this museum if the rear portion of the building which is also known as the Secret Annexe. It was here that the Franks lived for many years before they were found and sent for execution. This museum has different closing time for different seasons, do check their website before visiting.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam

Among three the palaces which belongs to the Royal family of the Netherlands, this is one of them. Originally commissioned as the Town Hall in the year 1665, it became the royal palace of King Louis Napoleon in the later years. Now its current occupant is the reigning monarch, King Willem-Alexander, and his family.

Restaurants

Amsterdam has thousands of restaurants of every size and star ratings tucked in its every corner. Try Ciel Blue which is a two-Michelin-star restaurant situated on the 23rd floor. Its menu changes with the season so whatever is on the plate is fresh and organic. Ron Gastrobar is run by the Michelin star chef Ron Blaauw who serves here 25 tapas-style dishes at a flat price. Apart from these luxurious ones, there are several other options like an Indonesian restaurant known as Blue Pepper and a French one called De Belhamel.

Dishes

One of their most popular dishes is the Herring sandwich which can be found at any snack stall. There are the varieties of cheese locally produced which are quite exclusive to this city. A raw spiced beef sausage known as Ossenworst should also be tried which is an invention of Amsterdam only. The fried meatballs known as Bitterballen should also be tried along with the Kroketten which are meatballs cylindrically shaped.

Live Music

In the city of theatre and art lovers, any trip to Amsterdam will be incomplete without visiting the Concertgebouw. Built in 1888, this is one of the best concert halls with near-perfect acoustics.

Clubs & Discos

One of the most popular destinations for the clubbers is the Air. It is the best club with a tiered dance floor which has world class music system and some cool DJ’s. Or enter Paradiso which is a rock-n-roll destination since it opened in 1968.

Bars & pub

If you want to try chili and ginger mixed with vodka or blackberries, mint and vanilla vodka, then reach NJOY and have some funny and quirky cocktails. Of course, you will have to be 23+ of age to enter.

Flea Markets

Amsterdam is known for its flowers and a trip will be incomplete to this city if you do not visit this market. Bloemenmarkt is a 17th-century flower market where you will find flowers of different varieties. 

Departmental Stores

Amsterdam has very popular marketplaces where you will numerous shops selling clothes, accessories, books, shoes, luxury items, etc. Some of the departmental stores of this city like De Bijenkorf and Maison de Bonneterie have been doing their business for over a century now.

Street Market

Albert Cuypmarkt is often touted as the busiest and the largest market of the entire Amsterdam. It sells everything from local farm produce to clothes and accessories and cheap gadgets. Often it is dais that you will get the cheapest deals here only. After spending a busy day shopping if you are hungry then the food stalls will cheer you up with their options. A must try are the herring sandwiches, donuts, egg rolls and local delicacies made of waffles. This market is also famous for its stalls selling varieties of cheeses. It can be reached by the tram route and is open from10 am to 5 pm on all days of the week except Sundays. 

Adventure

Amsterdam is a city of numerous museums, so for an adventure, you can go on for museum hopping spree in order to cover the most of the heritage at an offer by this city. Among these, you will find some of these dedicated to the history and historical personalities like the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank Huis. Otherwise, there are some very unique museums like Vodka Museum Amsterdam and Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum which will delight you with its uniqueness!

Relaxation

The ultimate way of letting loose some of the steam is to go for the canal cruises. There are many companies which offer these cruises which mainly start from Prins Hendrikkade opposite Centraal Station, Stadhouderskade 25 near Leidseplein or Rokin near Spui. These trips often last for an hour or two and take you around the city.

Oude Kerk

This is the city’s oldest surviving building. Built in 1306, this imposing structure was commissioned to commemorate the patron saint of this city, St. Nicholas. The tower allows the visitors to enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding area of the city. Once there you will notice that there are some worn out tombs as well. Here, some of the famous personalities of the cities are lying buried. Open on all days of the week, there is an entrance charge for the adults.

The National Monument which is located in the Dam Square is a very important monument for the Dutch people. It was commissioned in 1956 to commemorate the lives laid in the WWII. Every year on May 4, a ceremony is being held to pay homage to those who died for this country.  

When in Amsterdam, bring your kids to Europe’s oldest zoo. Artis Royal Zoo is in itself a piece of history which is a home to the wide variety of animals. Its enclosures have wildlife starting from alligators, chimpanzees, zebras to an aquarium which is also the main highlight of this zoo. Here, you can see varieties of fishes and coral reefs along with shark tanks. Inside the zoo complex, there is a kids’ petting zoo and a planetarium. Open on all days of the week, it has an entry fee.

Amsterdam is a very tolerant and liberal city in terms of religion and culture. The largest religious community is that of the Christians, comprising both Catholics and Protestants. It is followed by the Muslims, who come second in terms of their numbers.

The Van Gogh Museum

It is Amsterdam’s one of the most popular tourist destinations. This museum is completely devoted to the life and work of the gifted painter, Vincent Van Gogh. The museum was opened in 1973, and now it has over 200 paintings and 500 drawing of the famous artist and some other famous artists like Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bernard, and Gauguin. Van Gogh was a self-taught painter who could only sell a single painting during his lifetime. He received his much deserved fame after his death. This museum is a treasure of information on the famous painter who enriched the culture of this region with brilliant artwork. This place is often frequented by those who are pursuing research on this subject.