Amsterdam Arena Tour
If travelling to the city of Amsterdam then the Amsterdam ArenA is a must see. In fact with the number of different events held at the multifunctional venue your trip may be based around a visit there.
When it opened in 1996 the design of the stadium was unprecedented, being the first stadium on the planet that had a passageway that ran underneath the entire stadium complex and also the first stadium that had a sliding roof in Europe.
Amsterdam Arena
Since its opening just over 15 years ago the stadium has acted as the headquarters and home stadium of AFC Ajax football club, as the venue for domestic cup final matches, the main venue for the Dutch national squads international matches. As well as football the stadium has also been host to a large number of music concerts featuring some of the world’s leading performers and bands as well as some of the world’s largest indoor dance parties, known as Sensation and Black.
If you wanted to pay a visit to the stadium to see how spectacular it is first hand then you can turn up and go on a ‘World of Ajax Walk-in Tour’ which run daily between the hours of 11am and 4.30pm. These walks will give you a behind the scenes look around the stadium as well as the history and stories of the stadium.
I recently did the tour myself and you get to go into areas such as the TV and press conference area and get the chance to walk onto the edge of the pitch (where a professional photographer takes pictures you can buy later on if you wish). The stadium is easy to get to and I highly recommend this tour if you are heading to Amsterdam.
Botanic Gardens (Hortus Botanicus) Amsterdam
When people talk about visiting Amsterdam, you often hear about the cafes, the saunas, the museums and art galleries and even the Heineken Museum. But few people mention the Botanic Gardens.
The Botanic Gardens for me are the best attraction in Amsterdam and well worth a visit.
Christmas Activities in Amsterdam
Christmas time is one of the best times to visit Amsterdam as you can explore the many different seasonal attractions and savour in the festive atmosphere. Below are just some of the things you can do in Amsterdam during this period.
Watch Christmas Concert
The Concertgebouw truly is one of the best concert buildings in the world, with superb architecture and acoustics which cannot be matched in the city. Each year there are Christmas concerts held here which really put the visitor in the festive spirit. The Christmas Eve showing is free of charge whilst the performance on Christmas day has an associated cost.
Christmas in Amsterdam
Enjoy the World Christmas Circus
Each year this superb circus comes to Amsterdam at Christmas time and it has become something of a festive tradition. The show is held in the 120 year old Theatre Carre and includes all of the usual circus acts and more. This is truly one for all the family.
Take in English Religious Service
English is widely spoken in Amsterdam and a number of the churches in the city hold English speaking services around Christmas time. It is extremely interesting to experience how the Dutch interpret Christmas.
Go to the Christmas market at the Westergasfabriek
There are two Christmas markets in the Westergasfabriek, one in early December and one closer to Christmas. Both of these events have a specific Christmas theme and represent the opportunity to wrap yourself up in the seasonal spirit and to purchase some traditional Dutch items.
Best Places to Enjoy High Culture in Amsterdam
There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy high culture in Amsterdam and this includes some excellent venues for live music, threatre and museums.
Concertgebouw
This venue has traditionally been the venue for famous composers to perform over the years, and today hosts an orchestra which has been voted amongst the best in the world. The building itself is a stunning example of architecture and really adds to the experience.
Classical music and dance lovers flock here in their hoards to enjoy the high end performances from leading companies around the world. This venue is also home to the national opera, a well respected organisation which regularly performs classic opera productions.
Carré Theatre
With a fabulous location along the Amstel River, performances in this theatre have stretched back across the last two centuries. Today you can still catch regular dance and music performances, and there is even the odd production in English should you be so inclined.
Van Gogh Museum
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the names most commonly featured in the history of art across the world, and this museum boasts the largest collection of his work. Alongside Van Gogh’s works are those from his contemporaries which are fantastic to explore.
Rijksmuseum
This museum holds some of the most famous pieces of art in Dutch history, including many from the world famous Rembrandt. There is also a significant display of Asian art here and a chance to view the stern of HMS Royal Charles, a historic artefact from when the boat was captured in battle.
You can also experience Dutch culture first hand wby hanging out in one of the many Amsterdam cafes – a true local experience given the popularity of cafes in Holland.
Rembrandt Square
The centre of Amsterdam has a rich and colourful history, and although the area has now evolved into a modern region, there are still signs of the activity that used to take place here and the atmosphere which was so inbred into the area is still present today. One such area is Rembrandt square right in the centre of the city.
Rembrandt square
Historically, Rembrandt square was established during the 17th century out of the old port and was a busy and important dairy market as well as an occasional entertainment venue, although as the 20th century progressed the area evolved into more of a hospitality focussed area as hotels, bars and cafes arose in the area. The square is named after the artists Rembrandt who is the official painter of Amsterdam, and a statues of Rembrandt can be seen in the centre of the square, casting a watchful eye over the activity of the locals and visitors who flood into the area on a daily basis.
The modern Rembrandt square is a great place to take some time out from either day to day life or visitor activities as there are a selection of different eateries and entertainment venues, and the area is also frequented by street entertainers who are fascinating to watch. There are also a number of shops to explore and opportunities to seek out clues of the square’s intriguing history.
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Using the Tram in Paris
Like many of the main cities around Europe, Paris has a large and efficient metro system which enables people to access all areas of the city within a short time frame. However, Paris also has a tram network which operates in certain parts of the city and offers an often more enjoyable experience for the passenger. The reason for this is that trams travel over ground, allowing the traveller to see more of the city.
Historically Paris had a much more extensive network of trams, although this was gradually cut down and eventually shut completely in the 1950’s. The current, much less extensive tram lines were only developed in the 1990s and there are plans to increase the network slightly in the coming years. When looking at a transport map of the city it is easy to tell the tram lines apart from the metro and train lines as all line numbers begin with the letter T. The lines are currently T1-T4, with the proposed extensions to be labelled T5-T8.
The popularity of trams means that travelling at peak times is probably not the best idea, although travelling during the middle of the day should be an enjoyable experience, especially as many of the trams have been expanded to accommodate the increasing passenger numbers.
Although much of the tram lines in Paris are outside of the main areas of the city, line T3 runs in the south of the city and can be accessed using regular metro tickets, whilst tickets can also be purchased from machines at tram stops.
Amsterdam Central Station
As with many of the cities in Northern Europe, the train station in Amsterdam is a busy and vibrant portal into the city, due to the fact that public transport in Northern Europe is often an affordable option which is not open to, for example, the residents of the United Kingdom. Amsterdam is one of the most popular locations for those travelling around Europe and the Central Train Station is where many of them arrive in through. It is estimated that around one quarter of a million people pass through Central Station each day.
Central Station is a national and international terminal, with trains departing to and arriving from places such as Poland, Belgium and Germany, whilst long distance national services also depart on a regular basis. The most regular trains are those which visit the regions immediately outside of Amsterdam.
Central Station is well connected to the rest of the city as a result of being on three of the metro lines, meaning that passengers can easily access the station at short notice, and by the same score, access the main tourist attractions and shopping areas of the city within minutes of arriving in the city. There is currently construction work being undertaken at the station as the metro system is being updated.
In terms of customer resources, Central Station has a number of commercial outlets including fast food, book stores and souvenirs, whilst there are also public toilets and cash machines.
