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.
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.
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.
Amsterdam is one of the best cities in Europe to visit of you are looking for a fun time. There is so much to do both in terms of day time and night time activities that you will never bore of being here. As well as the less conventional activity with which Amsterdam is so often associated, there are also a lot of more conventional means of entertainment, such as live music. Below are some of the best live music bars in Amsterdam.
Waterhole Live Music Bar – This is probably the most famous and popular live music venue in the city of Amsterdam. It is open each night and offers the visitor a range of different bands performing a number of genres, although rock and rock is the dominating
Music Venues in Amsterdam
influence. Other great features of this bar include free pool, pool tournaments and a happy hour.
The Paradiso – This converted church venue is popular with people who enjoy live music but also like to party the night away. Late at night at the weekends live music which caters for a number of tastes is replaced by DJs who pump out tunes until the early hours of the morning. The live music itself ranges from well known bands to bands that are just starting out.
Mulligan’s Irish Music Bar – The style of music here is a mix between rock and roll and traditional Irish music. The open mic nights attract people from all over the city.
In our day-to-day lives it can be easy for us to get into a routine with regards to the foods that we eat, so when we travel around it is a good opportunity to expand our horizons and sample different foods. When visiting Amsterdam there are various different delicacies which can are unique to the Netherlands and can really add to your experience. Below are just some:
Hollandse Nieuwe: This is a traditional delicacy which can be found most often around the spring time and into the start of summer. It is a combination of raw herring, which is caught locally, and raw onion. As you can imagine, there is quite a distinctive taste to this dish and it is not ideal for those with mild taste buds.
Dutch Delicacies
Fries Suikerbrood: This is a sweet delicacy made by making bread with an outrageous amount of sugar. Cinnamon is added to the mix to give the bread an extra kick. Generally, the bread looks similar to a standard loaf but contains a gooey centre. The sugar levels make this delicacy one to enjoy only occasionally.
Olie Bollen: Another sweet delicacy, this is one that you can sample should you visit the Netherlands around the New Year celebrations. This is an oily dough ball which is dipped into hot oil and filled with various different ingredients.
While many people visit Amsterdam regularly, very few of them remember to visit the region’s saunas. I was determined to visit a sauna on my trip to Amsterdam and discovered that the city had several of them. Saunas are a great way to spend a few hours and do wonders for your body. In Amsterdam, most of the saunas are frequented by locals, but there are also many tourists who come here.
At the outset, I was warned that these saunas are not recommended for people who are shy about their bodies, since they all require some level of nudity. One thing that is daunting to many people is the fact that many of these saunas are unisex (although there are some that are not). There are many saunas scattered across the city and since they are all well maintained, choosing one is not very difficult. You will also be able to find saunas that cater exclusively to gay clientele if you wish to go to one of these places in Amsterdam.
Sauna experience
I decided to try one of the more popular ones in the city, the Sauna Deco. Here, for a few Euros, I was able to relax and unwind and rejuvenate my body. There was even an amazing café around the corner, which is the best place for a quick bite after the steam room experience.
Although I have visited saunas all over the world, I found that my sauna experience in Amsterdam was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. As soon as I entered, I was taken to a locker room and then on to the shower before visiting the rest of the facilities. The entire experience lasted a couple of hours and everyone seemed at ease despite being semi-naked in mixed company. There are many different facilities available here, including the steam room, Infrared Saunas, regular saunas, one plunge pool with cold water and several tubs for soaking your feet. There are even rest areas where people lie down to relax and even fall asleep. This is one place that is much better experienced than described. Learn also about spa and sauna in Paris.
If you love to enjoy relaxation and wellness, you might also be interested in relaxation in Agde, France and the Korean version of sauna in the form of mogyoktang and jjimjilbang.
You are never far away from water in Amsterdam: the city itself has evolved around its network of canals as you wander around water is rarely out of view. Nowadays the waterways are used for moving people around the city (as opposed to goods) and taking a canal boat trip is de rigueur for any visitor.
There are plenty of options for seeing Amsterdam by water. Boats depart from several departure points and it’s often best to book ahead in high season. Most have glass tops, some which can be opened in the warm weather (if you are visiting in summer make sure this is the
Amsterdam boat tour
case, otherwise you may feel you are sightseeing from a sauna).
Options include night tours that generally include some cheese and wine to nibble on or even a full meal. The Canalbus is convienent, hop-on, hop-off people mover that has stops near all the major museums and runs a very popular jazz cruise on Saturday evenings (with a live band!). Another practical service is the City (S)hopper which you can take from right outside Centraal Station. It stops at all the major sites and buying a day ticket will offer you discounts to many museums.
Like Venice water taxis exist in Amsterdam and also like Venice they can be prohibitively expensive. So why not get a bit of exercise and hire a Canal Bike instead? Canal Bikes are pretty much the Dutch version of a pedaloo and you’ll need to be pretty fit for all that peddling. You can hire them outside the Rijksmuseum.
Lovers of boats and nautical culture in general should come to Amsterdam 19th to 23rd of August for the 8th edition of SAIL Amsterdam. This festive event of all things maritime will see music, races, workshops and impressive fleet of tall ships gracing the city’s harbour.
Amsterdam may not have the reputation as one of the great culinary destinations of Europe. And the truth is it isn’t. But by trying some local dishes, including those that have bought to the country by other cultures that have made The Netherlands home, it is possible to savour a true taste of Amsterdam.
One a cold day, there is nothing more warming than a steaming bowl of Erwtensoep. This hearty soup is the Dutch version of the universal Split Pea Soup, thought to be one of the oldest dishes in existence (it is mentioned in writings of Aristophanes). In Holland, it is mixed with smoked sausage
Dutch Gouda Cheese
and served with rye bread topped with ham. Another local dish you may come across is Stamppot, a comfort food mixture of endives, mashed potato and bacon, just the thing to soak up those pints of beer.
The culinary legacy of the Dutch colonisation of Indonesia include Nasi Goreng, and a few oddities such as the Rusttafel; a Indonesian-influenced, buffet-style banquet devised by the colonists in order to appease their large appetites. Dishes from other cultures that have made multicultural Amsterdam their home include salt beef and pickled vegetables (Jewish), couscous ( from North Africa) and falafel and stuffed vegetables from the Middle East.
Breakfast and even light lunches will inevitably involve rye bread, ham and Gouda, the ubiquitous, golden-coloured cheese that you’ll see in large rounds everywhere. To satisfy a sweet craving try a onthijtkoeck, or traditional gingerbread.
Amsterdam has some magnificent museums on offer, and most are clustered around the Museumplein; a splendid location for some of Europe’s top cultural palaces.
Museum Mile Amsterdam
The Museum Quarter is located in the Hooftstraat district, the richest and most exclusive neighbourhood in Amsterdam. They are situated around a landscaped park and between the gardens and trees that are a feature of this elegant area. This area around the
Rijksmuseum – Holland’s most famous museum – is particularly lush.
This massive neo-Gothic palace holds an unparalleled collection of Dutch painting and sculpture, including the famous ‘Night Watch’ by Rembrandt. At the other end of the spectrum, the Stedelijk Museum houses a superb collection of contemporary art, sculpture and decorative objects, with works by Chagall and Mondriaan, to name a few.
Few visitors should leave Amsterdam without visiting the Van Gogh Museum, also on the Museumplein. Housed in a cutting-edge building designed by the modernist architect Gerrit Rietveld, the collection holds pieces from all periods of the artist’s life, as well as hundreds of letters written by Van Gogh and personal objects.
Another highlight of Amsterdam’s Museum Mile is the Coster Diamond Museum, which I talked about in my last post.
It would be foolish to try and take all these amazing museums over one day, or even two. Instead I would choose one that interests you the most, spend the morning there, then the rest of the afternoon wandering around this privileged part of Amsterdam. Interested also in museums in Barcelona, Spain?
Whilst many people associate Amsterdam with tulips, canals and barges, diamonds may not immediately spring to mind. The truth is that Amsterdam was an important centre for diamond trade in the 16th and 17th centuries, with much of the business centered around the Rembrandtplein. The Second World War nearly killed the industry altogether, as skilled Jewish and polishers were tragically deported to the concentration camps.
Although greatly reduced, the diamond trade is still alive and well in Amsterdam. In fact many famous diamonds have been cut and
Amsterdam diamond museum
polished here, including the Cullian, the largest diamond ever found, and the Koh I Noor, which means ‘mountain of light’.
If you love diamonds, there are two places in Amsterdam you must visit. The first is the Amsterdam Diamond Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 8, Tel. 020 305 5300), which explains the life of a diamond from carbon atom to sparkling jewel and, most usefully, how to tell a real one from a fake. The second is tour of the Gassen Diamond Factory, where you will see expert diamond cutters at work and see all facets of production in a former steam-driven factory in the centre of Amsterdam (Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat, Tel Tel. 020 622 5333).
