My Top Ten Travel Tips For Amsterdam
Last week I went on a little trip to the beautiful city of Amsterdam in Holland.
Amsterdam has undoubtably got to be one of the most pretty places I’ve ever been to.
With its quaint canals, moving museums and cool cafes & bars its a great city to explore.
I’ve put together a Top Ten list of my favourite things I discovered during my brief time there…
10. Canals & The Fault In Our Stars Bench
It might seem a bit obvious, as you can’t really escape them in Amsterdam, but the pretty canals are what makes this city. You can spend hours walking up and down them. The fact that everywhere is flat as a pancake means you can walk for miles quite easily.
By the side of one particular canal river is the famous Fault In Our Stars bench which was used in the film adaptation of John Green’s novel. Sadly someone stole the original, but the replacement has been inscribed by numerous fans making pilgrimage to it.
Perhaps I’m being a little bias, but the tiny cafe which contains my name is a must if you have time for a quick coffee and a cookie. You can sit down and watch the world go by inside, including the trams which regularly pass by the window.
8. Tulip Museum & Flower Markets
Tulips are Holland’s national flower so its only right that you can buy nearly every variation whilst in Amsterdam. As we went in September there weren’t many being sold in the shops but you can get the bulbs to plant in your own back garden ready for next spring.
The Tulip Museum has a wonderful range of tulip bulbs, and is a stones throw away from Anne Frank’s House. The Flower Markets in the south of Old Amsterdam is also nice to visit, even if you aren’t green fingered.
Ok, so its not really a place, but I couldn’t write about Amsterdam without mentioning waffles and the gorgeous chocolate milk drink called Chocomel. Sold in most connivence shops its one of the best things you’ll ever drink in Holland.
Unless you live your life completely under a rock, you’ll probably know that cannabis is legally sold in Amsterdam. Being from the UK, this was quite a novelty and although I don’t smoke the stuff I did make a visit to the weed cafe De Dampkring.
Once you get over the fact that they sell bud and space-cakes over the counter like its a sweetshop, the cafe is actually a really cool, laid-back place to hang out.
If you’re not into getting high, I recommend the awesome milkshakes and making friends with Bowie, the cafe’s resident chilled-out cat.
Ivy & Bros was one of the first places we ate whilst in Amsterdam. Apart from being a really nicely decorated cafe to sit down and have a sandwich, just about everything inside is available to buy. I took a fancy to their jewellery and colourful enamel mugs…
Home to the majority of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, along with artwork which inspired him, the museum is a great gallery as well as a museum about the painters life.
Going chronologically from his early rural portraits to his more famous works of sunflowers, the museum tells the story of Van Gogh’s life through his paintings. Its a wonderful place to visit if you love art or have the slightest interest in Van Gogh’s tragic but fascinating dedication to his work.
3. Martis Husikamarrestaurant
Totally off the beaten track of the tourist trail in suburban Amsterdam is Martis’ vegetarian restaurant. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, or a foodie for that matter, the restaurant is a quirky place to have dinner.
Located in Martis’ living room essentially, she cooks a set menu every night using only local produce. Although you never really know what’s coming next, the food is some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
We stumbled upon De Hallen almost accidentally. Formerly an old tram depot, the turn of the century building has now been converted into a series of boutiques, workshops and a food hall.
Its a lovely place to pick up some original arts & crafts from some of Amsterdam’s creative folk. Or just shelter from the autumnal rain like we did!
Probably one of the most moving places I’ve ever been to is Anne Frank’s House. The annex where Anne Frank hid from the Nazi’s during WW2 is now converted into a museum which you can walk around.
Anne’s father wanted to make sure the actual annex was kept empty after the Nazi’s found the Frank family and cleared away all their possessions. This makes the hideaway all the more ghostly.
The museum is a bitter-sweet tribute to Anne and her diary. Ultimately dying in a German concentration camp, her diary goes some way in granting her wish to be a famous author. The museum helps to memorialise the injustices suffered by Anne and the thousands like her that we’ll never know.
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