Amsterdam is a regular feature in many different Top Twenty lists. It has been ranked as the 11th ‘Best City in the World’, the World’s 12th ‘Most Liveable City’ and is rated by many as one of the top ten of Cities to Visit in Europe. For this reason, you may feel a little overwhelmed when trying to plan a short visit to a city, which clearly has a lot to offer its guests! Of course, perhaps you won’t see everything in two or three days, but a long weekend in Amsterdam can still be a fantastic and worthwhile trip for anyone! Whether you are interested in History, architecture, art, food (and of course- partying) here are some tips on making the most of The Netherland’s very own ‘Venice of the North’.
1. Museums
Visiting Amsterdam means having a long list of museums to wander around; 75 to be exact. From modern art, photography, and even a boathouse, Amsterdam is a destination that indulges every type of passion. One of the most famous attractions, and therefore most advisable to book ticket in advance for, is the Van Gogh museum Amsterdam, where architecture and Art come alive. Composed of two main buildings by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld, and Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, the museum has the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s wonderful paintings. After having visited Van Gogh, have fun and explore some of the remaining seventy-four! Be sure to organize your rounds, and calculate the distance between each museum prior to your arrival so you don’t waste any time!
2. Bicycles
Amsterdam is famous for its bikes, and thanks to its incredible biking availability, visiting the city by bike is a unique treat. Not only will you be able to move freely from one attraction to the next, but going on a cycling tour is also a fun activity. Renting a bike will have you fitting in directly with the locals, and will allow you to visit streets and corners that you wouldn’t normally happen upon by foot. Supposedly there are more bikes than people, so get your helmet on, do as the locals do, and visit Amsterdam on your two-wheeler.
3. Eating and Drinking
Home to the Heineken Beer Brewery, Amsterdam definitely excels in the eating and drinking scene. Other than the super fun, educational, and unique experience offered at the Heineken museum, grabbing a bite to eat afterwards will leave you even happier. Some of the typical treats Amsterdam has to offer are: Stroopwafel, two thin waffle-like slices with syrup in the middle; Dutch fries that come with delicious sauces to put on top; or a steamy bag of poffertjes, which are practically mini pancakes with powdered sugar sprinkled over them. Hungry yet?
4. The Canals
Considered to be the ‘Venice of the North’ Amsterdam’s canals will leave you mesmerized. Not only because of the fact that you walk along them, but with its typical bridges, and original canal boats, the sight looks like a painting. Whether you choose to sleep in one of the canal boats, or simply take a tour on one, living the canal life is definitely something you should do when you visit. So gather your selfie stick and best smile, because the view is worth a picture.
5 Flower Scene
The Netherlands is famous for its flowers, specifically tulips. With Amsterdam producing 70% of the world’s flowers output, visiting the colorful fields is a great getaway. Just an hour outside of Amsterdam, the famous ‘Flower Strip’ is home to many different types of flowers which come together, with their different colors and sizes, to recreate an unreal scenery.
Leave a Reply