Amsterdam is a popular destination for a weekend away (or indeed longer!) with regular flights from the UK and a direct Eurostar service from London St Pancras.
Sights and sounds of the city
Image Credit: Patrick van IJzendoorn
There are so many things to see and experience in Amsterdam, both on and off the regular tourist trails. Here are just a few you should enjoy whilst in the city:
- Explore Jordaan, a charming neighbourhood of narrow streets and quaint buildings filled with bars, restaurants, independent art galleries and gardens.
- The area of Oud-Zuid is not only a great open air space for exhibitions and markets, but you can also soak up the culture in the Museumplein area - home to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art.
- Visit Anne Frank House, where Anne and her family hid for two years after fleeing persecution during World War II. Some parts of the house are now a museum, whilst others have been preserved to reflect what life was like during that period. It’s best to book in advance, as there can often be lengthy queues for this thought-provoking visit.
- De Hallen, in the Oud-West area, is a new centre for arts, crafts, fashion, and food in a refurbished 1902 tram depot. There’s a weekly indoor craft market, a boutique hotel, the Filmhallen arthouse cinema with nine screens (one of which has an authentic art-deco interior), plus a plentiful food market with excellent street food.
- Appreciate the famous Dutch impressionist Vincent Van Gogh at his dedicated museum, home to more than 1000 of the artist’s paintings, drawings, and letters.
- Get seen on social media with the iconic “I Amsterdam” letters, which move around the city. Track them down here!
- If you’re vegan, eat at “Meatless District”. Although Dutch cuisine isn’t particularly kind to vegetarians and vegans, the restaurant offers a 100% vegan menu. There are similar places popping up all over the city now too, particularly in the hip Oud-West.
- Taste beer at the IJ Brewery and take a tour. Located right beside the De Gooyer windmill, this organic brewery is a great alternative to the Heineken Experience.
Outside the city
Image Credit: rente42
If you’ve tried as many of Amsterdam’s sights as you can handle, escape from the city and visit the surrounding areas:
- If you’re visiting in the spring, see the tulip gardens at Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, open for just eight weeks a year. 2019 is the year of the “Flower Power” theme, as it’s the show’s 70th birthday. Check out the events on offer on their website. Alternatively, take a trip out to the famous tulip fields at Bollenstreek, where the flowers stretch out across the lowland fields between Haarlem and Leiden.
- Take a 20 minute train trip from Amsterdam Central Station out to the historic and cultural city of Haarlem, which is home to monuments dating back almost 800 years. View artworks by one of the Netherlands’ greatest painters, celebrated at the Frans Hals Museum; walk or take a boat trip along the River Spaarne, which once was essential to the city’s economy; and enjoy a guided tour of the Molen de Adriaan, a windmill close to the town centre and a striking feature of Haarlem’s skyline.
- Explore one of the Netherlands’ beautiful castles. Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot is a sight to behold, and one that is often seen on various TV shows set in the Middle Ages. The town of Muiden itself also has a lively quayside from which you can visit the fortress island of Pampus, a stronghold which once helped to protect the harbour of Amsterdam.
Image Credit: sagesolar
Title Image Credit: Haroon Mughal (Image Cropped)