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amsterdam: general info
· city links
· history
· hostels
nightlife
· itinerary
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· tours
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Believe what you are told about Amsterdam. It really is like no other place on earth. The whole experience of seeing
prostitutes coaxing men into their booths beside a caf serving various types of hashish and marijuana is very surreal initially,
but you will get used to it.
| Day 1 |
The best way to see Amsterdam is by getting one of the canal trips. Embark on one and you will get to see most of the city. They
also have recorded guides playing explaining the citys unique buildings. Boat trips also bring you into the citys harbour behind the
train station, somewhere otherwise difficult to visit.
After seeing the city from the water its good to walk about the city on land afterwards. Amsterdam is very easy to get around, and
once you use the train station as your base you wont get lost. It is right in the city centre and other places in the city such as
Dam Square are only a short stroll down the road.
Even if you have walked through the Red Light District in the Nieuwe Markt area of the city during daylight hours, it
really has to be seen at night to understand just how unique it really is. Centred on one street called Oudezijds Achterburgwal,
it is full of sex shops, bars and live sex shows (one inventively known as, ahem, The Banana Bar).
The streets are full every night with a mixture of couples, large groups of males (sometimes resembling large groups of vultures) and
drug dealers constantly mumbling 'coke, ecstasy' to passer bys. Contrary to belief, it is quite safe, once you dont walk down the
wrong street on your own.
Accommodation - hostels in Amsterdam
Activity - activities in Amsterdam
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| Day 2 |
Amsterdam is famed for its tulips, clogs and windmills. But after walking around the Dutch capital for a few days and you will soon
find out that the only windmills you are going to see are ones measuring approximately four to five inches in height that are sold in
novelty shops around the train station.
Thankfully the Netherlands isnt the biggest country in the world, so just a hop, skip and jump from Amsterdam and you will find
yourself in traditional Dutch village called Zaanse Schans which is just 8 miles north of Amsterdam. Here is where you will
find everything which epitomises the country such as 17th century windmills and wooden houses. The village also has a museum so you
can learn more about how locals used to live in a typical Dutch community. And if you wanted to see how clogs are made, there is also
a wooden shoe factory here.
Not far from Zaanse Schans is Marken, a small fishing village built around a tiny harbour. Houses in the village are built on
top of mounds to protect them from floods. What is particularly unique about Marken is that locals are known to wear traditional Dutch
attire not just for the locals, but also to try and maintain local customs.
Organised tours leave Amsterdam daily and visit both towns as well as a cheese factory to sample some of the Netherlands
renowned types such as Edam and Gouda. They take approximately four or five hours and they get you back into the city for the evening.
Getting back into Amsterdam that evening, its good to explore the citys other cafs because not all of specialise in getting their customers stoned. Amsterdam has a very prominent caf culture. Along with the coffee shops that legally sell cannabis, Amsterdam is also full of grand cafs and brown cafs which, basically, are large pubs. Look hard enough and you will find one of the theatre cafs where you can enjoy some performing arts while sipping on your cappuccino or latt.
Accommodation - hostels in Amsterdam
Activity - activities in Amsterdam
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| Day 3 |
Bikes are, without a shadow of a doubt, the easiest way to get around the city. As the city is very flat you wont exert too much
energy cycling around the city. There are bike lanes everywhere and if youre not on a bike you may just get knocked over by one!
Make sure and keep your eyes peeled you have been warned.
Not far from Central Station is the Anne Frank House. Upon visiting the museum you can imagine what it must have been
like for the young Jewish girl when she was hiding from the Nazis during World War II. There is a good account of the young girls
life, along with history about the war also.
As this is the only place in the world where you can buy cannabis and hash legally, you cant leave Amsterdam without visiting one
of the coffee shops, but whether you sample the local herb is at your own discretion. There is a unique atmosphere in these
coffee shops, but it is not all smoking joints! You can drink and play pool in some of them. There is also a good chance of meeting
some of the city's more unique characters.
Accommodation - hostels in Amsterdam
Activity - activities in Amsterdam
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| Day 4 |
Along with everything traditionally Amsterdam just on the outskirts, The Hague it can be visited from Amsterdam. Even though
it is Amsterdam which holds the status as the Netherlands capital city, it is here that the countrys government sits to discuss
the countrys issues, and it is also in the Hague that Dutch Royal Family calls home.
En route to the Hague, two other towns are worth visiting also (tours from Amsterdam usually pass through them if you decide to book
one). The first of these is the miniature city of Madurodam. Filled with mini versions of all that the Netherlands is famous
for canals, windmills, its airports, the Hauges Peace Palace, among others, the detail given is unbelievable. If you decide
to go to Hague independently it will take you about 45 minutes on a train and cost in and around 9. If you take the easy option and
book yourself on to a guided tour, along with visiting the Hague and Madurodam, you will also be brought to the picturesque village
of Delft, famous for its pottery.
Contrary to what you might think, there is more to Amsterdams nightlife than smoke-filled cafs, illuminated windows filled with
scantily clad women and sex shows. Amsterdam has over 50 which stage normally Dutch speaking plays, although in peak holiday season
(ie the summer) you can find those performed in other language other than their native tongue, namely English. Boom Chicago is
more of a comedy venue, but it has English speaking plays every now and then. And for alternative dance and musical productions check
out what is happening in Felix Matrix on Keizersgracht.
Accommodation - hostels in Amsterdam
Activity - activities in Amsterdam
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| Day 5 |
Amsterdam has numerous museums, many of them around the aptly named Museumplein. The best known museum here is the
Van Gogh Museum where there is a huge collection of the eccentric artists drawing and writings, both permanent and temporary.
Other museums at Museumplein are the Rijksmuseum which is the countrys biggest museum, and the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art.
Not far from the Van Gogh Museum is Vondelpark, Amsterdams answer to Central Park. South of the city centre, the park is quite
big and a great place to go for a walk, jog or simply laze around for a few hours. By doing so you can see Amsterdam life go by with
joggers and rollerbladers filling the paths.
There are two main squares in Amsterdam which come alive at night, the best of them being the Leidseplein. Just a short tram
ride from Central Station, there are hundreds of bars, restaurants and nightclubs here. During summer months there is always a real
carnival atmosphere around with street performers galore.
Accommodation - hostels in Amsterdam
Activity - activities in Amsterdam
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