Maybe you know the capital of the Netherlands for the tulips, maybe for Van Gogh or for the fact that weed is legal but, to be honest, Amsterdam hides a few gems. We visited during winter so no tulips for us, but we did love the city.
Here are a few things to know about Amsterdam.
1.Walk, but always mind the road
If you don’t want to rent a bike you can enjoy the city on foot but you must always mind the road. People move around by cars, the tram or with a bicycle so make sure you double check before you cross a street. We walked around and it was a great choice.
2. The difference between cafés and coffee shops
You may want a cup of coffee or a special brownie, the former is at a café and the latter at a coffee shop. However, weed is only sold for personal use and, contrary to what you may think, it’s not allowed everywhere. You should also never mix it with alcohol.
Here are a few things to know about Amsterdam.
1.Walk, but always mind the road
If you don’t want to rent a bike you can enjoy the city on foot but you must always mind the road. People move around by cars, the tram or with a bicycle so make sure you double check before you cross a street. We walked around and it was a great choice.
2. The difference between cafés and coffee shops
You may want a cup of coffee or a special brownie, the former is at a café and the latter at a coffee shop. However, weed is only sold for personal use and, contrary to what you may think, it’s not allowed everywhere. You should also never mix it with alcohol.
3. Visit the museums…
See, Amsterdam has over 50 museums so please don’t miss out on visiting some of them. The museum square has the Rijksmusem, the Van Gogh Museum and there’s always the MOCO, among others.
Van Gogh Museum is such a great experience though no pictures are allowed. Just enjoy it. it's a glorious building (designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa) that contains the world's biggest collection of Vincent van Gogh's work. We're talking about 200 paintings, 400 drawings, and 700 letters.
MOCO has a permanent collection of Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and Banksy.
Keep in mind that MOCO’s size is relatively small so it can get a bit crowded, and it’s not wheelchair accessible apart from the ground floor.
4. …but art is everywhere
Even if for whatever reason you don’t want to visit museums, the city is full of art. You find stunning street art, statues and little stores with treasures and if you’re lucky you can come across a street market with gems like Nana Mouskouri on a vinyl.
See, Amsterdam has over 50 museums so please don’t miss out on visiting some of them. The museum square has the Rijksmusem, the Van Gogh Museum and there’s always the MOCO, among others.
Van Gogh Museum is such a great experience though no pictures are allowed. Just enjoy it. it's a glorious building (designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa) that contains the world's biggest collection of Vincent van Gogh's work. We're talking about 200 paintings, 400 drawings, and 700 letters.
MOCO has a permanent collection of Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and Banksy.
Keep in mind that MOCO’s size is relatively small so it can get a bit crowded, and it’s not wheelchair accessible apart from the ground floor.
4. …but art is everywhere
Even if for whatever reason you don’t want to visit museums, the city is full of art. You find stunning street art, statues and little stores with treasures and if you’re lucky you can come across a street market with gems like Nana Mouskouri on a vinyl.
5. The famous letters
A few years ago, one of the most famous tourist attractions were the ‘’I Amsterdam’’ letters at the museum square. Now those letters are removed but you can still find them at Schiphol Airport (outside Arrivals 1) or by the Sloterplas lake (though those are for parkour, so you may not find them in an Instagrammable position). There’s also a set of letters at the Overhoaks neighbourhood, next to the Eye Film Institute.
We visited Amsterdam before they were removed from the museum square and, let me tell you, the crowd was huge and never ending. We got to Overhoaks at night, though the institute was closed.
6. Enjoy nature
There are canals (of course) and trees everywhere, take a minute to enjoy what you see. We found ourselves in Vondelpark, which is the largest and most famous park in the Netherlands. You come across views straight out of fairy tales, with lakes, birdhouses and tree houses and it’s a must if you want a minute to relax.
A few years ago, one of the most famous tourist attractions were the ‘’I Amsterdam’’ letters at the museum square. Now those letters are removed but you can still find them at Schiphol Airport (outside Arrivals 1) or by the Sloterplas lake (though those are for parkour, so you may not find them in an Instagrammable position). There’s also a set of letters at the Overhoaks neighbourhood, next to the Eye Film Institute.
We visited Amsterdam before they were removed from the museum square and, let me tell you, the crowd was huge and never ending. We got to Overhoaks at night, though the institute was closed.
6. Enjoy nature
There are canals (of course) and trees everywhere, take a minute to enjoy what you see. We found ourselves in Vondelpark, which is the largest and most famous park in the Netherlands. You come across views straight out of fairy tales, with lakes, birdhouses and tree houses and it’s a must if you want a minute to relax.
7. It’s a safe city for solo travellers
I think we never came across a police officer, everyone is minding their own business but of course be aware of pickpockets. We never felt unsafe even late at night.
It also feels like a safe city if you’re traveling solo as everything is close and you can just hop outside and walk around to see everything. English is widely spoken too.
8. Where to stay
If you can’t find an AirBnb or a hotel close to the city centre don’t cross out staying somewhere a bit farther. We stayed at Corendon City Hotel and we needed a tram to get to the city centre but the prices were good, the hotel was great and it’s close to a tram station. From there you need about 10 or 15 minutes to get to the city center.
+1 Food tip: You must try a burger at Lombardo’s or a bagel at Bagels & Beans. We found both by accident, but they were more than worth it.
I think we never came across a police officer, everyone is minding their own business but of course be aware of pickpockets. We never felt unsafe even late at night.
It also feels like a safe city if you’re traveling solo as everything is close and you can just hop outside and walk around to see everything. English is widely spoken too.
8. Where to stay
If you can’t find an AirBnb or a hotel close to the city centre don’t cross out staying somewhere a bit farther. We stayed at Corendon City Hotel and we needed a tram to get to the city centre but the prices were good, the hotel was great and it’s close to a tram station. From there you need about 10 or 15 minutes to get to the city center.
+1 Food tip: You must try a burger at Lombardo’s or a bagel at Bagels & Beans. We found both by accident, but they were more than worth it.
