Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a bustling place. When you first get off at the train station, you almost want to get back on! But forge ahead. If you can make it to the area on the north side of the Rijksmuseum, the canal rings (concentric semi-circles of canals), you will find the charming streets and bridges over canals that you've seen in photos. Once you leave the station, turn back to admire its 19th century gothic architecture. Damrak, the street that runs out from the station, is a tourist trap, with crowds of people. We got sucked into one touristy store, Lutjewinkel, which actually had good fresh-baked stroopwafels. Ask for hardly any caramel and it is not too sweet.
As you get nearer to Rijksmuseum, about 15 minutes walk from the station, you come to an area with many canals and quiet side streets! It is lovely! Here you find flower pots bursting with petunias on bridges over canals, gingerbread architecture that you can stop to admire, and leafy outdoor seating at cafes along the canal. The breeze is pleasant by the canals. We ate at Cafe Kramer, under vines, with views of ironwork lampposts, trees, bikes of course, and the canal.
There is a street called Leidsestraat with shops like a mall. Here your kids will like to see the Mama Ducks Store, Jamin candy shop with a pirate statue, and Miniso Japanese store with squishmallow stuffed animals.
Continue to walk the side streets and admire the details of the architecture- the doorways, staircases, ironwork, brickwork, gabled roofs, turrets, striped awnings, round windows, and boats along the brown canals.
We stopped at a breezy spot on the canal, and had an iced coffee from a friendly, young waiter at Cafe Mankind (closed Sunday). What beautiful buildings were across the canal! This is just the best area of Amsterdam!
A lovely park on the water with willow trees, huge trees with knobby trunks, modern art sculptures, hydrangea bushes lining the canal, and a wooden playground with a cable, is called Weteringsplantsoen. Stop here a while and take in the magical atmosphere.
You can check out Rijksmuseum, which has more than you could possibly explore in a day. It is crowded so come early in the day and on a weekday.
If you go behind the Rijksmuseum, you will come to Museumplein, where people relax on the huge flat lawn, beside the reflecting pool, to the music of street musicians. There are cherry blossoms and tulips here in spring. The Van Gogh Museum is here, a cozy museum with modern architecture, where you get to know Van Gogh's life very well.
Be careful as you navigate around Amsterdam because you must dodge bikes and trams, two things you might be unfamiliar with looking out for in all directions!
If you're a techie or use open source software Blender, you can take an eight minute metro ride to visit Blender Foundation headquarters. They will take you on a free tour of their two-storey office, and you can see renders and illustrations displayed on the walls, plus pose in front of a giant Blender logo. Some staff are busy and some will chat with you. After, you can buy tshirts, stickers, and pens. The office is in a modern area in the northern outskirts of Amsterdam, with some cafes nearby in a concrete square.
Petunias on Museumbrug, a bridge over a canal.
Flower basket, gingerbread buildings, and touristy tour boats.
Wide open space by the water, at the train station.
Damrak, the street that leads out of the train station, is not very nice.
Lutjewinkel, a touristy shop with yummy fresh-baked stroopwafels.
Inside Lutjewinkel, a stroopwafel store on Damrak, the touristy street that runs out of the train station.
Lutjewinkel store, with its stained glass windows.
Damrak is not a very nice street.
The area by the train station is unattractive.
Tall rowhouse.
Mexican restaurant on a canal.
A cafe looking out on adorable rowhouses across the canal.
Sitting in a sunny spot on a canal.
Wide open, sunny spot on the canal.
Petunias on a bridge.
De L'Europe, a 19th century hotel.
Turret on a brick building.
Delfts Blauw trinkets for sale.
View from Cafe Kramer's outdoor seating.
Ironwork lamppost and leaves catching the light, outside Cafe Kramer.
It's nice to eat lunch, outside at Cafe Kramer.
The shopping street, Leidsestraat.
Jamin, a candy shop on Leidsestraat.
Leidsestraat is a pretty street with shops.
Pirate statue inside Jamin candy shop on Leidsestraat.
Miniso Japanese store with squishmallow stuffed animals, on Leidsestraat, a shopping street.
Sitting in the sun by a canal.
Burgerbar, on a canal near Rijksmuseum.
Pretty lamppost and building with striped awnings.
Women riding bikes.
Details on a lamppost, and beautiful rowhouses across the canal.
Boats and rowhouses, along a canal.
Strange squared roof gable.
Shady side street with art galleries, where you can find some calm.
Bell gables.
Bike, bridge over a canal, and building with striped awnings.
Shady canal with boats.
Cute street corner.
Pink and white petunias over a canal.
Building with too many awnings!
A pretty building, Black Moon Botanica.
The nicest part of Amsterdam is around the side streets at the canals north of the Rijksmuseum. Use these cafes to find the area:
Cafe Kramer, Herengracht 515, 1017 BV Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Cafe Mankind, Weteringstraat 60, 1017 SP Amsterdam, Netherlands. Closed Sundays.
Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands. Open daily 9-5. Buy timed tickets online.
Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands. Open daily 9-6.
The shopping area:
Jamin Candy Shop, Leidsestraat 53, 1017 NV Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Miniso, Leidsestraat 77, 1017 NX Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Last Updated: Thu, 18 Jul 2024 02:40:18 GMT
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