On the first day of spring, we planned a trip to the land of tulips, cheese, and windmills. Flights to the capital city of Amsterdam for €94 are irresistible. After all, who wouldn’t want to visit this world-famous city where you can cruise along canals like in Venice, immerse yourself in the aroma of coffee shops, or take a stroll through the controversial Red Light District. Historical picturesque houses from another era, cozy cafes, or just sit down with a local Heineken or Amstel. Have we intrigued you yet? Then just keep reading and get inspired.
Contents
Day 1 – Getting to Know Amsterdam
Day 2 – Tour de City and Free Attractions
Day 3 – Amsterdam City Card – Day 1
Day 4 – Amsterdam City Card – Day 2
Day 5 – The Last Day
Day 1 – Getting to Know Amsterdam
To start with, what does the name of the city Amsterdam mean? Amsterdam = river Amstel + Dam (dam built on it). Amsterdam’s canals and ports cover a quarter of this city’s area and thanks to them, Amsterdam is known as the “Venice of the North”. Our arrival in Amsterdam is on Saturday afternoon at 15:00. The Dutch airline KLM Airlines is not one of the low-cost ones, which we appreciated with baguettes and refreshments during the flight. From the international Schiphol airport, you can get to the city by several means of transportation.
TIP: The most cost-effective way is a one-way train ticket to the main station for 5.10E
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the modern interior and historic exterior of the main station Amsterdam Centraal from the inside. Similar to Copenhagen or Malmo, the most common mode of transportation that might surprise you is the bicycle. Cycling paths are on every sidewalk and bicycles are locked to everything from traffic signs, railings to canal fences. Finding affordable accommodation somewhere central is quite challenging. An economic alternative that we also utilize is staying on a boat in the harbor a few minutes from the main station. Ours was called MPS Holland and we booked it in advance about three months via booking. Despite the cramped spaces and minimalist shower, we appreciated each evening that we were in the heart of the city. You enter the boat with a PIN code and surprisingly, there are radiators in the cabins. The common area is for breakfast and socializing with other guests. We unpack and head out to explore the alleys of the old town.
As we walked, the first thing we came across was a coffeeshop, which you can’t miss due to its distinctive smell. Marijuana is legal in these places, and you should smoke it directly in the shop. We stroll through the side streets and when we see the first scantily clad girl in a window display, we realize we are in the Red Light District. It was still light, but it seemed like the girls work day and night. Ladies stand in window displays and entice passersby, just knock on the door, agree on the price, and the type of service. Then the curtain is drawn, and a 15-20 minute quickie begins. We couldn’t resist and asked “how much” as well, and it seems each one will unanimously reply 50E. The curtain opens, the guy disappears, the girl stands in the window, and the endless story continues. In this red light zone, there are also plenty of sex shows, sex theaters, sex shops, sex museums, sex guides, basically sex-everything, including the first official condom store Condomerie. And of course, Oude Kerk, the oldest church in Amsterdam, located in the middle of the Red Light District. A great convenience for men are public urinals on every corner, unfortunately, women have it worse. When we’ve had enough walking, we sit down for a beer and maybe a snack. Prepare to pay 5-6E for a tall beer or for that price, you could have two tequilas on special 🙂
After about an hour of sitting, we continue to wander the streets. We taste a loaded hotdog and end up at Dam Square. Its history dates back to the 13th century when a dam was built on the river Amstel to protect Amsterdam from the waters of the Southern Sea. Today, in its center stands thememorial in memory of fallen fighters in the Second World War. Pleasantly tired, we return back to the ship after midnight.
Day 2 – Tour de city and free attractions
We allocate 3 days for the attractions of Amsterdam. One day for free attractions and walking as much as possible, the next two days everything within the Amsterdam City Card, which also includes public transport.
TIP: You can activate the Amsterdam City Card and the public transport pass independently, you can choose from 24, 48, or 72 hours.
We start along the waterfront and then through the alleyways of the Red Light District. On the facade of each house, you can notice a protruding structure with a pulley. As we correctly assumed, the houses have narrow staircases, and all furniture travels into the house via the pulley and windows. Along Oudezijds Voorburgwal street, we pass by the first leaning house Het Wapen van Riga. All the houses are mainly designed in dark colors and reconstructed to the finest detail, from symmetrical facades, brick cladding, regular windows, to stylish roofs. If someone asked about the main attraction in Amsterdam, the answer could be Amsterdam itself. We walk through Dam Square, between the Royal Palace and the New Church – Nieuwe Kerk. The Palace entrance fee is 10€, while the New Church is covered by the city card. We continue along Raadhuisstraat street until we reach Anne Frank House. The interest in this museum is enormous, and without even getting inside, we estimated a crowd of people that would take at least two hours to get through. The house where the 13-year-old Jewish girl Anne Frank lived with her family, hiding from the Nazis for two years, still carries a strong message to the world. Her diary is among the most widely read Jewish literature. Right nearby is another Protestant church, Westerkerk.
During our walk, we stop for a coffee and a beer on a terrace and continue onwards. We pass through the bustling square Leidseplein towards the city park Vondelpark. This park is a major tourist attraction, with ten million visitors annually, making it the most visited park in the entire Netherlands. We walk about halfway through, finish our last schnitzels, and head back the other way. Our plan for today also includes a visit to the Rijksmuseum, which closes at 5:00 PM, so we need to hurry.
TIP: The famous “I amsterdam” sign is located right in front of the Rijksmuseum
According to TripAdvisor, the National Museum is the number one attraction. However, it’s not worth activating the card right away because you would only save €2.50 at the Rijksmuseum, which is not a significant discount. Therefore, we pay the full price of €17.50 and split up to explore what interests each of us. Here, you can see over 2000 paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, the famous painting The Night Watch by Rembrandt, a three-story library, and an Asian collection. On our way back, we activate our public transport pass and take a tram to the main station. The evening is filled with good beer and wandering the streets of the Red Light District.
Day 3 – Amsterdam City Card – Day 1
Breakfast is prepared by the locals and the Swedish tables are full of goodies. We pack up and head towards the main station. From there, we take the tram to the diamond museum. Unfortunately, the Diamond Museum was closed, so we only saw the jeweler’s shop where we had a quick chat about diamond cutting. Right next door is the famous Van Gogh Museum, included in our Amsterdam City Card. The building has 3 floors dedicated to different periods, and there is a no-photography rule, which I experienced firsthand when trying to take a picture of Sunflowers (1889). Some of the most famous paintings include The Potato Eaters (1885), The Yellow House (1888), Self-portrait (1888), and Almond Blossoms (1890). After the Rijksmuseum, it is the second most visited museum in the Netherlands. After a complete tour of all the exhibits, we head to our next point of interest – the Amsterdam Arena football stadium. We board the tram to the transfer point Weesperplein, from where the metro goes to the stadium. Be careful to board the right one, as some veer off left before the stadium. Then, you need to get off at Bijlmer Arena. Stadium tours are at precise times and are included in the City Card. We have plenty of time, so a beer in the stadium cafe is a must. Our guide is a young guy, and we can tell it’s going to be a fun tour. First, he took us to the pitch and the stands, where he shared some interesting facts and information about the exact stadium capacity, roof opening times, and more. The tour then continued to the control center, the press room, and finally to the players’ dressing rooms.
To strengthen ourselves, we stop at the Chinese restaurant Asian Kitchen Arena for something tasty and spicy. We will then take the metro or tram back to the center to see the New Church Nieuwe Kerk. If you were expecting a modern church based on the name, you will be disappointed as its history dates back to the 15th century. It is a Protestant church where you might feel as if it has just been moved out – there is not a single chair inside, and you won’t find the slightest hint of any artistic elements. Next, we continue towards the Red Light District to visit the Old Church Oude Kerk. This church, dating back 800 years, is the oldest building in Amsterdam and is also a Protestant church like the New Church. An interesting feature is the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe. Today, we have walked kilometers, so it’s nice to end the day with a boat trip. The canal cruise starts from the main station, passing by Nemo, through the city center canals. During the English commentary, you will hear funny stories about individual houses. You will pass by the narrowest house and even through a place with 7 bridges in a row. It’s a pleasant way to end the day, and since we took the last cruise, it’s slowly getting dark. All that’s left for us is to slowly make our way back to our accommodation boat.
Day 4 – Amsterdam City Card – Day 2
We start the day with a hearty breakfast that saves the space’s spatial shortcomings.
In the morning, we start with a tour of the Natura Artis Magistra zoo, which is close by. Besides being the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, it also includes an aquarium and a planetarium. In a relatively small space, you can see lions, elephants, giraffes, orangutans, crocodiles, and many other animals. Much more than the zoo, we were captivated by the museum of microorganisms, Micropia. This unique place exudes a very futuristic and mysterious impression from the beginning. Dark rooms with numerous light projections will immerse you perfectly into the mysterious life of microorganisms. You can punch a stamp on a round slip of paper for each microorganism visited, and at the end, a projector will chronologically display your journey. For example, there is an interesting kiss-o-meter that measures the number of exchanged bacteria during a virtual kiss. Or a projector that scans you from head to toe and calculates the approximate number of bacteria on your body. After this fascinating tour, on the recommendation of a local, we stop at Café Koosje. Today it’s drizzling a bit, but that doesn’t deter us from visiting the botanical garden Hortus Botanicus. An outdoor flower park is complemented by a palm house, where you can explore both the ground and upper circles. Unplanned, we subsequently wandered into the Museum Hermitage Amsterdam. But if you’re not a history enthusiast, I would easily skip this tour. We recommend heading straight to the Portuguese Synagogue. From there, we board the Waterlooplein metro towards the main station. At the end of the day, we take a free ferry ride to the other side of Amsterdam Noord. We found only one business open there, so the choice is clear – Cafe De Pont. We originally wanted to take the longer IJ ferry route, but it was already late, and we wouldn’t have had a way back.
Day 5 – The last day
On the last day, we saved the closest surroundings for exploration – the science and technology museum Nemo. The building is very stylish, resembling a huge green “Titanic.” Somewhere along the way, though, we forgot to read between the lines that the entire exhibition is somewhat geared towards children. So, after quickly running through all five floors, starting to feel awkward, we decide to leave. The neighboring Maritime Museum turns out to be much more interesting.
TIP: To fit everything into a 48-hour pass, you can pick up tickets early in the morning and visit later (as we did with the Maritime Museum)
As an unsuspecting viewer at the beginning, you practice rowing to unexpectedly appear in a video at the end. The whole plot is perfectly designed on the walls, and we simply move from one room to another where individual passages take place. We start in the naval harbor, boarding as part of the bourgeoisie. The arduous journey on the ship ranges from nice weather to an elemental storm. Subsequently, we are immersed in a wartime plot, starting with air raids. In the end, we just wait for the rescuers to safely row ashore. The second virtual reality experience is as part of a cargo container on its journey from the harbor to an airplane. Truly very creative. In front of the museum is a replica of the cargo ship Amsterdam VOC ship. All floors are accessible, from the hold with cannons, the captain’s cabin, to the upper deck. In the afternoon, we say goodbye to the Red Light District and also visit the Sex Museum.You can see a variety of figurines “in action” here, sado-maso, how public urinals can be used differently, pornographic pictures, erotic aids or the sex goddess Marilyn Monroe. We are moving to the airport by train from the main station and should count on an hour’s journey. We have a departure from Schiphol Airport at 9:05 pm and full of Amsterdam atmosphere we return to Budapest and then by car to Bratislava.
