The last stop on my European adventure was Amsterdam. Amsterdam was always a city on my bucket list so I was super excited to spend 4 days here and see all that the city had to offer. I think 4 days was just enough time, I could have almost been happy with 3 days. My family walked the whole entire city, and saw all that we could in the time we were there. I will pre-face this post and say that we did not visit any coffee shops – but yes there are a hundred and one coffee shops that sell marijuana in lots of different forms.
Where to stay
During our stay in Amsterdam we stayed at Hotel Des Arts. The location was great, it was right on the main canal, just minutes walk to pretty much everything. The hotel is located in a super old building, and everything in Amsterdam was built narrow, so the stairways are super steep. The rooms have a super cool vibe with a vintage decor, we had a room overlooking the canal. One note, we were there at the beginning of a heat wave, and normally it does not reach over 75 degrees in Amsterdam. There is little to no air conditioning in any of the buildings, so it was a hot couple of nights even with the fans, but you can’t control the weather. I would still highly recommend this hotel.
What to do
Canal Cruise
Our first evening here we decided to take a canal cruise to really see the city and the picturesque canals that everyone comes to Amsterdam to see. We chose a 2 hour evening sunset tour that had all you can drink wine and cheese and crackers. This was right up my alley and was really happy with our choice. Seeing the canals and architecture while the sun was setting was extremely beautiful. Next time I would have Mitch and I do it because it was quite romantic. But the three of us enjoyed our wine and had a good time.
Red Light District
Probably one of the most famous parts of Amsterdam- The Red Light District. When you visit Amsterdam it is just one thing you have to experience. It is a major Amsterdam bucket list item. Amsterdam has legal prostitution and the Red Light District is where it all takes place. Basically, in every window with a red light, there is a lady of the night standing waiting for a gentleman to walk in her door. We took a stroll through the Red Light District just to see it with our own eyes and say we experienced it.
However, the regulations Amsterdam has put in place are quite respectable. For example, each room has an alarm button and the police will arrive in under 2 minutes if it is pushed, the ladies have to be at least 21 and hold a European passport. They also have to pay up to $200 Euro per 10 hour shift to rent out their room. Prostitution was legalized in Amsterdam way back in the 1600’s to protect the women of Amsterdam from being attacked and raped by the sailors who were shipping in. The Catholic church decided it would be fair to have sailors come to confession and pay a due for the sins they were about to participate in. That way when they leave Amsterdam they have a clear conscious and the church makes a profit.
Ice Bar Amsterdam was a super fun and unique experience. You were given a coat and gloves (an extra pair for me because I wore sandals and my toes were freezing) and exported into a winter wonderland. The temperature reached about 14 degrees and you were able to enjoy whipped cream flavored shots in ice cube shot glasses, and enjoy ice cold beer (literally ice cold). Everything is completely made out of ice. The seats, the bar itself, the tables, everything. So be careful if you sit down, you might get a wet cold bum.
By now, if you have been following along with my other travel guides, you are probably not surprised that we did a walking tour. Blake was a little hung over from the ice bar from the night before, so my mom and I were the only representatives of the Bakkum family. My mom found this company called FREEDAM tours and they were great. Again it was a free walking tour, and at the end you tipped what you thought was appropriate. We both really enjoyed this tour and learned so much about this city and a little history. We walked all over and our guide was a great storyteller. I would highly recommend this tour if you are in Amsterdam. I never learned so much about weed, prostitution, and history in 2 hours!
If you are in Amsterdam, you NEED to devote a couple hours to the Anne Frank House. It is such an important part of history and the museum is so well done. It was extremely moving and humbling to stand in the exact house and exact rooms where these families were hiding for so long. To learn about how their daily lives were like, and how this young girl documented everything. It is amazing.
However, you need to purchase tickets up to 2 months in advance. You are only able to purchase tickets online, and if you show up to the door they will turn you away. So basically, once you book your flight to Amsterdam, next steps is getting your Anne Frank tickets. It would be a shame to travel all the way there and not be able to experience this.
If there is a brewery, you know I am going to find it. Amsterdam is home to the Heineken and the Heineken Experience is one to have while visiting. It was unlike any brewery tour I have ever been on. It was a brewery tour on crack! It was a great time. It was a self guided tour through the actual brewery with staff located in each area doing mini presentations so you can learn about the beer. Then there were so many interactive elements. From making your own beer bottle label, to bicycle karaoke, to the 4-D journey of how a Heineken becomes a Heineken. Then the tasting was of course all of our favorite part. From going into their hidden Heineken club in the basement, with lime green lights everywhere and loud music, to enjoying another cold one on their rooftop overlooking the city. I was completely surprised by the Heineken Experience and had way more fun than I thought!
One of the most adventurous ways to see the city in my eyes. ‘Over the Edge’ is Europe’s highest swing on the 360 degree sky deck. Imagine swinging 100 meters above the ground, back and forth over the edge of the building with Amsterdam below your feet. It was a cool experience and glad we did it. Other than the swing, there are a couple bars, and food items and places to hang out. It really is a spectacular view of the whole city.
Flower market reality
I do have to make one note because I do not want people to get their hopes up about the flower market. If you are anyone like me and you hear flower market, your mind drifts to a place where hundreds of blooming flowers in every color of the rainbow. Unfortunately I do not mean to burst anyone’s bubble, but the flower market is Amsterdam is not that. The flower market is 90% seeds. There are a few tulip stands and a couple stores with actual blooming flowers, but it was not as exciting as I wanted it to be.
Day Trip Out of City
During one of our days we wanted to get out of the bustle of the city and head out to the countryside to see another part of the Netherlands. We took a short 20 minute train ride out of the city, and it made for such a lovely day.
Zaanse Schans
Our first stop was Zaanse Schans, which is known for the massive windmills. It was a quaint village with tiny houses, sheep, and traditional Dutch wooden clogs, food, and living. We decided to rent bikes and ride through the windmills. I felt like I needed to ride a bike in the Netherlands because there are more bikes than people. I was also too scared to do it in Amsterdam because riding a bike is an extreme sport in the city. I was just happy I didn’t crash.
I will say Zaanse Schans was super touristy. There were lots of people, so renting bikes made it easy to get away from them and see the windmills on your own instead of walking with the crowds. I really enjoyed doing this.
Volendam
After a couple hours of exploring the windmills, we took a bus over to Volendam – a small fishing village on the coast. This was really nice to walk around and explore. We wandered through the little alleyways, shops, and stopped for lunch and ate outside. At the harbor, you can find a connecting boat that can take you to Marken a tiny fishermen village next to Volendam, extremely well-preserved as where you can only get around by foot or bicycle. We enjoyed both places greatly! We really liked getting out of the city of Amsterdam.
What to eat
Being a foodie, one of my favorite parts of traveling is eating and experiencing the foods that make a destination. I will say, we were not very impressed with the Dutch food. But there were a couple stand out things that I felt needed to be noted.
Stroopwafels
A stroopwafel is a wafer made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle and usually served warm. Oh my goodness these things are yummy. You can find them all over the Netherlands and are a must try at least once a day.
Pancakes
The Dutch are known for having pancakes at any meal, anytime during the day. We decided do as the Dutch do and have pancakes for dinner one night. We went to The Pancake Bakery because we read that it was the it place to go to for pancakes. They had sweet and savory pancakes. The pancakes aren’t fluffy like the ones we have in the United States, they are more like crepes and super thin. But still yummy! I had a chocolate, banana and whipped cream pancake.
Poffertjes
Speaking of pancakes, Poffertjes were more up my alley. Poffertjes are fluffy mini pancakes that are served with a mess of powdered sugar and butter. I could have eaten hundreds of these things. They were served hot, and a mountain of powdered sugar makes everything taste yummy.
Chipsy King is a fast food chain in Amsterdam that sells some of the best French fries. They are around every corner so you have zero excuse for not trying them. You can get them drenched in mayo (like the locals) or get a side of ketchup. They are double fried making them crispy, hot, and golden delicious.
Strawberries
To our surprise, we ate the best strawberries of our lives in Amsterdam. We first got some out in Zaanse Schans and we were in disbelief. I am unsure why strawberries in Amsterdam are so dang delicious, but we snagged some up every chance we could get. They tasted like they were picked an hour ago and each one was perfect, there were no sour ones in the batch. I have been having withdrawals of Amsterdam strawberries!
Now I will have to admit, I did not but any food or drink items from here, but since it is technically a cafe I thought I would add it here. We stumbled upon Blond Amsterdam, and I think my heart stopped. I walked in and almost teared up. It was everything I wanted my life to be. The massive BLOND sign on the wall, the decor, the ambiance I was ready to never leave. To make matters even better, they sell their own home decor line, and oh my goodness it took everything in me to not buy everything. However, they do ship to the United States, so I am set.
So there you have it. My complete guide to Amsterdam with everything we did, saw and ate. If I missed anything or if you visit any of these places let me know!
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