Amsterdam: A short stay

amsterdam A short stay

2

3

1

There is creativity everywhere in Amsterdam, and there are also bikes everywhere!

4

2

Amsterdam’s transport system is great, the trams are the best way to get in and out of the city, if you haven’t got a bike that is.

1

Alleyway lined with bikes

2

Amsterdam tram stop

5

eat We hadn’t heard Amsterdam being that famous for it’s cuisine, but we had it famous for it’s creativity and unique blend of a busy city, mixed with the chilled feeling of lots of bikes and canals. So whilst traditional Dutch food wasn’t the part of Amsterdam we were most excited about, we found a whole range of creative and cool places to eat at any time of the day.

We loved the food Amsterdam had to offer, because there was such diversity in types of food and such passion in the people running cafes and restaurants throughout the city.

We ate at a completely organic cafe the first day, had the biggest burger I’ve ever eaten the second day, and ate at Amsterdam’s very first omelette restaurant on the third day.

Just spending time walking along the canals of Amsterdam there are so many great little

6

places to eat, like ones that didn’t even make our top 5; Norling, a small, quiet Tibetan restaurant or the crazy experience of the Magnum shop! Both well worth a visit.

Amsterdam has so much to offer there are probably loads of other great places we didn’t get time to go to, so just explore and ask the locals about best places to go. You’ll find some real gems.

1

Eye Museum Restaurant ‘Amazing food and amazing view.’

With its brilliantly stylish lights and crazy angles ceiling angles on the inside, and

2

thebusyriversetinfrontofAmsterdam centralstationontheoutside,thewhole experienceintheEyeMuseumRestaurant isfascinating.Onceyou’vetakenitin,enjoy arangeofdelicious,highqualitydishes.The priceisn’tcheap,butnotbadfortheoverall experience,youpaytheextraforwhere you are.

Piqniq

3

In a quieter part of Amsterdam this place is a little gem hidden away but well worth finding. Really cool, colourful vibe with friendly staff, and a friendly cat. Choose 2, 3 or 4 small picnic-style dishes, from things like quiches, soups and toasted ciabattas. Great price too, our favourite place for lunch.

Lombardo’s

4

The most amazing burgers you’ve ever tasted! These guys make huge, unique burgers with a whole range of delicious ingredients. Lamb, chicken, chorizo burgers, with all sorts of cheese, sauces and garnishes. Very popular in the evening, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Also, be prepared to get messy!

Omelegg

5

Amazing place to go for a hearty (or huge!) omelette breakfast. The whole feel of Omelegg has been thought through, with classic wooden tables and chairs, vintage looking art and old music. The omelettes themselves are brilliant, a huge range of fillings, and definitely big enough to keep you cycling for a while after!

Bagels & Beans A super cool spot right in the centre of busy Amsterdam, just off the main street it has a great chilled vibe sat right next to of the many canals. All the food is organic and prepared by hand, with some delicious combinations of flavours on whichever type of bagel you prefer. Reasonable price for downtown Amsterdam.

7

3

8

2

1

4

1

Amsterdam Central station from across the river IJ

2

Archway near Rijksmuseum

3

Omelegg

4

Near the Van Gogh Museum

9

Facts & Figures Population: 2, 431, 000 Size: 219 km2 Currency: Euro (â‚Ź) Airport: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) Train station: Amsterdam Central Station Time difference: CEST (GMT +1:00) Fact: There are over 400km of bike lanes in Amsterdam.

10

11

1

There are so many nice little cafes through Amsterdam, great for stopping and watching city life go by.

1

Outside cafe seating near the museums

2

Opera and Ballet House, from the canal

3

One of many cycling tours

12

3

2

1

Amsterdam is set up so well for cyclists, at traffic lights the bike lanes are just as busy as the roads.

2

14

3

1

Amsterdam’s bike lanes

2

On the canals

3

Rooftops and towers

15

do Amsterdam is full of so many things to do, whether you like the history and culture and want to go look around the museums, or whether you want to be outside and active cycling along the canals and exploring cafes and shops in the centre.

What we loved about Amsterdam was that we could do both of these things, learn lots and see lots, as well as just spending time relaxing on a canal tour or having a coffee in one of many cool little cafes. Amsterdam is such a cosmopolitan city and also a really safe city so it is great to just wander around explore at your own leisure. We also loved looking around the Bloemenmarkt, the floating daffodil market, also getting the free ferry across the river to go and see the stunning Eye Museum.

16

Amsterdam is all about cycling, so if you like to cycle then definitely get a bike and use those to get around quicker and just like the locals. Amsterdam isn’t the biggest city you could visit, which gives it a nice charm and doesn’t feel too overly industrial, as some cities can. The rivers and cycling culture give it a real feeling of quite a natural city. Definitely somewhere we could find ourselves living in the future.

1

Anne Frank’s House ‘Fascinating, informative and incredibly moving.’

Cycling

2

Despite needing to queue for two hours to get in, Anne Frank’s House is a must when in Amsterdam. The tour is a fascinating mix between the historical facts about the holocaust and personal insight and reflection on it from a child’s point of view. The whole experience is incredibly moving and also so informative at the same time. But watch out for queue jumpers!

3

When in Amsterdam you have to go cycling. Everyone cycles, and it’s great. There are cycle lanes everywhere, cars look out for you and it’s just a great way to see the city. Cycle along the canals and round the outer ring of the city to get an idea of where everything is. We hired from a place called MacBikes, who were friendly, pretty cheap and good quality bikes.

Athenaeum

Rijksmuseum

4

I am a huge fan of magazines, so for me this was amazing! But whether you particularly like books or not, both here and The American Book Centre just down the road are both great for just chilling and browsing some a huge selection of great-looking books. A great stop if it’s wet outside, pick up some books and get inspired.

5

A great way to spend an afternoon especially if the weather isn’t great, this museum is right next to a big grassy park area in Amsterdam with lots going on. The building is also very impressive and inside it is packed of outstanding sculptures and pieces of art. It’s a very big museum, so I’d suggest just doing the highlights tour.

Canal Tour This is a wonderful, relaxing way to see the city and get a better idea of where everything is. We picked the shorter, hour-long tour which was fine for seeing everything and wasn’t too expensive for two of us. Part of the reason Amsterdam is so beautiful is because of the canals, so definitely worth going doing to calmly enjoy the city sights.

17

1 2

18 1

Next to the Van Gogh Museum

2

Tulips from Bloemenmarkt

3

Bloemenmarkt along the canal

3

1

1

Sunset over Amsterdam suburb

2

Across the river from the Eye Museum

3

Bike tour over the canal

20

2 3

21

Designed by Max Randall