amsterdam

Amsterdam’s Golden-Age canals, exciting museums, and exotic shops make for a one-of-a-kind vacation.

Home to unforgettable landmarks like the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House, Amsterdam is the jewel of the Netherlands. The city has earned a nickname as the “Venice of the North” due to its extensive canal system. As you make your way on foot around the city, you will take in views of tall, thin canal houses with embellished gables dating back to the Dutch Golden Age (1588 to 1672). The settling foundations of the buildings makes their profiles lean slightly askew left and right, taking on a most wondrous, fantastical aspect. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city where the worlds of art, finance, and history come together in a refined fashion. In addition to being the cultural capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a financial center of Europe due to the positioning of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. In the city’s De Wallen district, the famed red lights of Amsterdam signal some of the wilder bars and exotic coffee shops where people from around the world come to experience uninhibited Europe. During my trip to Amsterdam, I was lucky enough to visit a few of the worldclass treasures nestled within the city. Before I get into the best things to see in Amsterdam, I’ll add the disclaimer that the time to go is between the middle of April and the early part of May if you want to experience Holland’s tulip season.

The Bloemenmarkt is Amsterdam’s floating flower market. I highlight it as a must-see attraction simply because there’s nothing like it in all of Europe. Founded in 1862, the market is positioned on the city’s Singel Canal. Within the floating market, you’ll find more than a dozen shops. It’s the ultimate place in the city to pick up keepsakes to bring back home. I spent a good chunk of an afternoon browsing windmill trinkets, Dutch chocolates, and other unique treasures. Bloemenmarkt is also the best spot in the city to pick up Dutch tulip bulbs. I even picked up some fresh-cut Dutch tulips for my hotel room to bring in the scents of the Dutch countryside as I relaxed in the evenings.

I would consider a visit to Rijksmuseum, the base of any Amsterdam vacation. The ultimate museum of the Netherlands, Rijksmuseum houses works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, and many more. Rijksmuseum also happens to be housed in the same square as the Van Gogh museum. This museum is very nicely laid out to allow you to maximize your visit. It also has some charming attached gardens. While the blooms are regularly changed up at the museum, I happened to be lucky enough to be visiting when a sunflower installation was on display.

On the suggestion of a friend who has spent a good chunk of time in Amsterdam for work, I decided to book a hotel located in the city’s Jordaan neighborhood, a leap of faith because I had never heard of this little corridor before my visit. Jordaan is very aptly considered to be the Greenwich Village of Amsterdam. Full of narrow passageways and canal contours obscured by leafy trees, Jordaan is a hip spot full of the best lowkey cafés and restaurants in the city. The specialty shops and indie boutiques in the neighborhood made it feel like I was mining a treasure trove of undiscovered gems. Jordaan is a top spot if you’re in love with European stall markets. At the Noordermarkt square market, you’ll find everything from jewels to organic food. Antiques Centre Amsterdam is a wonderland of vintage artwork ranging from watercolor paintings to antique ceramics. It’s also an active neighborhood where everyone seems to get around on foot, bike, or motor cycle. If you find your way here, don’t miss the Amsterdam Cheese Museum! While I went for the cheese tasting, I left with a proper educa tion in the artistry of Holland’s cheeses.

THE BLOEMENMARKT RIJKSMUSEUM

THE JORDAAN

AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL STATION

neighborhood made it feel like I was mining a treasure trove of undiscovered gems. Jordaan is a top spot if you’re in love with European stall markets. At the Noordermarkt square market, you’ll find everything from jewels to organic food. Antiques Centre Amsterdam is a wonderland of vintage artwork ranging from watercolor paintings to antique ceramics. It’s also an active neighborhood where everyone seems to get around on foot, bike, or motorcycle. If you find your way here, don’t miss the Amsterdam Cheese Museum! While I went for the cheese tasting, I left with a proper education in the artistry of Holland’s cheeses. est railway station in Amsterdam, Amsterdam Centraal is truly the hub of the country. It will get you to various points around the country. It’s also a great gateway between the city and Schiphol Airport. This beautiful structure from 1889 now houses a variety of shops and restaurants.

Before wrapping up my Amsterdam itinerary, I want to highlight a few of the excursions that made my visit memorable. The first was a guided biking tour through Vondelpark. Amsterdam’s Vondelpark is an urban park in the middle of Amsterdam, covering 120 acres. I’m thankful that I decided to go on a guided journey because I would have missed many of the sculptures and other gems inside the park if I had tried to do this on my own. If you visit, take your time to enjoy touches like an open-air theatre and food-service stations. The second excursion that really put a bow on my Amsterdam vacation was a boat tour. You’re not going to have any trouble booking one of these because there are tons of tour operators in the city. My particular boat tour took me through the city’s narrow canals to get what felt like a very intimate, inside-out view of the hustle and bustle. From the boat, Amsterdam looked like a movie set full of gingerbread houses and medieval squares.

AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL STATION AMSTERDAM EXCURSIONS TO CONSIDER