Amsterdam
The city of tulips, bicycles, windmills, canals and coffee shops.
Amsterdam is a city that attracts visitors and workers from all over Europe thanks to its wealth and tolerance; here, in fact, same-sex couples have been able to marry since 2001 and cannabis, like prostitution, has been legalized and regulated.
🚲 Bike rentals everywhere in the city
Crooked and narrow houses
In Amsterdam, the houses are narrow and seem crooked, which makes them unique.
They are narrow because in the past the State required the payment of a tax depending on the width of the house, so the inhabitants began to build narrow houses, developed in height. The narrowest house is only 101 centimeters wide and is located at number 7 Singel Street.
They're crooked because the city has foundation problems and buildings need to be as light as possible to stay stable above marshy ground. The houses in the past were built on wooden poles and with the sides tied to each other to maintain greater balance; unfortunately, over time and with humidity, the wooden foundations have become less and less robust, making the houses sloping.
🛌 Perfect place to sleep and get around the city
Museums
In the city, there are famous museums such as the Rijksmuseum where Vermeer's Girl with a Turban painting is located, the wonderful Van Gogh Museum and the STRAAT museum (across the canal, to experience the ferry experience and to see the city from another point of view). Another important museum is the Anne Frank House, where you can see the secret passage that led to Anne's hiding place and where they found the diary and objects that belonged to her. Anne Frank's Diary has been read by millions and translated into 70 languages; was published in 1947 by Anna's father, 2 years after he died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
🎫 Rijksmuseum link - Van Gogh Museum link - Anne Frank House links
Canals and Houseboats
Amsterdam is also often called the Venice of Northern Europe" due to its 160 canals that stretch over 100 km. Most were built in the 16th century to transport goods and defend against potential invaders. After the Second World War, houseboats began to be moored on these canals, used as temporary accommodations for workers during the shortage of homes after the war. Today there are more than 2000 Houseboats and many have been converted into apartments/hotels for tourists.
One of them is very special, it is a sanctuary for cats. It is called De Poezenboot “The Catboat” and is located at Singel 38 /G. It was founded in 1966 and is capable of hosting a maximum of 50 cats; they are usually sick or abandoned, are put back on track and made available to anyone who wants to adopt them. Small donations can be made to help the shrine continue its work.
Tulips
An unmissable stop is the folkloristic and colorful flower market Bloemenmarkt, where flowers and plants have been displayed on barges in a row until about 5 in the afternoon since 1862.
Among the many flowers, the tulip is one of the symbols of Amsterdam. Introduced in Turkey in 1500, it aroused wonder and became increasingly popular, sparking a competition that resulted in the "tulip bubble": a single bulb could be worth more than a house and entire farms.
Today, everyone flocks to the city during the tulip bloom season (from mid-March to mid-May, with the maximum flowering period in mid-April).
You can visit the famous Keukenhof park with over 7 million flowers; reachable by car, with an organized visit or by public transport (from Leidseplein, Rijksmuseum or Museumplein take the transfer 397 to get to Hoofddorp station, from there take the bus 859 to get to Keukenhof).
Or you can simply go on a bike ride through the tulip fields in the Lisse or Leiden area. Just rent a bike in the city and take a train to Haarlem. Outside the station, ask for directions to the cities of Lisse or Leiden or to the "tulip fields" and start cycling!
🎫 Keukenhof tulip park link about 17 euros (the opening and closing dates change every year)
Coffee Shop
Amsterdam is also known for its coffee shops: there are more than 200. Inside you cannot consume alcohol but only coffee and other soft drinks and you can try the space cake (we tried it and laughed) and various types of cannabis. If you are not used to smoking, it is best to try the softest ones possible. It is good to know that some rules must be followed: smoking is allowed only in coffee shops and in one's own home; some hotels and hostels allow it and some don't.
The coffee shop is beautiful as a location: Original Dampkring Coffeeshop.
Red Lights
If during the day you dedicate yourself to history, in the evening Amsterdam lights up with light and voices. Among these is the red light district, the Red Lights: characterized by red lights, sex shops, entertainment venues, and beautiful prostitutes in the window who choose their patrons (and discard most of them). It is forbidden to take pictures in the shop windows, under penalty of a hefty fine.
Heineken and other beers
Amsterdam has a long tradition of master brewers. Heineken beer was born right here and the brand is today the first producer in Europe and the second in the world, also including Amstel and Birra Moretti. You can visit the first brewery opened by Heineken in Amsterdam in 1864 and take the interactive tour of the Heineken Experience or visit the first Dutch brewery founded in 1407 which is based in Haarlem (1 hour from Amsterdam).
🎫 Heineken Experience link
Other nearby excursions:
Among the excursions near Amsterdam that you shouldn't miss are the fairy village of Giethoorn and the windmills of Zaansche Mill.
Have a nice trip!
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