Things to do in Amsterdam

When visiting the wonderful city of Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, make sure to do these following ten things to make your stay here a big success:

Boat tour of the canals

The network of canals is the main trademark of this great city. The entire old city centre is surrounded by canals, called “Grachten” in Dutch, in a U-shape layout. Tour boats travel over the canals, following routes that lead them along some of the most interesting sights of the city. Most boats depart from the piers opposite the central train station (Centraal Station).

Visit the Rijksmuseum

Even if you are not that interested in art, a visit to the Rijksmuseum is definitely a must when visiting Amsterdam, even if it were to admire the beautiful building this interesting museum is located in. In this museum of art and history you will be able to learn a lot about Dutch history by means of excellent paintings depicting the life in Holland over several centuries.

Visit the Van Gogh museum

Vincent van Gogh was one of the most famous Dutch painters, and a lot of people also know him for something else: he cut off his own ear before painting a self-portrait. The Van Gogh museum has an excellent collection of the great artist’s most famous paintings. If you’re in for a day of art culture, why not combine a visit to the Van Gogh museum with the Rijksmuseum?

Visit the Anne Frank house

Not many people have never heard of Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who had to hide with her family from the Nazis during their occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. They lived in a secret area of this house until the fateful day they were found by the Germans and deported to a concentration camp.

Visit the Schuttersgalerij

The “Schuttersgalerij” (Civic Guards Gallery) is one of the most interesting art galleries of the city. The small but captivating exhibition has a collection of beautiful paintings of civic guards, regents and aristocrats from the Golden Ages, giving you a visual taste of what life was like for Amsterdam’s richest and most powerful inhabitants several hundred years ago.

Explore the Jordaan neighbourhood

A visit to De Jordaan, a neighbourhood in Amsterdam easily reachable on foot from the Central Station, will take you back to the Amsterdam of half a century ago. The whole area feels authentic and traditional, with many picturesque buildings, little shops and a wide range of cafes with an “Old Dutch” feeling to them.

Relax in the Vondelpark

The Vondelpark is the green heart of Amsterdam, and a big favourite among the city’s inhabitants. This is the place where the “Amsterdammers” go on sunny Sundays, to relax and enjoy the outside life in a city that can be hectic at times during the work week. During spring and summer, this big park is the open-air stage for many street artists and musicians, giving it a great atmosphere.

Explore the streets of De Walletjes

“De Walletjes” is the infamous red light district in Amsterdam. Just as paying a visit to a coffee shop is on the to-do list of many people (not to have coffee...), this district very near to the heart of the city has converted itself into a tourist attraction of its own.

Shopping in the city centre

This one may be more for the shopaholics among us but nevertheless deserves a spot in the Top 10. Shopping in Amsterdam is great fun for all. You can find anything here, from quaint little shops to big department stores and the most up-market venues, many of them located in the fancy Kalverstraat.

Amsterdam Airport shopping and viewing terrace

Not many airports can offer so many interesting things to see and to do as Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Among its facilities you can find a large shopping centre which is accessible to everyone and open every day of the week, and a huge outdoor viewing terrace on top of the terminal building offering a spectacular view of the apron and some of the runways at this busy airport.

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