Top Things To Do In Amsterdam

Any mention of Amsterdam,

immediately brings to mind,

cafes that serve cheese laden sandwiches,

scantily clothed women moving provocatively

in windows with red lights,

and the sweet smell of grass and happiness.

But Amsterdam has much more to offer for the exploring traveler.

Here are the top things to do in this beautiful, old city:

 

Museums

To begin with,

the Netherlands boasts an inordinate number of museums per square foot,

enough to keep everyone from history buffs to cat lovers engaged.

From the world famous Rijksmuseum to the KattenKabinet or Cat Museum,

Amsterdam is a museum lover’s paradise.

The Anne Frank House is a must-visit for anyone who loves a good story.

The house is well-preserved and visitors can still see the bookcase

that hides the secret room where Anne Frank and her family were housed.

Mind you,

booking your ticket online

will serve you well because the line stretches for miles.

Don’t miss the Our Lord in the Attic museum as well,

which gives you the intriguing background on

why people built entire churches in their houses.

 

Brown Cafes

The cafe culture in Amsterdam is a tradition.

Cafes are where people always met,

exchanged stories over a cup of coffee, and made friends.

Brown cafes, though,

are actually historical pubs

that feature ceilings stained with cigarette smoke dating back to WWII.

In fact,

that’s where the name ‘brown cafe’ comes from.

Take Cafe de Dokter, for instance.

It’s a quaint 18th-century pub,

also the smallest in Amsterdam and derives its name from the legend

that it was founded by a surgeon from a hospital nearby.

Or take the monkey-themed Cafe In t’Aepjen.

The story goes that this pub,

housed in a 16th-century building,

got its name from the tradition of sailors bringing

back apes from their exotic travels to repay their debts.

Fact and fiction are blurred but that makes

these places all the more interesting.

 

Canal Walks

The canals are, of course, unmissable.

You will always be walking by a canal wherever you go in the city.

But take a walking tour with a special focus on these beautiful canals

and you will see the stories they have to tell.

Statues of writers,

old drawbridges,

colorfully painted canal houses,

and rows of done up boats bobbing by railings dotted

with bicycles are sights that are unique to this wonderful city.

Sampling the Cuisine

When you stroll around in the city of Amsterdam,

you’ll surely find a high volume of restaurants.

There are plenty of sandwich boards

in front of the many restaurants advertising their daily specials

and a minute’s walk down the Damrak, the street facing Central Station,

will show you neon lights flashing “pizza”.

If you delve further into the city,

you can find the Damstraat,

the street on Dam Square,

also peppered with eateries.

Further down again towards Leidseplen,

the Leidsekruisstraat and Leidsetraat have their fair share of restaurants too.

Don’t forget Jordaan,

a cool,

hip district where Dutch street food,

cafes with melt-in-the-mouth cheese sandwiches,

and sleek Thai restaurants jostle amicably for space.

Don’t want to spend much?

Hit one of the many kebab joints

or sample the iconic Dutch fries.

Whatever you choose to do,

be it understanding history,

relaxation or just walking around,

Amsterdam is the perfect place for it.

Why don’t you try one of our Europe tours to find out more?

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