Netherlands – Amsterdam

Getting from Schiphol Airport to central Amsterdam

I arrived from London Heathrow on a short hop across the channel into Amsterdam Schipol by plane. Click here for Schipol airport info.

I would normally take the train, as it quite fast and more eco-friendly, but the prices were coming out quite high. Also, central Amsterdam hotels are horrendously expensive, so I already knew that I didn’t need to alight from the train in the centre of town, only to travel back further out again.

Instead, I got a cheap 45 mins budget flight and a fabulously cheap hotel deal at the airport instead. This meant simply taking the free 10 mins hotel shuttle bus into the airport, catching the train into Amsterdam (15 mins) and I was in the centre of the city, All for around a third the price of a central city hotel.

Schiphol airport must be one of the easiest airports in the world to transit to and from.

Train

Directly under the main foyer of the airport is the train station with trains that whisk you not only to central Amsterdam but it’s also a hub for trains to destination further afield. Take the escalator or lift for easy access to the train platforms.

Simply buy a ticket at the easy to use blue and yellow tickets machines in the airport foyer, or go to the multi-counter train ticket kiosk. A single to the centre of Amsterdam costs 4.70 Euros (the same as the bus). You can also book online in advance if you want. Click here for info . An e-ticket costs 1 Euro less to encourage e ticket sales (less kiosk queues and paper)

Trains run every 5 to 10 mins and take between 15 mins for a direct non-stop train to 25 mins for an all stops included one.

Bus

The Amsterdam Airport Express (bus 397) goes directly into the city centre.

Buses run from the Plaza bus terminus just outside the main terminal. They run about every 15 mins and take roughly 30-40 mins depending on traffic to the centre of the city. A single costs 4.70 Euros. (the same as the train).

Taxi

If you really want to spend the cash and get airport to hotel door service then taxis are available, costs are around 45-65 Euros depending on where in Amsterdam your hotel is. Taxi have meters so no bartering is needed.

They can be picked up in the official taxi stand on the Plaza next to the bus terminus.

Bike

Fun fact. If you have your own bike, you can even cycle to and from the airport in around 1 hour on a 15 km safe cycleway. Where you put your luggage on the bike, I have no idea! Only in bike-city Amsterdam could you have this wonderful eco-friendly way of doing things.

Travel Pass

If you really want to be transport savvy and intend to use public transport a lot then consider the 1-day (€ 17), 2-day (€ 22,50) and 3-day (€ 28) ticket passes. They are valid from anytime on the day you first use it. That counts as day one i.e. they are not 24/48 hour periods.

If you arrive very late on your first day, you may want to consider buying it the next day and just get an ordinary single ticket to your hotel. For example, if you arrive at 9pm and buy the travel pass and use it straight away on that eve you will have used up one day’s worth (even though technically you’ve only had it for a few hours).

The travel pass gives you free travel on all trains, buses, trams and ferries in the Amsterdam area. It also includes the Airport Express bus.

Personally, and unusually for me, I didn’t buy a travel pass. This was because I walked everywhere as Amsterdam is so walkable and many areas are pedestrianised. Also, my airport hotel had a free bus to the airport taking 10 mins.  I then got a return cheap train ticket into the city daily.

Where I stayed in Amsterdam

As I mentioned I stayed well out of the city for my visit.

If you want to be in the thick of it all then staying in the centre of the city, only 5 mins walk from many sights is where you need to be. However, for that privilege you will pay a huge amount of money. Amsterdam hotels are not cheap (or actually very big) in the core centre of the city.

The city has such an extensive and easy to use system of trams and buses, that unless you really need that convenience and can pay for it, look further afield.

Hotels just a 10 min tram ride from the centre, can be half the price for the same quality as that core centre one, and the choice is more varied.

Another option, that I usually do, is look even further afield. I look to the suburbs for a good hotel, that is next to a train/tram line. I always find that for the sake of a few pounds for a tram /train trip 10-15 mins into the city I can get fantastically cheap deals. Minimal inconvenience for major money saving.

I’ve gotten so used to all types and variations of transport and how to use and pay for them on my travels, that working out how to use the local transport has become second nature to me. I even ask the hotel reception how to do it after I arrive, so I am sure.

So, I looked up and found a huge 4 star hotel, beautifully furnished with even two restaurants, a bar, a gym, extensive grounds and a swimming pool for a really cheap price.

They have a free luxury coach that ferries guests every hour to the airport terminal some 10 mins away (I also never heard any noise from the airport).

Once off the coach I walk into the airport terminal next door, buy my train ticket for 4.70 euros at the kiosk, jump on a modern, clean train that leaves every 10 mins or so and 15 mins later I am in Centraal Station Amsterdam (yes Centraal is spelt with two a’s in Dutch, so it’s not a typo!).

Easy, peasey, and I loved my super easy daily journey, knowing it had saved me two thirds off the price of staying in central Amsterdam.

Van der Valk Hotel 

The hotel was a great choice.

It was very modern, clean, comfortable and stylish. Staff all spoke excellent English.

It’s actually a huge hotel and I quickly realised that it caters for mainly coach parties. Coaches were arriving in their dozens daily to pick up tourists for day trips and also dropping them off to check-in. However, they had this off to a tee, as they separated the party numbers from individuals and couples who were checking in, so we all didn’t have to fight the through the crowds. In fact, the crowds were there but they never caused an issue.

The entrance foyer was huge and from it led a sports bar, and more stylish city-urban bar, a formal restaurant and the casual dining restaurant, which also served as the breakfast room in the mornings.

The huge size of the breakfast room and bar also meant that even when large numbers descended, they were so spaced out in the massive rooms that no-one felt disrupted by them. In fact, quite the opposite to what I have experienced in similar mass tourism hotels.

Views from the floor to ceiling windows were over the extensive gardens outside that were very green, flat (well this is the Netherlands) and quite picturesque.

The rooms were great, very modern and comfy and surprisingly large. WIFI was good and the bed so comfortable that I got a wonderful sleep every night. I even had a big balcony with an outdoor chair. This was the cheapest room at a basic cost so I was very impressed with the standard.

If you are adventurous like me and will stay out of town for a cheaper hotel and happy to use public transport to get into the city, via the bus shuttle, this is the place to book.

A little bit about the history of Amsterdam

Probably one of the best known of European capitals, this city of just under 1 million people packs a big punch for its small size (and height – lack of skyscrapers!), in a relatively small country.  It is weirdly in one of the most densely populated countries the world with also an impressively high standard of living.

So where does the name Amsterdam come from – well, it’s surprisingly easy. In the 12the Century, a dam was built on the river Amstel and a fishing community grew up around. So Amsterdam simply means the dam on the river Amstel …… and there you were waiting for some complicated, ambiguous meaning and it’s so straightforward.!

Go one step even further back and the River Amstel takes its name from the old Dutch words for the areas around it “am” (river) and “stelle” (shoreline), so Amstel is derived from the word “river bank”

We know it grew up in the 12^th Century. though the surrounding peatland were inhabited from over 3,000 years ago.

Around 1306, it gained city status and became somewhat of a religious pilgrimage centre ,that also attracted trade.

In the 1500’s it rebelled against its Spanish rulers and after many years of struggle, what was to become the Netherlands (or Holland as the names are somewhat interchangeable), appeared. It then gained its independence and became a city of great international religious and civil freedoms. Jews, Protestant, Huguenots and Flemish artisans flooded here – we see their legacy of architecture and influence still in so many parts of the city today.

It was at this time that the city really started to resemble the canal dominated floorplan that we see today. Primarily for defensive, residential and transport needs, they set the scene.

Fast forward to the 17^th Century – the period of the “Golden Age” of Holland, and Amsterdam became one of the most important financial and commercial centres in the Western world. It’s military and economic power was huge, as a country, with Amsterdam its capital with its colonies in Indonesia, Brazil and India.

The “Dutch East India Company “was the biggest, wealthiest and most influential company in the world at the time – think Apple, Amazon and Boeing combined into one!

That wealth and prosperity was reflected in the building of magnificent and grand buildings in the city and afforded a wealth to the city that lasted generations. So much of Amsterdam’s property today dates from that period, and the streets can be a throwback to the17th Century in areas.

It was also in the 17th Century that the next four canal rings around the city were implemented and a few of the central canals filled in to form streets. It was the beginning of the canal system layout that exists today,

Notice the difference and extension in size between the two canal photos here.

Later, wars with France and England (which did not go well), reduced severely its dominance but the city still flourished.

In the 19^th Century infrastructure improvements in the shape of canals and waterways to connect it to major rivers and the North Sea better, brought about its resurgence again.

In WW1 the Netherlands remained neutral, even though shortages hit the population centres like Amsterdam,

In WW2 it was overtaken by Nazi Germany and huge repression placed on the people. The Jews that had lived for centuries in freedom and harmony with their neighbours in the country were deported and murdered in concentration camps – 60k of the 100k Jews killed were from Amsterdam alone.

In the 1970’s there was a call for modernisation of the city and huge apartment blocks, highways and industrial units were started and some completed. The locals revolted as they saw their historic city having whole areas demolished for this. A massive movement began and ultimately succeeded in stopping this, saving the wonderful buildings and zones for the future.

Today most of the central area of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its canals are world famous, along with its gable fronted canalside houses, These houses now cost a small fortune to buy!

The city is today often referred to as the “Venice of the North” due to its canal network – originally needed and used to transport goods – but now more a tourist attraction.

In fact, the city’s population numbers roughly million, yet annually 19 million tourists flock to the city – actually more than the population of the whole country of 17 million!

Centraal Station Amsterdam

Would you believe that this building is actually a registered National Monument – which actually makes it the most daily visited monument the country -192,000 travellers use it every day.

It’s the second busiest train station in the Netherlands, connecting local, regional, national and international areas.

Internationally, trains run direct from here to Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt (Germany), London (UK), Paris (France), Brussels (Brussels), Innsbruck and Vienna (Austria), and Basel (Switzerland). No wonder Amsterdam gets 19 million visitors annually!

Thus, it is a massive transportation hub where trains, Metro, trams, buses, and even ferries meet.

There are even stores, cafes, restaurants and public facilities inside too.

As a side note, it looks very similar to the huge Rijksmuseum (National Museum) and I have confused it often in pictures I’ve seen. Well, it was designed by the same guy and opened only 4 years after that building was built.

If you can, get up close to the façade. You will see that it has a lot of decoration, not seen from afar and those bas-relief carving are beautiful.

Built in a Gothic Renaissance Revival style it opened in 1889 and is huge inside. Trains arrive and depart here by the minute Thus, it is a massive transportation hub, slap bang at the centre of the city.

However, despite its grand and almost Palace-like design, it was not without its controversies. The new station completely blocked the view of the waterside from the city.

With the building if this station the city now had its major view facing inwards towards the canals and city rather than a waterside location.

I just had to get a pic of the graceful old station with a modern tram gliding past, just for the juxtaposition.

Amsterdam canals boat trips

Canal boat trips are, I guess, something synonymous with Amsterdam, along with the Red Light District, hash cafes and small souvenir clogs.

If you really want to say you have gotten the full Amsterdam experience, then I guess you need to do all four of these events!

There are a plethora of trips and excursions available and it is always best to book these online in advance, as they get very busy.

Trips range from a basic turn-up-and-go big boat, for a 45 mins trip along the main couple of canals for 15 Euros, to a two-hour exploration in a smaller, nicer boat for 25 Euros.

If you really want to splurge there are 2.5 hour evening cruises to see the fairy-light encrusted arches as you glide under them in the boat with a meal and drinks for around 80 Euros.

Daytime quick cruises give you an idea of the canal network and most of these sail from all the jetties on the extensive waterfront of the Centraal Station area and the surrounding Damrak waterfront. Just look for the crowds queuing and you will find them.

Personally, in all the times I’ve been to Amsterdam. I’ve never been tempted to take a boat trip. It just seems too touristy for me, for limited added benefit to the sights. I find walking beside the canals more interesting …. Maybe friends might force me to concede one day!

Damrak area

I guess, Damrak can be classed as the nearest to a central area that Amsterdam has. You can see the hugely, wide waterway/canal and jetties that form near Centraal Station nearby and then suddenly end as if it is a water basin.

The Dam was a wide canal in the past and the street that carries on down Damrak street is the infilled part of the canal. Damrak leads on down to the Royal Palace and eventually to Rokin street.

It can be classed as the main shopping area of the city but Rokin street is also a huge interconnecting system of trams, buses (many go to the airport from here too) and yet more areas for water canal cruises

Look out here for what must be one of the biggest public cycle parks in the city attractively lined with cut-out designs of wheels

Canal views

Do I need to talk about the canals of Amsterdam?

Their fame comes before them and they are internationally renowned – it’s nickname of “the Venice of the north” is fully justified. As a tourist attraction however, they are not in one location to go to, they are everywhere, they are a geographical/urban feature.

I’m just going to place several of the many pics I took of canals as I walked through the city here. Some are wider than others, some are more beautiful than others. Some are illuminated at night and others have cute bridges over them on the way.

You thus have to walk the city, usually beside them to appreciate them and seek out the well-known small, picturesque bridges over their expanse and simply watch the boats go by in them.

If you really want to get the full experience you can walk every one of the main ones (about nine) from one end to the other and then nip across the road to restart the journey back on another. Being built in concentric circles, that theoretically is possible.

However, in reality it would take hours, be quite tiring and gradually a tad boring as you encounter row upon row of gabled, reddish brick buildings with big windows, mostly 3 – 4 storeys high.

Pick a couple and walk their length or incorporate them into your route through the city from site to site. The city is very walkable and even if you need to break up the walking, the number of coffee shops along the way is immeasurable.

If you are organised enough, you can do this and even incorporate a few tram journeys en-route to places as they often also trundle the length of some canals.

Basilica of Saint Nicholas Amsterdam 

As churches goes, this one was relatively new, being opened in 1887. It is the main Roman Catholic church of the city and carries the name of the patron saint of the city – St Nicholas

Side note – St Nicolas is the main derivation of Sinterklaas (Dutch) which gave way to the anglicised Santa Claus.

I didn’t visit many religious sites in Amsterdam but I wanted to see this one because I had read how imposing it is – it stands several floors higher than the surrounding buildings slap bang in the centre pf the city – and for how intricate it is.

The exterior shows the building flanked by two tall brick towers and a huge rose window in the central ornate façade. The central dome sheds light down on what is a rather sombre and light-starved interior however.

I wanted to see the interior as many had spoke about its unusual black stoned arches, columns and embellishments.

The whole panorama gave it a rather sombre feel and slightly un-churchlike foreboding feel in its colours. Various areas were lit up individually rather than entertaining huge all-encompassing floodlights. It thus encouraged you to explore the church area by area.

Gold coloured decoration often stood out against the black columns, as if trying to lighten the mood of the black surroundings.

The wall frescos were superb, decorative and colourful, despite their black stone framings and there was a sense of height rather than length of the building with those huge vaults and columns.

Stop by here, if you can, as this was truly a most different interior decoration of a church that I had seen in a while.

Bikes and swans 

There are two dangers in Amsterdam – bikes and swans.

Why?

The city is awash with bikes – it is supposedly one of the most environmentally friendly cities for transport (electric trains and trams and buses) and bikes form a huge part of getting around the city.

Bike parks are everywhere and bikes are often left unlocked beside a shop while the owner nips inside for something. Look closely and you will see that the bikes are usually quite basic and even quite old.

Why – well an older basic bike doesn’t get stolen (there are thousands of the everywhere, and also you don’t need racing gears for speed in a city or hugely comfy ones for short distances. A basic sturdy but older bike will do the job well. It also makes them cheap to buy second-hand.

There are bike lanes everywhere, so do watch where you are going. Many pedestrians mistake bike lanes for walkways and the number of times I saw a dozy tourist wander, without thinking, into oncoming traffic in a bike lane was too many times.

They have priority and at many cycle lanes the width is as wide as the car lane, so do watch out. The sound of cycle bells ringing to warn people who are not paying attention to them approaching, is a sound you will hear constantly in Amsterdam, rather than a car horn.

A mass cycle gathering at a junction as they wait for the lights to change is something that must be seen to be believed – there are often hundreds of cycles waiting for that light.

It must be the only city I know (apart from maybe Copenhagen) where you can easily get run over by a bike.

The other one is swans.

The city has a resident population of swans and whilst they are used to humans and somewhat tame, they should not be approached closely. They are safe but can easily protect themselves if they think you are too close. At various times they may want to cross from one canal to another and they will get out of the water (they even have their own purpose built slopes in some areas) and wander across the road to get to the next canal.

People happily stop and watch and even warn approaching cars to slow down and stop to let them cross.

When I first saw them, a policeman was nearby and stood in the road to stop cars and bikes who patiently waited. She beckoned and guided the swan across and then, once it was back in the water, signalled everyone to continue as normal.

Tourists had a field-day with their cameras – where else would you see a swan being given preferential treatment over humans in a city.

Apparently, the swans are so well known that the authorities have given them all names – cute eh?

De Oude Kerk Amsterdam 

A 5 mins walk from the Basilica we saw earlier, along the canal, is another famous church– de Oude kerk (the Old Church)

A wooden church had stood on this location since 1213 but the present tone one replaced it in 1306.

Much enlargement and alterations took place in the 14^th and 15^th Century, hence why it does seem a little bit of a mish-mash of styles and looks from different angles.

It is however the oldest church and building in Amsterdam and is situated in the De Wallen district of the city (more famously known as the Red Light district). It was originally a Catholic church but in 1578 when the Dutch overthrew the Spanish control of the Netherlands it was converted to Calvinism and remains as such today.

Many past city officials, important tradesmen and even some minor royalty were buried here.

It also houses one of the finest Baroque Organs in Europe

Its other claim to fame is that the painter Rembrandt was married here and his marriage certificate and a small display about him, is on view inside the church. His wife is buried here although he is buried in another church – Westerkerk, some 12 mins walk away, next to the Anne Frank Museum.

Today it also a centre for art and heritage.

Click here for info on opening times and entry charges.

Red Light District and Sex worker Monument

Right outside the church is something you may not expect to find here. It is placed on Oudekerksplein, or the Old Church Square. The statue and the Oude kerk is actually in the heart of Amsterdam’s red-light district of De Wallen,

The small statue, 1.5 metres tall, is of a full-breasted woman standing in a doorway at the top of small set of steps. The statue is named Belle, and is the world’s first and only monument dedicated to sex workers.

The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world where prostitution is legal and regulated.

De Wallen, where the Church and statue stands is the largest and best-known red-light district in the world and is spread over a network of alleys. The area contains approximately three hundred one-room cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights.

Called “kamers”, they are the most visible and typical kind of Red Light district sex work in Amsterdam and are a large tourist attraction.

The plaque on Belle reads: “Respect sex workers all over the world”.

Today, Amsterdam is trying to reduce the area and remove the tourist element. It feels, quite rightly, that the gawping tourists have become overbearing and detracted from what is a unique business area of the city.

I’ve walked the area in the past as a tourist, and have to agree that it feels demeaning for the workers to have these tourists laughing and mocking the atmosphere of the place.

Today I did not want to walk it again, hence no pics. If you need to see it for the first time, then do but it can also be done respectfully from the other side of the canal.

Interesting shops in Amsterdam

Amsterdam must have some of the most eclectic and far-out shopping areas of any city. They often run into each other in a mixture of themes but each has a core area so watch out to notice the different areas you could be walking through.

I wandered down one street and became aware that there were several gay pride flags flying from stands in the wall. A look around me and I realised I was in a gay-ish area where appropriately named bars and clubs were operating (it was daytime so many were not yet open). Several shop fronts were displaying gay fetish clothing and advertising helpful additional “objects”.

Further along the street, I turned a corner and it was clear I was now in an area with an open mind to various stimulants as cannabis and magic mushroom adverts now appeared in shop front windows.

I have to say the items were so well displayed and creatively designed that, at first, I did not notice them as being different from other typically merchandised stores.

After just emerging from the Red Light District, I was reminded in all of these areas of The Netherland’s liberal attitude to sex, sexuality and drugs.

The greatest thing about it? It all seemed so normal, ordinary people passing by on their chores not even particularly looking at the shop fronts or bar signs. It was all taken in their stride and no-one seemed to be bothered. So refreshing.

Further along I turned into what was a definite foodie area – wonderful stores full of artisan foods and crafts. A Vegan fast-food outlet caught my eye – such a variation on a theme – I had previously only thought of fast-food in a junk food context.

Dutch cheeses were a big theme here and as a lover of all cheeses I was tempted to window shop those.

Across the way stood a beautiful 19^th Century interior arcade of shops. It was gloriously painted with a marine theme – the illustration of a fish about to eat a pearl was interesting.

The main walkway had chandeliers hanging from its ceiling, illuminating the central walkway through the arcade.

Where else could you pass by a clothing fetish shop, drop into a gay bar, pick up your hallucinogenic mushrooms, a cannabis plant, pick up a fast-food vegan sandwich, a block Dutch cheese and stop off to window-shop at a swanky arcade …… only in Amsterdam!

Royal Palace

This Royal Palace was originally not intended to be for Royalty. It was opened in 1655 by the then City Mayor as the new prestigious City Hall. It is still the largest building built during the 17^th Century in all of the Netherlands.

The city was wealthy and wanted to show off its wealth and status and this building certainly wows for that. Remember that Damrak road in front would have been a wide canal when it was built. It’s now a wide avenue so its setting would have been even more glorious.

However, in 1806 the Dutch were forced to take on Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother Louis Bonaparte as their King as a puppet king to rule The Netherlands (or Holland as they called it then) on Napoleon’s behalf.

The new king needed a palace and so he took over the City Hall and it became, and stayed ever since, the Royal Palace.

The Royal Family today tends to live in one of the other official palaces in the Kingdom and, in particular, like to reside in the one in the Hague rather than here – pity as I was hoping to bump into him in the corridors inside!

Today, award ceremonies, state visits by foreign leaders and official state entertainments take place here.

The square is quite bare and open. It did feel very strange to be able to walk up to its walls and touch the building with no bother – a sign of Dutch openness.

You can go inside for visits but advance booking is recommended. Click here for ticket info and opening times.

National Monument 

Right opposite the Royal Palace, on the other side of the square, is a large, white, stone monument.

It represents the sacrifice of all Dutch who had fallen in WW2 and any war since. Remember that the Netherlands not only fought in WW2 but was occupied for several years by the Nazis, enduring the associated atrocities.

The white travertine stone and its accompanying statues are very symbolic. Without going into too much detail here, I’ll explain it a little as it is not obvious at first.

Placed here in 1956, replacing a temporary wood pole memorial, the 22 metre tall cone and statue monument sits at what is regarded the centre of the whole city. It was unveiled by the then Queen of the Netherlands.

The four chained men in bas-relief represent the suffering of war, the two standing statues of men represent the Dutch resistance during WW2. The weeping dogs at their feet represent loyalty and suffering.

Above the central relief is a sculpture of a woman with a child in her arms and doves flying around her, representing victory, peace and new life. A relief at the back showing doves flying skywards represents liberation

The lions on either side represent the Netherlands.

Around the back of the monument is a rather plain but important aspect. The twelve urns suspended in the walls here represent and contain soil from places of execution and cemeteries from each of the eleven Dutch provinces. One represents the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) that the Dutch controlled during the war.

There, quite a symbolic monument that needs this explanation, to understand why there are so many individual pieces represented here.

Anne Frank’s House

This is now the third most visited Museum in all the Netherlands.

For those not familiar with the story here’s a brief recap.

During WW2 Amsterdam was occupied by the Nazis and there was a programme to find and deport all the Jews in the city to concentration camps.

Anne Frank, her sister, mother and father were protectively hidden from the outside world ,in a backhouse area of a canalside 16^th century home by a family. For 2 years and 1 month they lived undiscovered.

Anne wrote about her experiences in a diary and on paper . In 1945 the family was discovered and deported to concentration camps where they were murdered, with only the father surviving.

After the war the father received the diary and papers that the protective family secretly managed to gather and keep safe from the Nazis. He decided to publish them in 1947 in a diary form and they become world renowned.

In 1955 the house was saved from demolition and in 1960 it opened as a museum, displaying artefacts from the times, and awards for the book. Today it receives well over a million visitors per year.

So, why do I have no pics of the place.

I stupidly did not do my usual research before going to Amsterdam on the Anne Frank House.

I arrived and asked for a ticket. The ticket office seemed a little surprised and said they had no tickets for today as it is sold out! Ok, what about tomorrow then as I am here tomorrow also.

It was then that they politely told me that the Museum only sells tickets in advance. Such is the demand for tickets for what s a small house that they are sold online a month in advance. …. Wow, I had no idea.

They tried to be helpful and said it would be best if I booked now for the future to ensure I could get a ticket. They helpfully offered to look up the next availability and it was for 4weeks’ time!!! (Btw I was visiting off season too!).

So, be warned, unless you have booked timed tickets for the place in advance, you will not get in.

Tickets are released on the first Tuesday of each month for the following 4 weeks. They sell out often with days for the whole month. You then have to wait until the first Tuesday of the next month for the next lot of 4 week’s availability. Here’s the site to book your timed entrance ticket.

Amsterdam street scenes

I’ve included some pics here of glorious buildings, some churches, some canal houses some …. well, just lovely buildings. They’re not famous in themselves but it just shows the width of styles and wonderful architecture you will come across in your travels.

Amsterdam is not only a place full of museums and historic locations. Its whole environment is a marvellous panorama wherever you walk. Canals, gabled houses, boats, galleries, bicycles, swans, museums etc, etc. You need to be constantly looking around yourself at the edifices and sights everywhere.

However, remember to be aware of fast-moving bikes and do not ever wander into a bike lane as you are gawping at everything!

Memorial to Auschwitz Victims

We decided to walk to our next port of call, some 20 mins away but on the way we would pass by something we wanted to also see.

In a small Park – Wertheimpark – beside a canal is an interesting memorial to the victims of the Nazi massacre of the Jewish population of Amsterdam in WW2.

It is unusual in its very avant-garde theme, as it is a large glass block standing next to several huge panes of cracked glass mirrors set into the ground.

It was placed here in 1977, although replaced by a larger version later.

The glass is deliberately cracked like crazy paving (it shocked me at first because I thought it was as a result of vandalism). The memorial reflects the sky through broken mirrored glass, because, as the artist wanted it portrayed – the sky will never be the same after Auschwitz. Apparently, there are ashes of Auschwitz victims in an urn under the glass.

There is a small stand with the following text ,in a small display case, for all to read what the memorial represents. I think it says it all.

“The downfall of the Jews in the Netherlands, on May 10, 1940, the day of the invasion by Nazi Germany, 140,000 Jewish men, women and children lived in the Netherlands.

Between July 15, 1942 and September 3, 1944, more than 107,000 Jews were deported from the Netherlands. Only 5,200 survived the Nazi concentration camps and returned.

Auschwitz and Sobibor were death camps in Poland, mainly built for massacre. For 95,000 Jews from the Netherlands these camps were their final destination. Not more than 500 of them have survived.

Auschwitz has become a symbol of the attempted destruction of the Jewish people. This monument is erected in commemoration of the hundreds of thousands, the millions, of victims of racial delusions.

This is a place of remembrance and grief, of guilt and repentance, a warning for all generations throughout the world.”

Verzetsmuseum Museum of WW2 Resistance

From the park we made our way to the Museum my friends wanted to see, just down the road, round the corner and about 5 mins away.

This is not a Museum I would naturally choose to visit; in fact, I had not heard of it before I went. It turned out to be a good choice and gave us a welcome culture fix for an hour.

It is located in a large classic building of 1876, that was once a synagogue and Jewish cultural centre, but niftily converted to a museum in 1999. It is easy to spot, as it sits directly on the opposite side of the road from the main entrance to the city’s Artis Zoo.

The museum is basically about the Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of their country from May 1940-45.

Through the medium of film, posters, newsreels, artefacts, equipment and recreated room scenes, it gives a visual interpretation of life during that period in the Netherlands.

It clearly demonstrates Dutch resistance and the heroism of its people in defying the Nazi occupation. under a brutal dictatorship, amidst war conditions.

I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, as I thought I knew enough about Dutch resistance from history books and school.

The posters were particularly interesting and in the gift shop they were represented again on postcards – the famous one of Rosie the Riveter (albeit American), caught my eye.

Indrapura Restaurant Amsterdam

We had reservations for an early evening meal at a restaurant that my friends really wanted to dine at, so after a coffee stop after the museum, we headed to the restaurant for an early dinner.

They had heard how the Indrapura restaurant on Rembrandtplein serves excellent Indonesian food. It has been here for over 35 years and is so well known, even abroad. The square in front of the restaurant also has a wonderful multi-statue artwork.

They wanted to try their famous ‘rijsttafels’, which are a selection of dishes with an array of different flavours, colours and textures. They have three categories (differing prices too), each serving between 18 and 10 separate small dishes (a bit like Spanish tapas)

Usually, you order this for 2 people and in our case, we ordered the one that gave 16 separate dishes. As we were three of us and one person was vegetarian the restaurant arranged for us to receive more dishes (enough for three) and include vegetarian options as they can be very meat-based dishes.

The pictures show the results!

Around 26 small plates of food were brought, all wonderfully cooked and delicious and served by friendly staff.  I couldn’t fault the food and service and we all felt suitable stuffed and impressed by everything.

We ordered wine to accompany the meal (wonderful too) and it all came to around 60 Euros per person. (Including wine and a desert after). The price was considerably cheaper than I thought it would be, considering the amount of food we were served, in one of the best Indonesian food restaurants in Amsterdam.

Remember the Netherlands ruled over large areas of Indonesia from the 16^th century until their independence after WW2, so there was competition in the city from immigration for good Indonesian restaurants.

This was a great last night with my friends before they embarked on their cruise down the Rhine and Danube the next day, I was also to fly back home the next day. Click here for details of the Indrapura restaurant.

My thoughts on Amsterdam

This is a tough one to write.

I know Amsterdam so well, that I kinda see it as somewhere I go without thinking about what it is like. I’ve been there probably 6 times that I can remember and possibly even more over the years. I’ve grown to love it as another city rather than somewhere I go to as a tourist now.

English is so widely spoken here (and often perfectly), that you don’t even need to ask if they speak English, in politeness, before asking a question. I once asked an elderly tram driver if he spoke English, as I was confused on something, and didn’t want him thinking I was a foreigner (I am) who assume everyone should speak English abroad. He looked at me rather indignantly and replied ”of course I do”, and then laughed. …. You don’t need to learn Dutch if you come here as a tourist.

I once asked a Dutch friend why so many (the majority) of Dutch speak such good English. He said “think about it – if we go abroad, no-one in the world speaks our language – we have to learn English, plus the fact that from an early age we learn English and watch English speaking TV and movies!” – enough said.

Amsterdam is a city with a small town feel for a capital city. Buildings are often no higher than 6 storeys – it is one massive culture heritage site after all. The buildings are always well maintained, there is a huge history behind The Netherlands from its Golden Age in the 16 – 17^th Century and colonial days. They have a great standard of living and this is reflected in the affluence of the city.

Its unique settings of gabled, big-windowed houses on canals with cycles flying past is world famous. The people are welcoming and helpful and everything is so well organised.

Artist like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Bruegel etc have their roots here and the museums and art galleries are world class. Its airport is a European hub for flights and its cheeses known the world over.

I love their liberal attitude to all aspects of life – and that it is all taken as normal.

What’s not to like here?

Oct 2018

Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.