A Tourists Guide to Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the most famous smaller cities in the world. The appreciation of this city revolves around the diverse activities and sights that can be seen here. Amsterdam has a fantastic tolerance to new people from all backgrounds, making this a very friendly and welcoming city to be in.
The friendly atmosphere radiates in all sectors of the destination, no matter what the scene may be. It is also a perfect place to visit for those that lack bilingual abilities, as the residents and general public of Amsterdam speak English fluently.
The historical context of Holland makes Amsterdam incredibly cultural and therefore stands as a brilliant tourist attraction.
The international attraction to the Netherlands is the unique intimate streets and canals, the sexual liberation that the Dutch take pride in and the wonderful ranges in tourist attractions that combine popular and historical culture.
In this blog, you will be guided through the main aspects that could be important to any future visits. The information about visiting Amsterdam may even convince you to consider taking a trip there – if you hadn’t considered it already.
Tourist Attractions
Amsterdam is extraordinary for supplying tourists with a wide range of tourist attractions that will appeal to different audiences.
It is definitely suggested that you take a look around the city and immerse yourself into the varying attractions – as this will give you better knowledge of the Dutch culture.
Anne Frank House
In the centre of Amsterdam, the historic hiding place of Anne Frank still stands and has been converted into an excellent museum. Considering that so much of the Holocaust history lays within Holland, visiting this location is a recommended ‘must-see’, as it will give you a real insight into the most famous victims of the tragic event.
The Anne Frank House has a very small admission of 9 euros, which will allow you to take a guided journey around the rooms that the Frank family actually lived in. You will discover rare information taken from original sources and see pages from the famous Anne Frank diary.
If the idea of being in the room that the Jewish victims spent the war appeals to you, visiting here will give you a feel for the ominous atmosphere and enlighten you with the reality of the Holocaust.
The Heineken Experience
Are you a lover of pure and perfect beer? The Heineken Experience takes you through the history and the excitement of Holland’s signature beer. The location is a former brewery and is now an interactive and dynamic tour destination. You can use all your senses to learn about how the beer is made and how it was previously advertised.
After viewing screenings of adverts and looking at the interesting architecture,
you will then move into the favourable part of the tour.
You will have the opportunity to get your own cold beer from the tap, and indulge in around 3-4 glasses of it.
At the end of it – there’s a ‘Brew You’ ride too – very fun for groups of friends!
Venustempel Sex Museum
In a city that admires the world of sex and erotic entertainment, it could potentially be a mistake to not take a look into this wide fascination that the Dutch possess.
At an admission fee of only 4 euros, the Sex Museum makes for a very interesting and informative day.
Although this museum is small, it is eye-opening and will introduce you to a history of sexual activity and exemplify pieces of erotic art and sculptures.
This museum also has a small section dedicated to the lifestyle of Marilyn Monroe, with an interactive structure of Marilyn herself posing for a photoshoot. If you are visiting Amsterdam, this small destination would make your trip worthwhile.
Nightlife
During the later hours, the areas in Amsterdam are buzzing with life and tend to be very busy. The nightlife of Amsterdam contrasts from prestige clubs serving high-end food and delicious cocktails, to an energetic and insane party centrals full of dance music and lively youth.
Leidseplein
Most of the nightlife is centered here in Leidseplein and brings together an assortment of events and activities that can be enjoyed thoroughly.
The biggest and most famous music venues that are based here are named Melkweg and Paradiso. In both of these venues, there are themed music nights almost every night, with a different DJ playing for each.
Many international music acts have performed here and enjoy the amazing atmosphere that the venue gives.
For a sophisticated night out, there are plenty of theatres to choose from that present shows that are well respected and truly distinguished.
The Red Light District
This is arguably the centre of Amsterdam’s modern culture containing a number of colourful clubs and shops, including local coffee shops and thriving restaurants. It goes without saying that it would be hard to avoid the sightings of the ladies of the night, however that’s what makes the atmosphere evermore Dutch and traditional.
There is unique entertainment in this side of Amsterdam behind Dam Square, with shows and entertainment of erotic performances, including live sex shows and brilliant drag exhibits.
Food and Drink
The dutch are lovers of eating out and enjoy an experience of combining dining with entertainment to make a night out of eating.
The cuisine here is very much varied in the sense that they love to create foods of new tastes but also love to stick to traditional meals.
Most of the traditionally Dutch food tends to be wholesome and very healthy, this is definitely evident in the public that are often kept fit and maintain a healthy weight! You will discover a lot of seafood restaurants and a la carte menus that are sure to drive your taste buds wild.
In terms of drink, the Dutch enjoy a hot beverage such as coffee or tea, and most certainly like a traditional beer, usually a Heineken.
Transport
Getting to Amsterdam in general is easy and can also be very cheap. There is an airport, a europort and a ferry port.
You can also travel to Amsterdam by sailing into Rotterdam, and taking a coach directly to the centre.
Getting around Amsterdam is simple and straightforward, as there are many buses and trams that come around every 5 minutes.
Tourists find travelling by line to be easiest, however, if you would like to really emerge into the culture, travelling by bike is a great option as you will find hundreds of bikes in and around the centre!
Amsterdam is a city that will give you immense cultural knowledge, beautiful sights and distinctive formations of entertainment.
There are always things to do for all ages, so no matter how wide your age range is within your group, you are sure to find countless things to do!
Do you like this blog? What other tips could you give to someone looking to visit Amsterdam? Let us know in the comments
This blog was written by Rachel Jensen on behalf of Cruise Nation, the cruise specialists.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock / MilesFromBlighty
This is a pretty disappointing post. I think a better title would be “Things tourists do in Amsterdam that you should avoid”.
Anne Frank house is immensely disappointing, you can easily get a train (or ride a bike – which is how you should be getting around anyway. I think you’ll find tens of thousands of bikes rather than hundreds) to Haarleem instead and go to The Corrie ten Boom House instead.
Instead of going on a Heineken tour, why not go to one of the many authenic and charming “brown” bars around the city?
No mention of the free concerts provided by Concertgebouw? Forget the red district and leidesplein and hang out in Prinsengracht or the Jordaan instead.
If you like art then definitely go to the The Rijksmuseum.
Though it doesn’t change the content here, it’s worth noting that there’s a difference between Holland and The Netherlands:
http://www.cgpgrey.com/blog/the-difference-between-holland-the-netherlands
Amsterdam was always a stop in a longer trip for me. I usually fly KLM, so you can add on a couple nights on the way in or on the way out. I used to be too tired to really enjoy the city.
Last year, I actually got on a plane and went to Amsterdam–just Amsterdam. I had the time of my life. I met some friends and we just fooled around, enjoying everything the city has to offer. No schedules, no advance ticket purchases–just roaming. We made time to stop in the shops that piqued our interest and definitely did too much drinking. I ended up falling in love with a guy there, and still go back to see him (and talk every day). It’s a fantastic place (where I’ve already returned once this year, and plan to visit many more times…from Los Angeles).