2 weeks ago, we spent a couple of days in Amsterdam. I love short city trips in the fall – the tourist season is over, but the weather is usually just perfect for walking around, and it’s great to get out of your hometown before moody winter arrives.
This was my second time in Amsterdam, as we did a similar trip just last year. There are very few places I like to revisit. Usually, I prefer going to new places, explore new countries, and there’s only a handful of cities that I’m just as excited about going back. Amsterdam was one of those places that I desperately wanted to get more of.
Interestingly, for a long time, it was not on my travel bucket list. I’ve traveled around Europe a lot, but somehow it didn’t really attract me. Maybe because of the infamous reputation of its weed culture and the Red Light District, I thought it was simply not really for me.
Boy, was I wrong.
After the first glance at the canals, the streets, and the architecture, I fell in love with the city for eternity. I don’t really know how to describe this, but some cities have character and a unique vibe that just grabs you instantly. This is definitely one of those cities for me.
It’s full of beautiful streets, houses, stores, cafes, museum, the whole city is just one big bowl of creative and visual inspiration. I love traveling, because it inspires me as nothing else does. But Amsterdam is on another level – apart from spending an incredible couple of days there, it also gave me tons of creative impulses and an even stronger sense of my creative journey.
Funny, how a city can do that.
If you’re planning to visit Amsterdam, there are a couple of incredibly useful guides on the Internet that I strongly recommend you consult beforehand. The city website itself is quite good and informative. So, I’d rather not try to come up with another, less than perfect extensive travel guide. I’d just like to offer some visual inspiration as well as some bits and pieces I really liked.
Museums to visit
+ Rijksmuseum
I don’t know whether I have ever mentioned this, but one of my majors at university was art history. Which means I’ve seen more artwork in a few short years than most people in a lifetime. For this reason, I’m also kind of picky about art galleries and museums. I know what I’m interested in, what is worth seeing, and don’t linger around more. I usually prefer 20th century, modern, and contemporary art, but even I have to admit that the crown jewel art of the Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is an absolute must-see. I think I’ve spent at least 15 minutes just staring at it – it’s worth visiting the museum just for this painting alone.
+ Stedelijk Museum
The Modern Art Museum with a great permanent display and some changing temporary exhibits. Its shop is also great for scoring unique interior design objects.
By the way, these two museums, along with the Van Gogh Museum, are a 1-minute walk from each other.
+ The Anne Frank House
Visit this museum to learn about Anne Frank’s life, as well as to see where she and her family hid during World War II for 2 years. Definitely book your visit well ahead, otherwise you can only start to stand in (a very long) line after 3.30 pm.
Café Heaven
Researching the best cafes before this trip was not exactly easy, because coffeshop refers to an entirely different experience in Amsterdam. I did manage to find some that I wanted to visit as well as stumbled upon a lot of gems while strolling around. The cakes and pancakes are awesome in Amsterdam, but it’s also a healthy food mecca. I’m sure you can find a lot of unique cafes when you visit, but you can check out these as well:
+ Pluk
+ Blushing
Shopping
Amsterdam is a real shopping heaven. While there is a very long shopping street with huge stores of your usual high street brands, you really do not want to shop there. The real shopping gems of Amsterdam are the concept stores (where you can find carefully selected stylish fashion, jewelry, and interior pieces in an amazing display), as well as the many unique boutiques, interior design shops, art galleries, and vintage shops. Walk around the 9 Streets (in the historic canal district) and Gerard Doustraat (in the De Pijp area). The stores are next to each other, along with a lot of stylish, cozy cafes (sometimes the stores themselves have cafes, 2 in 1).
Another store to visit is The American Book Center – I think that they have the biggest American book collection in mainland Europe. 3 stories of book heaven, and you can find all kinds of beautiful magazines as well.
Some of my favorites:
+ Things I like, Things I Love
+ Miuse
+ Sukha
+ Hutspot
10 things you must do in Amsterdam
+ Go on a canal boat tour
+ Buy some tulip bulbs in the Tulip Museum
+ Try the pancakes, waffles, and the many sweet pastries. They are truly delicious.
+ Hop on a bike. The first time we just walked around, but this year we rented two bikes to roam around the city. To be honest, I was petrified at first, considering I haven’t sat on a bike in 11 years and the bikers of Amsterdam are just crazy fast. But I’m glad I did it, as it was an amazing experience. Just riding along the canals and beautiful row of houses in the sunshine – it was one of those experiences, when you mentally stop for a minute and truly appreciate the moment.
+ Have a coffee at one of the stylish cafes
+ Catch a ferry and visit the EYE Film museum and NDSM Wharf for some artsy, industrial vibes
+ Walk around De Pijp and have lunch at one of the the outside terrace cafes
+ Discover the secret courtyard of the Begijnhof
+ Soak in some culture in the Museumsplein
+ Just walk around. Seriously, I cannot emphasize enough how just walking around the streets, popping into the beautiful stores, stopping to have a good coffee or just sitting and watching people are simply the best programs in Amsterdam.
Have you ever visited Amsterdam?
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