Amsterdam is a city known for its beautiful canals, fairy-tale-like architecture and a great time. Despite the fact that tourists mostly associate this city with legal drugs and ladies of the night from the Red Light District, there’s actually so much more to Amsterdam than that.
It is also known for its large and beautiful parks and a completely laid-back atmosphere, as well as the bike-riding culture. A huge percentage of people speak English and the city’s organization and orientation are at an amazingly high level, so there’s absolutely nothing to fear when it comes to finding your way around the city. If you fly into Amsterdam airport, you can get a direct train from Amsterdam Airport to City Centre, so even if you are staying further out, you can also tour around the city first before checking into your accommodation. A great idea if you have a morning flight and don’t get the keys to your accommodation until the afternoon.
It makes a great long weekend trip, in which you can check out some of the best hotels in Amsterdam that will let you have a great base for exploring the city.
Here are a few highlights I suggest everyone should experience.
Museumplein
Let’s start with some culture. There’s a whole block in Amsterdam which is like a huge park with all the museums. There’s Rijskmuseum, which is a national museum. Apart from this one, there’s the Van Gogh museum which is absolutely amazing and so informative.
I was thrilled to learn the details of his life and see an admirable collection of his paintings. Anne Frank’s House is also a very popular place to visit. It isn’t in Museumplein, but it is certainly worthy of attention to hear the distressing story of this amazing girl and her tragedy. Apart from these, there is the Heineken experience, Stedelijk museum of art and many others.
Around the city
Amsterdam is a great city to experience like a local. Using public transportation is such a shame considering you’ll be missing out on walking the beautiful cobbled streets and admiring the architecture and the cutest canals and bridges.
This is why you should get accommodation that is relatively close to the centre, or at least possible to reach on foot in a reasonable amount of time. Just make sure you get an adequate adapter, like you can find in Go Travel offer, so you can keep your phone and camera charged. Nevertheless, the only means of transportation you should use is a bike. This is a unique experience as people in Amsterdam ride their bikes very fast and you’ll totally get addicted to this atmosphere.
Brownies and stuff
Regardless of moral grounds, most people go for the “when in Rome” attitude and decide to try brownies or smoke some weed. It’s important to know that there are coffee houses in Amsterdam where people drink regular coffee.
On the other hand, coffee shops are places where you can get hash brownies and weed. They’re fresh when bought in coffee shops, so don’t buy them in regular stores or souvenir shops. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is positive, so there’s no place to fear. In addition, make sure to split a brownie with someone if it’s your first time as they’re quite strong, or at least ask for a recommendation from the seller.
Red Light District
This certainly is a very attractive part of Amsterdam, and it’s much more polite than people imagine. Take a walk, make sure not to take children with you and enjoy the view.
However, you mustn’t take photos as this is strictly prohibited and there are security guards in every street. Not all the booths are always open and some of them are marked with red lights, while others are purple for an interesting reason.
Food
When it comes to food, this country isn’t famous for a lot of things. What you should try, however, is waffles. They come in all forms and all flavours. There aren’t many national cuisine delicacies and you’ll probably eat a lot of street foods such as sandwiches, pancakes, etc. French fries in a cone on the street are a very popular food choice in Amsterdam. You get to choose from a huge variety of sauces as well, which is awesome.
All in all, this is an amazing city where you’ll spend some great moments. Just relax and enjoy. Go wherever the road takes you and enjoy the ride. Most people speak English and they’re more than willing to help you put when it comes to giving directions or anything you need. So, pack your bags and head to Amsterdam.
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